Strategies to Simplify Your Beauty Routine
In a world overflowing with skin and hair products, and complex beauty routines, the philosophy of "less is more" is becoming increasingly appealing. As we navigate through countless creams, hair care products, and more, it’s easy to forget that achieving healthy beauty often comes down to a few simple products with plant-based ingredients like those found in our Better-for-You Pharmacopia Collection.
Following are some strategies we’ve used to simplify our own skincare routines at Pharmacopia and ones you may want to try too.
1. Choose multi-functional products. Look for body care products that combine multiple beneficial, plant-based ingredients. For example, our Tangerine Lip Elixir is rich in skin-nourishing olive oil, vitamin E, and hemp seed oil to hydrate, soothe, and protect the lips, but it also works in a pinch as an eye cream, hand cream, and cuticle smoother. Just toss this multi-tasker in your bag, keep it by your computer, or store it in your car. You can’t have enough of these lip balms which is why we package them in convenient sets of three!
Our Citrus, Verbena, and Argan Oil Body Wash also do more than cleanse skin in the shower or bath. Infused with skin-soothing aloe vera, coconut oil, and chamomile extract, these body washes also make the perfect soothing bubble bath (just add 10 to 20 pumps under running water), non-drying hand wash by the kitchen or bathroom sink, and gentle makeup brush wash (just one tiny pump on a brush, with water, will help keep your brushes stay clean).
What’s more, our Better-for-You Conditioners also do double duty as a gentle shave cream, thanks to skin-soothing plant-based ingredients like shea butter, jojoba oil, aloe vera, and olive leaf extract.
And no matter which Pharmacopia product you use, the aromatic essential oils in each of them can energize and invigorate (as with our Citrus and Verbena scents) and uplift the senses.
2. Limit your products. Instead of having a separate product for every need, you can limit your body care regimen to just a few key products. A natural shampoo, conditioner, body wash or body bar, body lotion, and lip balm are the only products we use—which is why these are the ones that we feature at Pharmacopia.
Not only does limiting products simplify your routine, it also reduces clutter in your bathroom and reduces the number of products—and packaging—you use, reducing your carbon footprint.
You can go a step further by choosing gallon sizes of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and body lotion—to reduce the amount of packaging you’re using. These bulk products, packaged in 100% post-consumer recycled materials like all our products, make it simple to refill and reuse your convenient regular-size containers.
An important part of every simplified routine: being sure to recycle packaging that you’re not reusing. Limiting the number of products you use and recycling when you can goes a long way to reducing waste and helping the environment, too.
3. Establish a consistent routine. Consistency is key in skincare and haircare. Commit to applying your natural products regularly for best results and optimal hydration. For example, regularly applying lotion to damp skin after a shower or bath will help to lock in moisture and keep skin soft and smooth. Massaging in conditioner regularly—and using it as a leave-in conditioner once a week—will keep hair shiny, healthy, and frizz free.
Consistency helps prevent skin from becoming itchy, irritated, and chapped, as well as keeping hair from getting unruly and damaged, ultimately reducing the need for extra products to correct any issues.
Creating a ritual that you can expect and look forward to, with fewer decisions that need to be made, can also help make your daily routine less stressful.
4. Know your ingredients. The more familiar you are with ingredients and what they can do for your skin and hair, the more you can get creative with their multi-tasking uses. For example, these are just a few of the key ingredients that we use in our natural products. Many are essentials for both body and hair.
🌱Aloe vera is an incredibly soothing plant-based ingredient. It can reduce redness, irritation, and itching on both the skin and scalp.
You can find aloe vera in our Body Washes, Body Lotions, Shampoos, and Conditioners.
🌱Jojoba oil is similar in structure to human sebum, the natural oil produced by our skin, allowing jojoba oil to mimic the skin’s oils without clogging pores. This makes jojoba oil effective for both the skin and scalp.
You can find this powerful plant ingredient in almost all our better-for-you body care products.
🌱Shea butter is a creamy fat that has incredible hydrating benefits, locking in moisture of both skin and hair, which is why we often refer to it as a “wonder ingredient.” Shea butter can also soothe irritated skin and scalp. That’s why it’s a go-to ingredient in all our hydrating products from our Conditioners and Body Lotions to our Body Bars and Lip Elixir.
5. Look to your pantry for an extra boost. There are so many pantry essentials that can help to amplify your body care routine or give you added benefits, without having to purchase separate products. For example, one of our favorite pantry essentials is granulated sugar. We add a tiny bit to our lip balm for a natural exfoliating lip scrub that helps keep skin soft and smooth. You can also add granulated sugar to our Body Washes for a sudsing scrub for the body or feet.
For other pantry essentials that do double duty in your bathroom, see our helpful blog: 7 Pantry Essentials That Double as Beauty Products.
Not only does simplifying your body care routine reduce clutter and waste, it nurtures your skin and hair and enhances your self-care ritual. You’re able to create a self-care routine that’s effective and enjoyable, with less decision making and stress. The journey to radiant, healthy skin and hair doesn’t have to be complicated; with a pared-down routine, you can embrace simplicity and enhance your natural beauty. Less truly is more.
