It seems Marie Kondo’s decluttering manifesto is changing women’s beauty routines, writes Jenny Berich.

According to new research by Mintel, the days of bathroom cabinets packed with 5-step, 7-step or even 10 step-skincare routines could be over as many women are “tired of complicated facial skincare routines”.

The market research consultancy’s report on facial skincare in Britain found that over the 12 months ending May 2019, almost three in 10 women (28%) reduced the number of products in their facial skincare routine, with 20- to 29-year-olds most likely to have simplified their routines (54%).

The proportion of women using just one product to cleanse their face has risen from 25% to 28% while the proportion of women using four or more products to cleanse has fallen sharply from 26 percent to 18 percent during the same period.

The “biggest facial cleansing casualties” were facial cleansing washes (from 55% to 50%), facial cleansing wipes (54% to 43%) and facial toners (29% to 25%).

Other facial care products that have also “taken a tumble” in the 12 month period included day cream/lotion (from 66% to 60%), night cream/lotion (48% to 44%), BB, CC and DD creams (21% to 15%), while usage of other treatment products such as eye creams, exfoliators, masks and overnight treatments have also declined.

Mintel global skincare analyst Alex Fisher says a growing number of UK women are turning away from the multi-step routine “hoping to reach the same glowing result without having to put the time in”.

“This need for simplicity has pushed them towards minimalist skincare products with more intense active ingredients, such as serums and oils,” she says, noting that women’s usage of face oil and serums has remained at 24% during the survey period.

In addition, according to Mintel’s Global New Products Database (GNPD), brightening/illuminating is the top growing claim in the UK women’s facial skincare category.

“In the last few years, women have moved from matte make-up looks towards glittery highlighters, and are now choosing to ‘glow from within’ using skincare, rather than makeup,” said the report.

“Serums and oils are the products of choice for creating this luminous look, while other options have been dropped from the routine.

“Serum is a well-liked format, perceived as brightening and nourishing, and often includes ingredients like vitamins and antioxidants which are said to illuminate skin.

“Although oil is considered by some to be greasy, but this could also add to a more dewy/glistening complexion, which feeds into the overall desire to achieve glowing skin.”

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