With a new year comes skincare trends 2021 edition! Many of the items on this list are a direct result of our new COVID-adapted lives. Others stem from our rapidly changing global environment. Every year we see new trends that promise to get us to our healthiest and prettiest selves. So let's start this list:
The age of COVID has kept us indoors 95% of the time and when you are out and about 50% of your face is covered with a mask. As a result of this many have experienced breakouts around the mouth area where masks can trap bacteria and create a humid environment in which they thrive.
One possible remedy to this reaction is to stop wearing foundation or concealer. Having an extra layer of makeup on the skin can even further clog pores leading to breakouts. Since half of your face is covered anyway, it just makes sense to reduce the amount of makeup we are wearing.
Germs viruses and bacteria are at the forefront of our minds at all times nowadays. This hyper-conscious thought will surely increase the popularity of no-touch treatments. Things like automated facial exfoliating brushes, extractors, and product applicator brushes will undoubtedly be featured throughout the year.
If you are being a considerate human being during this time, you might be experiencing dry hands due to frequent hand washing and sanitizing. As a result of this, there will surely be a surge in hand care products. Moisturizers, rejuvenating gloves, and other products are already on the market but I'm sure there will be at least a few new ones that pop up in the coming months.
Already making a comeback beginning last year is the presence of liquid lipstick. As masks have become an unavoidable part of life, lipstick wearers have needed to find a product that does not stain their face coverings. This need has found a solution in liquid lipstick. Liquid lipstick is known for its ability to stain and stay where it's applied, making for one of the perfect skincare trends 2021.
This new trend has actually been growing for years. But we are sure to see even more people jumping on the natural hair bandwagon in 2021. During this time of political unease, people are attaching a huge emphasis on the ideas of self, background and equality. Although seemingly superficial, hair creates a bold statement about who we are. The choice to leave your hair in its natural state is truly one of the more empowering skincare trends 2021.
Since 2014 there has been an increasing amount of research placed in studying the microbiome of our skin. This basically involves looking at everything living on the surface of our skin, both good and bad bacteria. In past years the market has remained fairly skeptical towards the idea of putting “living” products on our skin but the research agrees that these treatments can be very effective. Elsa Jungman, a skin-care pharmacologist who studies the microbiome, suggests seeking out companies that have ample research to support their claims. (Jungman recently launched a microbiome-friendly skin-care brand backed by a team of like-minded scientists.)
Awareness around harmful synthetic skincare ingredients has risen in tandem with our desire to live our healthiest. Consumers have influenced large brands to modify their recipes in order to provide “cleaner” products using natural ingredients. This is one of the skincare trends 2021 that has also influenced a myriad of small businesses to create products that are simple, safe, and natural.
Pairing with clean and natural products is the trend of refillable products. Not only do we want the best for our skin, but we also want the best for our earth as well. The idea that single-use plastics are incredibly bad has finally begun to influence the way consumers consume. They are looking to lessen their impact by reusing their containers. This process not only reduces waste but also packaging costs for companies.
The list of products that offer an extra breath of relaxation to your skincare routine is seemingly endless. With the huge increase of time spent within our homes and the huge increase in overall stress, it is no secret that all of these items are going to be used more frequently. The top ones that can be easily made at home are:
Social media influencers don't show any signs of disappearing this year which means we are definitely going to see some of them try to leverage their following and produce products they create. Kylie Jenner has set a precedent in the skincare market and other influencers have been following this trend and custom tailoring to their unique style.
The popularity of injections has had its ups and downs over the years, but I think it will definitely be one of the skincare trends in 2021. With constant innovations in tools and techniques come incredibly painless and noninvasive treatments with immediate results. This combination of benefits is too alluring for many to avoid and with just a little help from a viral TikTok, this trend might just explode.
Something that is fairly novel this year is the idea of blue light protection. Staying at home for the majority of the day has meant for many a huge increase in the amount of screentime and therefore blue light exposure. With all light, comes harmful rays that can damage our skin. While not as intense as UV light, blue light can still take its toll.
Dermatologists say “when blue light penetrates the skin, reactive oxygen species are generated, which leads to DNA damage, thereby causing… hyperpigmentation." Products to combat this threat are already beginning to flood the market. As with any product, especially novel ones, thoroughly check the ingredients and make sure you do your research to see if the company has gotten results from their formula.
COVID has transformed many of our usual in-person meetings to zoom calls. A visit with your local dermatologist is no different. However, this trend though forced is arguably an upgrade from the latter. Now with in-home meetings, you could see a specialist who lives in a different country. There is no commute to worry about, no hassle of locating the office and you don't even have to put on pants.
Last but not least on our list of skincare trends 2021 are skincare tech gadgets. Throughout history we have been working on ways to improve our skincare tools and the rapid improvement of them is nothing but incredible. We have products that feature infrared light, sonic pulsing, and vacuum vortex technology. The innovations of this year are sure to be surprising!
If there’s one thing we learned from 2020 it’s that predicting the future is impossible. But as far as skincare goes we can make some educated guesses about what will happen this year. It will be seen if these trends will actually trend in our lives but I think that all of them have a decent shot at doing so.
Written by Kiana St Onge
