Less IS the New More in skincare

It took me a long time to embrace this, but I wholeheartedly believe what others have known for some time now…less really IS more.   Most of my life was spent wanting more; believing that more is more, and that more is better.  This seemed true in many areas of my life, particularly with skin care products.  Because of my profession as a Spa Director, there was easy access to an abundance of free beauty and skin care products.  I really enjoyed testing new products and discerning the unique qualities of many of them, their smell, texture, ingredients and effects.  The bathroom was full (and still is to a lesser extent) of some of the best of what’s out there.  Because there were more products than I could possibly use, guilt surrounded throwing away countless bottles of expired product.   It was like wasting food that had gone bad in the refrigerator.  I also felt some irrational responsibility to use all the products in the bathroom, as if they all needed to be loved equally.  I know, it’s not rational, but this was how I felt.

In the case of my love affair with beauty and skin care products, eventually I realized that using LESS products led me to MORE of the following:

• More space in the bathroom cabinet
• More time, with less spent deciding what to use
• More of an understanding of what works for my skin
• More money
• More alignment with the desire to produce less waste
• More love for my Hero Products
• More ease when traveling
• More confidence knowing what I like
• More fun sharing favorites with friends

This understanding has spread into other parts of my life. I like to apply the Less is More rule to toys for my son, the garage, the refrigerator and my friends. I find it challenging to apply it to my closet and digital photo albums.  Though I can clearly see the freedom that less in these areas would provide.

Ultimately, having a clear understanding of what I put on my body and bring into my home for my family to use has become more of a conscious decision because I do value my space, time, ease, money and alignment with my values. I am much more selective about what makes the cut.  I still like having more, just more of what I now cherish.

Incidentally, one of the best resources for those who want to practice Less is More is Courtney Carver’s blog, Be More with Less.  Enjoy!