The New Green Deal

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T E N D T O Y O U R S E L F , B O D Y A N D S O U L

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Cleanser: (1) Honest Magic Gel-to- Milk Makeup Melting Cleanser. $18; honest.com Antioxidant Serum: (2) Eadem Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum. $68; eadem.co Sunscreen: (3) Cocokind Daily SPF. $25; cocokind.com

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Th e N ew G re e n D e a l

The next big thing in clean beauty? Sizing up your shelves and zeroing in on a capsu le col lection of hardworking products. Here’s how to streamline your routine for a personal and planetary win.

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N I G H T Start with your cleanser, then pick one of these. Moisturizer With Bio-Retinol (safe to use while pregnant or breastfeeding): (4) Burt’s Bees Renewal Fragrance-Free Firming Moisturizing Cream. $20; burtsbees.com Moisturizer With Retinol: (5) Garnier Green Labs Retinol-Berry Super Smoothing 3-in-1 Serum Cream. $22; drugstores

I N R E C E N T years, the beauty world has seen the welcome rise of clean ingredients and

sustainable packaging. It’s also seen a swell of Instagram feeds filled with extensive beauty collections, meticulously arranged by inf luencers. (Recall the #shelfie? It made a lot of us beeline to Sephora.) But buying more products than we can ever possibly use, whether they’re green or not, is a drain on resources, says Kristen Arnett, a celebrity makeup artist and green-beauty expert. “Can you imagine buying a fridgeful of food and chucking it out every week, never having touched it?” asks Chase Polan, the founder of KYPRIS, a luxury clean-beauty brand. “No, but that’s what some people are doing with beauty.”

Arnett and Polan are both proponents of what you might call green minimalism, or the practice of making smarter, more focused purchases. To truly be “clean,” advocates say, products need to leave a low impact on the planet and deliver results so consumers use them to the last drop.

For parents, preserving the environment for our kids is often reason enough to be more mindful consumers. But also, says Ashley Brown, author of The Routine Building Handbook, “whenever you can lighten your load, you usually feel ten times better.”

If you’re thinking, “But, um, I really love makeup,” know that simplifying isn’t about missing out. Finding the best means getting the most for your time, budget, and well-being.

Sk in Essentia ls

W H E N dermatologist Corey L. Hartman, M.D., asks patients to bring their skin-care products to appointments at his office in Birmingham, Alabama, the self-described “skinimalist” is frequently surprised by the extent of their routines. “Look, if skin care is how you relax, then go ahead and do 12 steps,” he says. “But I don’t want people to feel that’s normal or that they’re not successful because they aren’t putting in that kind of time and effort. I’m a dermatologist, and I don’t do all of that.”

Product overload can in fact be a cause of skin troubles. “Sometimes people are using three or four products that do the same thing, or they’re mixing products that shouldn’t be used together,” he says. Combining retinol with acids, like salicylic or glycolic, for instance, is a recipe for redness, irritation, and sensitivity.

Admittedly, it’s difficult not to be seduced by enthusiastic inf luencer endorsements or the simple desire for something new. “ You think that a product is going to solve ‘the problem,’ ” Arnett says. “But sometimes you need to ask, is there even a problem?” The habit of trying and moving on is ingrained in us. Most products are designed to last three or four months, which is, not coincidentally, around the same amount of time needed to see results. “How many times have you thrown away a ha lf-empty container before you jumped on the bandwagon of a different trend?” Dr. Hartman asks. “I think most people never get to an empty bottle. They don’t have

For rough, tired, yet also sensitive skin, occasionally swap your evening cream for MaeLove The Night Renewer ($30; maelove.com).

A night cream with a hefty dose of niacinamide, like Naturium Niacinamide Gel Cream 5% ($20; naturium.com), makes dry, dull skin brighter.

A S - N E E D E D T R E A T M E N T S

Salicylic acid in Kinship Pimple Potion ($19; lovekinship .com) dries out acne overnight.

A Simpler Hair Routine

O F T E N people say they want their hair to look exactly the way their stylist did it, says Michael Dueñas, a celebrity stylist in Los Angeles. But “instead of loading up with every product they used, ask the stylist to recommend three products: a leave-in conditioner, a mousse, and a hairspray.” For most hair types, these are all you need to handle anything from sexy waves to a polished updo.

And they can be used for more than one purpose. If your hair is thick or textured, a leave-in conditioner helps hydrate and tame frizz. If hair is fine, it smooths split ends, prevents f lyaways, and offers lightweight hydration. “Apply it evenly to damp hair from midlengths to ends,” Dueñas says. Then you can work in a multitasking mousse, which boosts limp roots, adds grip to styles, and sculpts hair. Any hair type can use mousse , though some curly- and coiled-hair types may prefer a curl cream or gel instead.

Hairspray locks in your finished look but also refreshes hair when it’s dry, lifting roots and adding texture and volume.

But, Dueñas says, while the right products help add longevity and control, none of them are as important as technique. Take notes from your stylist or find a YouTuber with a hair type and aesthetic like yours to learn DIY skills. Investment-quality tools, like a high-wattage blow dryer for speedy drying or a ceramic curling iron to protect from heat damage, make a difference. Otherwise? “It comes down to practice,” he says.

enough patience or fortitude to stick with something until it runs out.” In fact, the key to making minima lism work is consistency. “It ’s a lmost more important than the ingredients,” Dr. Hartman says.

The best plan: “a simple skin-care routine that is easy to follow and maintain,” says Blair Murphy-Rose, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. A core lineup might include a cleanser, an antioxidant, a sunscreen, and a moisturizer with retinol, or a retinol alternative like bakuchiol. (Flip back to page 59 for our picks.) “These are going to give the majority of people what they need to have healthy, glowing skin,” Dr. Hartman says. “They’re preventive, they help stop the breakdown of collagen, and they help with pigmentation and acne.” Think of this combination as you would a sma ll but well-edited wardrobe that’s meant to work together (and looks good on almost anybody). It’s a one-size-fits-all regimen that functions on skin that’s oily, dry, mature, or something in between.

Dr. Hartman notes that people with specific issues, such as sensitive skin or acne, may want targeted treatments as well. “It’s also a good idea to seek the guidance of somebody who knows how to customize a regimen specifically for you,” he says.

Mist Dae Cactus Flower Leave-In Conditioner ($26; sephora .com) through damp hair to hydrate and soften any type.

Aveda Air Control Light Hold Hair Spray ($32; aveda .com) is strong enough to prevent �lyaways but soft enough for you to run your �ingers through.

H E L P F U L H A I R S T Y L E R S

Especially great for straight and wavy strands, Hairitage by Mindy McKnight Sky’s the Limit Volume Mousse ($8; walmart.com) lifts roots and de�ines texture.