As we continue to live with a certain amount of uncertainty, let’s take a minute to appreciate some of the positives. As our homes became our entire world, we’ve all made considerable alterations to how we spent our downtime and optimised our daily routines. And it’s fair to say that being quarantined the past year and a half has sort of forced us to just pause and think about the little things in life that we may have sidetracked. From choosing Cheetos and Tiger King over tequila shots on a late Saturday night to finally pulling out the yoga mat that was collecting dust and just taking care of yourself— in this case, your skin.
The thing is, the beauty industry spoiled us this year. With the boom of ‘skinimalism’ confirming that you don’t need ten different products to look pretty to the rise in demand for microbiome-friendly products, we witnessed a crop of diverse skincare trends that rose to prominence in 2021. But, which ones actually delivered what it promised? Ahead, we list the ones that did.
1. Skinimalism
In short, skinimalism is a minimalistic approach to skincare and encourages one to embrace their skin’s natural texture by using smarter products that minimise the number of steps in your regimen. This includes purpose products that work extra hard so that you don’t have to. Using one product rather than multiple ones that invariably give you the same result cuts waste and also reduces the risk of irritation specifically for those with sensitive skin.
2. Microbiome-Friendly Skincare
Early this year, microbiome-friendly skincare was coined as the wave of the future. We’re essentially talking about probiotic-infused products that maintain the balance of helpful microbes naturally present on the skin. Experts predicted that microbiome beauty would gain massive attention this year, and well—it did. Using pre and probiotic-rich products boosts the health of your skin which means you don’t really need a complicated skincare routine. Probiotics have proved to be more effective, cleaner, and gentler on our skin.
3. Blue Light Blocking
While the natural source of blue light is the sun, it also reaches us through artificial sources like phones and laptop screens. Blue light is said to weaken the collagen and elastin present in your skin, which means your skin ages faster. So, with most of us staring at our screens for an obscene amount of hours a day, beauty brands were quick to launch blue light skin-protecting formulas (the one by Pink Foundry is very effective) early this year. Now, no one that we know buys sunscreen or a daily moisturiser without blue light protection. It’s true.
4. Customised Skincare
With physical stores still being risky to visit, brands and e-commerce platforms reinvented the beauty retail experience by offering opportunities for consumers to shop at the comfort of their homes through digital beauty guides and expert-approved quizzes that provide customised skincare solutions. This convenient and personalised way of shopping has grown to be popular this year as most continue to work from home (or are just generally scared to step out) by providing access to scientifically-backed skincare formulas tailored to their specific skin type and concerns.
5. Ingestible Beauty
With more information and studies available to consumers this year, ingestible beauty picked up dramatically in 2021 by throwing light on the critical connection between your gut health and skin. Some of the top ingestibles include Vitamin C, probiotics, and marine collagen powders. The focus is on treating your skin from within and not just topically anymore with brands also launching next-gen supplements like gummies for optimal skin health—and the trajectory is expected to continue.
