Top 10 Skincare Trends To Take Advantage of in 2022

Skincare is seeing a huge resurgence in popularity as the beauty industry puts skin health at the forefront of its campaigns. With innovative skincare trends and products that used to only be available on a trip to your dermatologist, at-home skincare has really advanced in the past decade.

Since the world halted during the COVID-19 pandemic and people had the time to really think about the health of their skin, the obsession with having a solid skincare routine has meant an array of different skincare trends have made their way into the limelight.

Skincare trends come and go, and they move through social media like wildfire, but there are a few that are making a big name for themselves in 2022. From tacking blue light exposure and boosting skin barrier function to protecting sensitive skin and boosting collagen production, we've been taking a look at the skincare trends that'll be the most popular this year.

In this article, we'll cover the different trends that you should be looking at and taking advantage of this year. Check it out now.

1. Minimal Makeup

Gone are the days when contouring and maximalism was the most popular makeup trend of the day. After surviving a pandemic, and mostly in masks, the beauty industry has adopted a much more pared-back take on our makeup regimes.

Minimalism has meant the introduction of skincare products that help the skin to glow without the use of extra layers of makeup. These are usually in the form of serums, oils, and other lightweight products.

Minimalism in skincare is also thought to have been pushed by the emergence of maskne - the spots and blemishes as a result of constantly wearing masks - and is one of the biggest skincare trends fighting this phenomenon.

In addition to the skincare industry, minimalism is also making big waves in the makeup industry with a range of products designed to make it look like you're not wearing any makeup at all.

Minimalist makeup means that the dewy look is in, blush is back, and concealer is used to lift and enhance rather than blur and cover.

2. Blue Light Protection

Blue light is everywhere. It comes from the sun, it's coming out of our television, it's even coming out of the device you're reading this article on and this high energy visible light is wreaking havoc on your skin.

For years, we've been trying to protect our skin against ultraviolet light with SPF protection products, but we hadn't really thought about blue light.

Blue light has the shortest wavelength of all the colours on the visible light spectrum and so sits closest to ultraviolet light on the electromagnetic spectrum. This means that quite a lot of the negative effects that we try to protect our skin from with UV light can also be caused by blue light.

Think accelerated aging and oxidative damage.

The blue light protection skincare trends we're currently seeing are designed to protect against these negative side effects of living in the digital age where it is almost impossible to avoid blue light exposure.

Blue light protective skincare helps to physically protect your skin from blue light exposure using ingredients like zinc oxide, antioxidants like vitamin C, green tea polyphenols, and Coenzyme Q2.

3. Scalp Care

Scalp care is making waves in the hair care industry, but as an extension of the skin on your face, your scalp care could actually be considered skincare too.

For too long, we've been using harsh products on our hair and our scalps have taken the hit. But now, the skincare industry is fighting back.

One of the biggest skincare trends we're seeing is a move to scalp health when it comes to the health of your hair. Products are featuring active ingredients that were previously saved for skincare products and people are really seeing how good scalp health can improve the look and feel of both your skin and your hair.

Try adding hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, peptides, and even marine algae to your hair care products for a boost in the health of the skin under your hair!

4. Hybrid Skincare

25-step skincare routines are out and hybrid skincare is in.

Hybrid skincare is essentially putting two or three products into one bottle to save the consumer time and money - and help the planet.

During the pandemic, there was a move towards kinder living with the impacts of the climate crisis really hitting home. This move has meant many more consumers are considering the impact their spending habits have on the planet.

Hybrid skincare trends are a great option for those looking to entice the eco-conscious consumer.

5. Waterless Skincare

And if you're looking for more trends that will bring in a more conscious consumer, then you'll probably want to know about waterless skincare too.

Waterless skincare is as it sounds - skincare without water. The ingredient 'aqua' is present in so many skincare products it's hard to keep track. It is a useful ingredient that allows the product to be absorbed and it's cheap - but it may also be harmful to the planet.

Waterless skincare aims to tackle water shortages around the world by using less water for our skincare.

Waterless products use oils and waxes as fillers, rather than water and usually come in much smaller bottles, reducing packaging. They tend to be more concentrated too.

Waterless products could also help to tackle the issue of bacteria in water.

As a breeding ground for bacteria, naturally occurring bacteria on the skin's surface can be an issue for water-based products, meaning that lots of preservatives are needed. Products formulated without water avoid the use of harsh preservatives.

6. LED Light Therapy

LED light therapy has taken over on social media, with many skincare influencers wearing Storm Trooper style masks to improve the health of their skin.

The therapy is designed to stimulate collagen production and prevent outbreaks using different coloured LED lights. This kind of treatment used to only be available on a trip to a salon, but it can now be used at home too!

7. Fermented Skincare Ingredients

Fermentation became a huge craze in the food industry a few years back, and now it's making a name for itself in the skincare game too.

Fermented products are thought to reduce inflammation and prevent the visible signs of aging. They're sensitive skin-friendly too, making them a part of the industry move towards kinder and more calming skincare.

8. Anti-Inflammatory Skincare

And similar to fermented products, anti-inflammatory products are also getting bigger this year.

The idea of anti-inflammatory ingredients is to calm problem skin and improve skin conditions. We've moved away from acid peels and aggressive skincare trends and onto soothing ingredients that are kind to our skin.

Look to add ingredients like vitamin C, aloe vera, and CBD oil into your skincare.

9. Skin Barrier Protection

Before this year, you may not have even heard of your skin's barrier, but it's all the rage now.

In the past decade, products have appeared with a range of active ingredients that many people actually knew little about. Usually, these ingredients would appear in prescription skincare or be used by a board-certified dermatologist, but innovation in skincare meant that they could be used as at-home treatments.

While the innovation has really opened people's eyes to skin health, it has also meant that quite frequently, people have been applying products they think are helping but that are actually damaging their skin barrier.

Skin barrier repair products can help to rectify this damage and balance the skin's microbiome once more. Good ingredients for this kind of skin repair include ceramides, niacinamide, and free fatty acids.

10. Ingestible Skincare

Lastly, a trend that has been used to nourish skin without even touching the skin is ingestible skincare.

These past few years, beauty brands have begun their foray into supplementation that offers additional skincare benefits to the skincare products applied topically.

As the biggest organ in our body, our skin is affected by the things we eat as much as by the things we apply to it, which is why eating well has always been key to good skin. But now, you can find collagen supplements and multivitamins that are catered to boosting the health of the skin.

Supplements may focus on superfood powder mixes that are known to boost the health of the skin as well as collagen, probiotics, and other compounds known to revitalise the skin.

Final thoughts

The skincare industry has seen massive innovation in recent years. Skincare trends have been affected by the things happening around us, and recently, that has meant the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lots of the skincare trends we will be seeing in 2022 have been influenced by a consumer need for kinder products, more eco-conscious development, and the overall health of our skin.

Whether it be LED light masks, supplements for your skin, or fermented skincare ingredients, 2022 is the year we were all a little kinder to our skin.