What’s driving growth skincareacross in 2023?

By: Janet Milner-Walker - Founder of Bespoke Advantage

Skincare is abuzz with trending terminology.

Our emotional wellbeing is dependent upon a fine balancing act between our mental and physical wellbeing, and in 2023 we see the emergence of psychodermatology: which is the link between our mind and our skin. Stress wreaks havoc on our skin in several ways leading to the rise of rosacea, acne, eczema, so our first port of call is to protect our mental wellbeing. There is an ever-increasing interest in holistic wellness, and traditional Chinese medicines, as well as the benefits of Ayurveda. Not only do ingredients like green tea benefit our skin on an external level, but they also support our skin on a cellular level, whilst having the added benefit of destressing and cal ming our mind.

TikTok is buzzing with new skincare regimes, including Skin Cycling. This is a four-part night-time regime designed to optimise your skin’s repair processes, with 1 night for retinoid, 1 night for

About Janet Milnerwalker

Janet Milner-Walker is the founder and managing director of Bespoke Advantage, and BeautytoLife. She is also an international speaker, a freelance writer, and a trusted advisor to companies in the beauty and wellness sector. Bespoke Advantage is an international consultancy working with clients in the beauty and wellness space. Their award-winning client based includes beauty and wellness brands, retailers, investors and trade bodies, whom they support in developing and building their brands in the marketplace www. thebespokeadvantage.com.

exfoliation, and 2 nights of rest – followed by repeating this cycle. Another trending term been bandied about is slugging, and we are not referring to those found in our gardens! Also popularised by TikTok and emerging in South Korea, this entails applying a petroleum-based balm to your facial skin at night, creating an occlusive layer, that prevents transepidermal water loss, keeping your skin hydrated with a healthy glow.

Not only are we interested in topically treating our skin, but we are also looking for ways in which to treat our skin from within, by combining skincare products with oral supplements. Over the past few years’ collagen has been added to skincare and hair care products, and there has been a plethora of collagen supplement brands launching onto the market. Shiseido launched a new skincare and supplement brand, Ule, in 2022 focusing on inner and outer beauty, formulated with natural ingredients, and designed for the eco-conscious consumer.

‘Snackable skincare’ is a trending term which refers to feeding your skin from the inside out with snacks, that are not only filling, but provide additional benefits for your immunity, gut health, or for topping up your daily dose of collagen.

LookFantastic expect to see more skincare products appearing on the haircare market because of ‘hair skinification’, enhancing your haircare regime to the same level as your skincare regime. Brands like the Inkey List have introduced products like The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Scalp Treatment, which gently exfoliates all hair types, using salicylic acid, whilst balancing o il production.

During the pandemic, working from home, ‘less became more’ as we reigned in our 10-step skincare regimes, and embraced an edited collection of hard-working products, that offered targeted results. Skinimalism has been a key focus over the past few years, Gen-Z prefer to keep things simple – opting for hard working multitasking products and ingredient infused cosmetics, allowing the health of their skin to shine through.

Skincare dup es are high on our radar

With the cost-of-living crisis, we are also considering alternatives to our favourite products, and there are several skincare dupes to choose from, whether shopping at Aldi or online. Aldi are renowned for benchmarking well-known brands – their Lacura Salicylic Acid Tonic is £3.49, whilst Pixie Clarity Tonic is £18 from Cult Beauty. Aldi’s version includes many of the same ingredients, at a fraction of the price.

Hybrid products are on the rise providing multi-functional benefits, whilst saving money and streamlining your skincare regime. Menopausal skincare addresses concerns like collagen loss and skin dehydration, from brands like Pause Well Aging, to Vichy and No 7 who have launched a Menopause Skincare range, which includes a ceramide-rich eye cream and night cream.

Masstige beauty – the squeeze between ‘mass’ and ‘prestige’ – with skincare products in the UK ranging from £20 - £60, is coming into its own. Trusted skincare brands like La Roche Posay and The Ordinary, provide great skincare solutions at a fraction of the price of more premium brands, and they don’t sacrifice on the quality of the product or the efficacy of the ingredients.

We are shopping more conscientiously.

In the UK 29% of adults consider whether a product includes singleuse plastic, whilst 46% consider how to recycle the packaging.

The beauty industry is the greatest culprit of single use plastic, with only 9% of plastic recycled. Brands are offering services like ‘recycling by mail’ where items can be returned to be recycled, however this needs to be ethically implemented. When it comes to a product being ‘circular’ consideration needs to be given to production methods, clean energy, harvesting techniques and ingredients. Marine ingredients are being heralded this year. Introducing marine ingredients into skincare is nothing new – La Prairie which launched in 1987 is based on Caviar – rich in amino acids, proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Algae, a form of kelp, is one of the key ingredients in La Mer. Algae has a host of benefits, including hydration, anti-ageing, skin detoxification, to name but a few, and is being used by numerous brands including One Ocean Beauty.

Skinca re is personal.

Following years of conforming to normal, dry, or oily skincare regimes or addressing your skin care concerns based on your age, it is refreshing that skin care companies are now recognising the importance of developing bespoke formulations and appreciating the fact that we are all unique.

From taking swabs of your skin and DNA to receiving products that have been customised to your microbiome and genes to analysing your skin through a photo, as HiMirror do, to determine whether the products you are using are delivering results, there are many companies developing bespoke beauty products. Not all these companies operate online, some offer a 1-2-1 consultation to extend the personalized approach and we have also seen a number of wellknown dermatologists launching th eir own brands.

The skincare category is abuzz with trending terminology, innovative ingredients, mindful of the implications of packaging, and designed with a far more personalised approach. Skincare is a considered purchase and a prized possession confidently displayed on our ba throom shelves.