The term “quiet quitting” is an Internet phenomenon that has translated well into real life. The term was popularised by Tiktok user Zaid Khan, and refers to doing only the bare minimum at the workplace. Forget answering e-mails after you’ve left the office, or going above and beyond your job description to score points with the boss.
This approach has hit our skincare regimen too. Some people are “quiet quitting ” by scaling back to the essentials and simplifying their beauty routine. This is unlike a skin fast, which involves going cold turkey on skincare products.
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Dr YZ Tan, founder and medical director of Mizu Aesthetic Clinic, says this shift in focus towards skincare over makeup has taught us some lessons, such as how “skincare trends and fads don’t work on everyone”. “Everyone’s skin is different, so your skincare routine should always be tailored to what your skin needs, and it is not necessary to follow a 10- step routine,” Dr YZ Tan says. “Reducing your skincare to the basics with just a few essential ingredients can be a good way of helping your skin strengthen and repair itself. You are also reducing the risk of your skin reacting badly to an overload of ingredients.”
It’s also a case of scaling back after buying tons of products during lockdowns. Dr Melvin Tan, founder of aesthetic clinic Epion Clinic, thinks that spending more time online – be it for work or leisure – during the pandemic influenced our skincare habits.
“With the long periods spent on Zoom as well as the popularity of social media, people have been observing their appearances a lot more, and purchasing different types of products from different brands. This likely resulted in a fairly extensive skincare collection,” he explains. “Among this group, there might be a lot of paring down of their skincare, as there would be a fair amount of overlap between products that are either redundant or cause sensitivity.”
But while being less stressed about work could certainly be good for our physical and mental health, can quiet quitting with regards to skincare actually benefit us?
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Sonam Uttamchandani of Founders Beauty says that taking a simpler approach to skincare “makes the experience intentional, intuitive and hassle-free”. She believes a pared-down routine eliminates the stress you might feel with skincare, and overdoing it can cause more harm than good. “We are going through a sensory overload of products in the market, and this over-saturation is causing us to feel overwhelmed and confused about what we need,” she says. “In many cases, this means you use fewer products overall, and each product contains more active ingredients. Your skincare journey is specific to you, so build it as you see fit.”
And as Dr Melvin Tan points out, using too many products is too time consuming and not sustainable. “Purchasing many different products from different lines could see you doubling on certain actives, which isn’t productive and could lead to skin sensitivity,” he explains.
Sonam suggests starting with a skin fast. Give your skin at least 24 hours to rest with no product at all, which means cleansing with only water. This will show you whether your skin is dry, oily or normal after 24 hours.“Then, you can build an effective routine with what you really require,” she says.
Dr YZ Tan advises to focus on hydration, and effective, multitasking formulations that strengthen your skin barrier and aid in cellular renewal. “Cleanser, serum, moisturiser and sun protection should remain the foundation of your skincare routine. Instead of layering multiple serums, you can opt to alternate your routine. One good approach would be using vitamin C in the morning and retinol at night,” he says.
