Top trending skincare ingredients that wield magic
As skincare slowly evolves into selfcare, here are some of the trending ingredients and bioactives.
In 2020, the skincare market expanded more in size and impact than it has in the last decade. Some called it the “lipstick effect,” and with a worldwide pandemic that ensured everyone stayed at home, skincare slowly transformed into self-care with an apparent focus on wellness. Reflecting on trends in the industry, it is noticeable that as our hygiene evolved and became more stringent so did consumer-buying habits. Gravitating towards products that allow us to replicate the salon experience in the comfort of our homes with aesthetically pleasing skin care that not only makes promises but also delivers serious results.
Defense makes the most sense
Brands with insight have quickly become aware of consumer needs during this phase of change and have taken quick action. For example, in 2021, products will increasingly be centered around skin health, ensuring that major vitamins A,B,C and E are within formulations for better skin immunity and strength. Another trend that seems prevalent and is set to prevail is a focus on skin hydration as a response to the harsh and drying effect of skin sanitisation. With brands offering barrier-boosting formulas containing ingredients such as Hyaluronic acid, one of the most trending active ingredients of 2020. Around the corner are new cutting-edge developments such as ‘super-hydrators’ like Pentavitin, which lock in moisture into skin; an ingredient used by very few brands, which unlike Hyaluronic Acid, can’t be washed away!
On trend
Skincare trends have been overhauled by our changing needs globally as consumers understandably become, increasingly conscious about self-care, and rightly so. This has forced brands to rethink and focus on being iterative, responsive, and in the moment with their consumers. Brands with high-performance ingredients have proven resilient, with an increasing demand for efficacious ingredients containing active properties. Active ingredients in the luxury beauty industry have become highly sought after, such as Swiss Glacial water with Lecithin, which provides a ‘Swiss Fresh’ feeling on the skin, and Papain enzymes that are extracted from certain plants and unripe fruits. This is where skincare really turns into holistic self-care.
Ahead of the curve
The most exciting of the bio-actives being Glutathione. This amazing master antioxidant is secreted by the liver and contributes to extraordinary skin health and vitality, also known as ‘radiance’. Some people use it in tablet or intravenous forms, which summon their own challenges. Used in topical forms, like creams, serums and even cleansers, it is both effective and safe with the ability to promote luminosity and even recover pigmented areas of skin. However, with increasing stress and exposure to pollution, Glutathione is depleting in human bodies faster than it did in previous generations. Many of the body’s other systems use up Glutathione, leaving the skin without its benefits. Luckily, Glutathione is also available in plants, which makes it available to the skin care industry. Consumers who are ahead of the curve have already adopted its use and are saying goodbye to dark spots, melasma, pigmentation, and keeping wrinkles at bay. Glutathione could soon prove to be the Holy Grail that self-care has been yearning for over the decades. At the core of the advancements in skin care, is our deep desire to shape how we come across to others, and to ourselves. We want to build a better sense of well-being with the help of a simple self-care routine that delivers a luxurious experience with radiant, lasting results. Wellness is a wholesome enterprise and since skin is the largest organ, it’s best to begin there. Well begun is half done, as they say.