Skincare in the Decades

Skincare

in the Decades

With a huge surge in skinimilism, ethically sourced, clean beauty, and skin rehabilitation, Saadiya Ahmad meets with Dr. Fazeela Abbasi, Dermatologist and Aesthetic Skin Specialist to understand the latest trends in skincare moving forward.

For everyone

According to Dr. Abbasi, a clean beauty regimen with ethically made products to be used by all age groups will be in demand. She adds, “People are embracing gentler ingredients and chemical free products in their routines. This entails opting to repair and nourish the skin barrier. I believe the eco-friendly cosmetic movement is in full swing and will continue to blossom well in coming years.”

Skin rehabilitation

It’s all about skin rehabilitation. “As we have all experienced the effects of mask wearing and what it has done to our skin barrier, there is an increased interest in taking care of barrier repair and hydration more than ever before,” she says, therefore, products that address this need will continue to be on the rise — look for products with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, physiological lipids, peptides, and organic essential oils to help heal a compromised skin barrier.

A new kind of SPF

SPF will remain of utmost importance, but in 2022, sun care formulas will come with a bonus benefit: blue light protection, she says. Our greatest exposure to blue light is from the sun, but people are spending more time in front of screens and digital devices which also emits blue light. With a growing concern around the effects of blue light on the skin, such as premature aging and hyperpigmentation, Dr. Abbasi points out that we can predict to see an increase in products tailoring to this. Blue light protection is due to make its debut in products beyond traditional sunscreens in 2022.

Less is more

She advises we use only the bare necessities, including a cleanser, serum, moisturizer, and SPF — and pick formulas based on your skin’s particular needs. “This is where the importance of gentle ingredients comes in, such as bakuchiol, which can be used as a milder alternative to retinol if your skin is on the sensitive side,” she says. “This natural, plant-derived compound is popping up all over the skincare market this fall and with good reason. It was discovered as an excellent clinically-proven alternative to retinol products in 2014, but has long been used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine.”

A gentler approach

The latest wave of skincare brands are focused less on aggressive, fast-acting results and more 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 Dr. Abbasi. “Healthy behaviors such as exercise, good diet, and stress management have the potential to reverse aging on a molecular level and partly restore the vitality of a person’s cells,” she says, concluding, “So, we must have a holistic approach in taking care of ourselves from inside out in all age groups.” H