Why we’re all becoming ‘skinimalists’ and how to declutter your beauty cabinet

Regena Facial Milk, £59, Waphyto; Mandelic Acid & Rice Bran Exfoliating Serum, £22, Selfless by Hyram; Hyaluronic Acid Ceramide Capsules, from £45, Elizabeth Arden; Skin Food Light, from £8.99, Weleda; Crystal Retinal 3 Stable Retinol Night Serum, £45, Medik8 at Net-a-Porter

To make things even simpler, you could zero in on one succinct skincare brand. I’m enamoured of the clean Japanese brand Waphyto, which harnesses powerful plant-based ingredients with sophisticated science. The unfussy, tightly edited line-up of products (free from parabens, ethanols, synthetic colours, fragrance and petroleum-based surfactants) is the brainchild of award-winning plant scientist and phytotherapist Atsuko Morita, who was inspired by Japanese ‘wa culture’. Based on achieving peace and harmony, it’s a philosophy not dissimilar to Lagom, the Swedish mantra of ‘not too little, not too much’.

I genuinely rate all six products in the skincare range, which comprises two cleansers (one oil for removing make-up, one foaming to rid you of deep-down dirt), two creams (one light, one rich), one facial oil and a clever gel-based toner. But, if pressed to highlight just one, I’d recommend the Regena Facial Milk, made with pure squalane and full of mood-lifting essential oils. Or why not give the trial pack of six a whirl and see how your skin fares? Mine is softer, brighter and clearer after a full month’s use. Otherwise, choose from the rest of my road-tested essentials, specially selected for this time of year.