How Wearing Less Makeup Can Boost Your Mental Health

Los Angeles Times

6 hours ago

In a world where beauty routines can feel more like full-time jobs, a quiet shift is happening. Call it skinimalism, the clean girl aesthetic, or just common sense, but minimalist beauty isn't just a fleeting trend. It's a reset. One built on authenticity, intention, and yes, a lot fewer steps.
At its core? A return to what makes us feel good, not just what looks good.
This shift toward simplicity didn't appear out of nowhere. It simmered beneath the surface during the pandemic, when many of us swapped full faces for bare skin on Zoom. As we got more comfortable seeing ourselves unfiltered, our routines began to reflect that ease.
Today's consumers are reaching for fewer products, but smarter ones. Think multitasking formulas and streamlined steps.
The low-maintenance look is here to stay. Dewy skin, brushed-up brows, a little cream blush, and lip balm, it's not about covering up. It's about enhancing what's already there. 'Minimalist beauty can certainly save time and reduce decision fatigue, which can contribute to a healthier mind,' says Cynthia Di Meo, Director of Global Artistry at Rare Beauty.
There's something undeniably freeing about leaving the house without a full face. And there's research to back that up. Studies show that women who wear less makeup often report higher self-esteem and emotional stability. On the flip side, frequent makeup wearers may be more prone to anxiety and self-consciousness.
The takeaway isn't to ditch makeup altogether, it's to redefine your relationship with it. As Di Meo puts it: 'What matters is how you feel and express yourself through makeup. There's no one-size-fits-all approach.'
Public figures are helping rewrite the script on beauty standards. Alicia Keys famously stepped back from glam entirely, penning an open letter in Lenny Letter where she declared: 'I don't want to cover up anymore. Not my face, not my mind, not my soul.'
Pamela Anderson, known for her iconic 90s bombshell glam, made headlines in 2023 during Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2024 when she arrived completely makeup-free. In a video interview with Vogue, she shared, 'I just felt like, without makeup, I was kind of doing something that was really freeing for me. Because I just kind of felt like it's okay to be me.' The moment struck a cultural nerve.
And Rare Beauty, Selena Gomez, has redefined beauty branding by putting mental health front and center. At the Rare Beauty Mental Health Summit, she shared, 'There are days where I step outside with no makeup and I don't care. It feels good not to care.' Her vulnerability, about therapy, bipolar disorder, and rejecting perfection, is refreshing.
'Makeup will only look as good as the skin beneath it,' says Di Meo. Translation: start with skincare.
Focus on hydration, protection, and balance. A gentle cleanser, nourishing moisturizer, and SPF are your foundation, literally.
Tinted moisturizers with SPF. Lip-and-cheek sticks. Brow gels that double as shapers. Streamlined routines don't mean sacrificing results.
Earthy tones like taupe, beige, and terracotta give a polished, natural glow. Boring is back.
Instead of a full beat, define what matters most to you. Maybe it's brushed-up brows. Maybe it's a swipe of brown mascara. Maybe it's nothing at all. Minimalist beauty is flexible.
'With innovative formulas, you can go from sheer to glam without switching products,' says Di Meo. You're not locked into one look, you're giving yourself room to shift.
When you're using fewer products, what's in those products becomes more important. That's where clean beauty comes in. As Di Meo reminds us, 'The quality of your makeup and properly removing it at the end of the day is what matters.' Minimalist doesn't mean neglect; it means intentional care.
This isn't about rules. So, whether your routine includes seven steps or just SPF and a smile, the point isn't perfection. Its presence.
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