Six Things Your Skin Doesn’t Need (and Why)

1) Strong fragrance & high-dose essential oils

Nice for scent, but strong fragrance or high % essential oils are common irritants in leave-on products, especially on reactive skin.
Do instead: keep scent low and simple (micro-dosed EOs), or choose low-scent/essential oil-free if you’re sensitive; always patch test.

2) Drying alcohols near the top of the label

Light feel, but daily use can stress the barrier.
Do instead: barrier-friendly emollients; if alcohol’s present, it should be lower on the list.

3) “Kitchen-sink” formulas

20 actives ≠ 20× results; actives need room + the right base.
Do instead: short, purposeful lists with a clear hero.

4) Unbuffered strong acids - nightly

Exfoliation helps…until it doesn’t. Overuse = tight, dull skin.
Do instead: 1–3×/week tops; on off-nights, lipids and recovery.

5) Vitamin A on an angry barrier

Retinoids work if your skin is ready.
Do instead: rebuild first with lipids; consider gentler paths before ramping.

6) “Filler glow”

Silicones blur, but bounce comes from skin-identical lipids.
Do instead: olive squalane, jojoba + antioxidants.

What "minimal" means at Minus

• Few ingredients, high signal. Every ingredient has a job
• Skin-identical oils for slip/comfort
• Actives with peer-reviewed data in a barrier-friendly base