Top Skin Care Trends for 2022

Now that many people are venturing outside more and enjoying a much busier social calendar, our skin-care needs are bound to change.  We are now more focused on our looks, and, specifically, the appearance of our skin.

As we put ourselves on display in public settings on a more regular basis for the first time in a year-and-a-half or so, it invites us to take a critical look at our appearance and look for ways we can up our skin-care game. The new year promises to usher in skin-care routines that reflect a growing demand for gentler ingredients, caring more for the stress that our skin undergoes rather than being exclusively focused on anti-aging aspects of our skin treatments, and increasing our usage of SPF.

 Clinics and salons are seeing a major rise in appointments for innovative treatments such as injectables, pro facials, and skin laser. 

7 Major Trends in Skin Care for 2022 

1)     Kindness to our Skin

Consumers of health and beauty products are emerging from the era that emphasized aggressive, fast-acting results and are entering into a new period marked by self-care that is more concerned with the health of their skin. 

People are more focused on “nurturing the skin’s barrier, maintaining a healthy, diverse microbiome – the good bacteria that live on your skin and keep it healthy and happy – and aligning more with self-care,” says Alexia Inge, cofounder and co-CEO of Cult Beauty. 

Inge goes on to explain that consumers have a renewed focus on sensitive skin as we spend more time outdoors after a long period of staying at home. This translates into people pursuing health and beauty products that support and not strip the skin’s barrier. 

This points to a massive reduction in the usage of foaming soaps, and aggressive physical exfoliators, and an uptick in gentler, repairing ingredients such as ceramides and jojoba oil. 

2)     Minimalist Approach to Skin Care

The year 2022 is predicted to mark an end to an abundance of skin-care products in our skin-care routines. Instead, there will be major shift toward a much more minimalist approach, according to Mia Moseley-Smith, skin-care expert at Face the Future. 

“Streamlining our skincare products will be one of the biggest trends of the year, as many of us realize too much can have a toll on our skin,” Moseley-Smith says. “Expect to see a move away from long routines and towards a much more minimal approach.” 

In line with this significant change, there will be a growing demand for gentler ingredients. She cites plant-based alternatives to the usually harsh ingredients such as retinol. 

In essence, skin care is taking precedence over makeup over the past year.

3)     Focus on Visible Light Skin Care

There is a growing concern having to do with the effects of blue light on the skin that centers on premature ageing and hyperpigmentation, according to Moseley-Smith of Face the Future.  As a result, there will probably be an increase in health and beauty products that address this major change in skin-care routines. 

Similarly, we can expect a rise in enhanced SPF products, which now protect the skin against the effects of blue light. We can also anticipate consumers to gravitate to an SPF that shields the skin against HEV, or high-energy visible light. 

4)     Increase in Fermented Skin Care

As Karen Lee-Thompson, founder of Wo Skincare, points out, fermented foods have been a vital element of diets in Asia for centuries. This is where fermented skincare technology was initially developed. Being that our skin does not have the capability to digest ingredients like our gut does, the fermented process makes it possible to break down the active ingredients, so it is easier to be absorbed by the skin. 

This process might result in less irritation to the skin. What’s more, fermented skin care can be helpful for people who have drier skin, says Lee-Thompson. 

5)     Emphasis Switches to Anti-Stress from Anti-Aging

When are body is under high stress, it triggers an increase in the stress hormone, cortisol.  Research indicates more cortisol can cause outbreaks of acne, and atopic dermatitis, which is a common form of eczema.  Eczema shows itself with itchy, dry and cracked skin. Psoriasis is another skin condition typically caused by a spike in cortisol in the body. 

According to a report from L’Oréal Active Cosmetics Division, one of the latest skin-care trends is beauty regimes becoming much more holistic. Nearly 70 percent of people surveyed said that getting enough sleep was important to them, while 57 percent reported that they are now drinking more water. And 56 percent are focusing more on relaxation. 

All of these lifestyle choices were considered more of a priority and more relevant for skin care and to improve the look of their skin than using skin-care products.

6)     Enhanced SPF

As we usher in the year 2022, people who are focused on skin-care maintenance will be foregoing pore-clogging creams and weak sprays in favor of SPF mousse.  People are more concerned with protection from UV rays, which SPF provides. Excessive exposure to UV rays is known to accelerate the aging process. 

Consumers who are dedicated to smart skin-care practices will be seeking products that are absorbed deeper into the top layers of the skin, offering longer protection times from UV rays, says Cult Beauty’s Alexia Inge. This clear new trend in skin care also points to people preferring protection against high-energy visible light, or HEV. 

7)     Seeking the New Glow

According to Alexia Inge of Cult Beauty, the new year will mark a salient trend of an obsession with dewiness. 

“I’ve seen a rising emphasis on cream or stick blushers and bronzers…” says Inge. 

The new glow looks like skin that has been delicately misted all over, as it catches the light at every angle. Popular skin-care products that offer this effect will also likely enhance the skin’s radiance. 

Agora — The Future of Skincare 

Agora has a vision to provide its customers with a quality alternative to skin-care products available on the market today. We set out to deliver high quality skin-care products that provide excellent results while utilizing outstanding customer service. 

Our products utilize unique and potent ingredients that make a revolutionary difference in the quality of skin that our customers enjoy. Our expert Cosmetic Formulation Chemist provides Agora with superior ingredients from around the world to produce the best skin-care products in the industry!  At Agora, we deliver the most effective and results-oriented skin-care treatments to our customers.