Seventy-two percent of beauty consumers say they feel overwhelmed by how many products are available. The industry’s answer is a trend called skinimalism. Is it working?
The Rhode Skin phone case holds your phone, obviously. It also holds a lip treatment. That’s what it does — it snaps onto the back of a phone and keeps Rhode’s Peptide Lip Treatment within reach at all times, because people were already carrying it in pockets and at the bottom of bags, and eventually someone decided that was worth designing a product around. Rhode launched in 2022 with three products and a philosophy its founder Hailey Bieber called “glazed donut skin” — luminous, minimal, healthy skin as its own finish. By 2025, Rhode was at Sephora in twenty-seven markets with a blush, a bronzer, and the phone case.
In the 1990s, nearly half of women used just one skincare product on average, according to an Olay survey. Now 38 percent use four or more products daily and spend 19 minutes on their routine — almost five full days per year. McKinsey’s 2025 State of Beauty report found that seventy-two percent of beauty consumers feel overwhelmed by the number of products available, which is a significant finding from inside an industry with no plans to produce fewer of them.
The physical consequences of an overcrowded skincare routine can mirror the problem that prompted it. “Using lots of different skincare products can actually weaken the skin barrier and cause more problems,” Dr. Sonia Sharma, an NHS dermatology registrar, told Refinery29 — dryness, sensitivity, inflammation; the same conditions that tend to send people toward a multi-step routine in the first place.
“The combination of cost of living and price of premium products and the skincare market being inundated with new products and ingredients has led the consumer feeling overwhelmed and confused when shopping,” Fatimah Khan, a senior consumer insights analyst at the INKEY List, told Beauty Packaging. “This has driven consumers wanting their routines to be simplified and efficient, without compromising on the benefits of exciting innovative products and a multi-step routine.”
The industry named the response “skinimalism” — fewer, more intentional products — and the skinimalism market is now growing at 9.8 percent compound annual growth rate. The Ordinary and E.l.f. disrupted the prestige tier by making the ingredient list legible and the price transparent; the prestige response was to adopt the language of simplicity and keep expanding. Olay, whose survey found that 81 percent of women over 35 want a more simplified routine, launched a five-in-one Super Cream to meet the demand. “Consumers are becoming more knowledgeable about skincare ingredients,” Irene Liu, product and regulatory affairs manager at Paula’s Choice Taiwan, told Beauty Packaging. “Whereas they once focused solely on efficacy, many now examine concentration, sourcing, packaging materials, and even sustainability.”
McKinsey’s advice to brands is to add value, sharpen differentiation, and build trust through dermatologists. “Over the last decade, an avalanche of brands with public-facing founders emerged… But while a prominent founder can propel growth, their appeal alone is insufficient for long-term success.” The report notes that beauty experts like dermatologists and makeup artists can help to foster trust. “With many branding niches now overcrowded, quality and originality will be key.”
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