“In 2022, we’ve never been more interested in understanding the science and evidence behind our skincare products…We’re all about results – not the fluffy, frilly stuff.”
(Erin Docherty, 2021)
1. Clinic @ Home
With all of us being discerning about where we travel to and being experts now on taking care of ourselves at home, clinic grade skin treatment kits including pomegranate fruit enzyme peels, masks and hydrating serums are high on the agenda for 2022. Done once a week for four weeks and then monthly, they unclog pores, turn over the skin for a beautiful glow and hydrate and plump.
2. Synergistic kits
We all have decision fatigue, we’d like someone to help us make it easy. While all skin types are not the same, skin is an organ and predictably responds to specific key active ingredients. Kits like our Bye Bye BlemishesTM, Clarity Clear and Calm, Adios Aging and For Him help to take the guesswork out and make sure you have all the vitamins, peptides, botanicals and support actives that your skin will love.
3. In-clinic treatments with home care support
The jury is in on this one. Dermatology article after dermatology article proves that if you are using great skincare at home you are going to get a better result with any treatments you have. Think peels, microdermabrasion, laser and intense pulsed light (IPL)
4. Self-adjusting and anti aging tinted cosmetic sunscreen –
Gone are the days of having to try and choose from sixteen different shades of foundation. The tinted sunscreens of 2022 have a maximum of three. This is because the minerals used adjust and blend into any skin colour. This means that regardless of your Fitzpatrick Skin Type, you will always get the perfect match and a healthy glow. Sunscreens are also chock full of antiaging ingredients such as resveratrol, CoQ10, Kakadu Plum, Zinc and titanium. A good sunscreen can substitute for moisturiser and foundation. No ocean nasties here either.
5. Visit a skin expert
We are the skincare brand for problem skin but sometimes your homecare range just isn’t enough. This is when it’s time to visit your favourite skin clinic to let the professionals get you on track. Sometimes you need home products with more punch, or a course of treatments. Skincare is not an overnight result or a miracle, so if it’s not working, get help.
6. The end of “Cleanse, Tone & Moisturise”
This is a dreadful hangover left to us by the women of the sixties. C T & M was the next big thing after Ponds Cold Cream. Most toners are primarily cheap witch-hazel and strip the skin so you need more moisturiser. They sell you the toner to dry your skin and the moisturiser to fix the tightness it leaves behind. In 2022 we will see the rise of “Infuse, Nourish & Protect”. Infusion cleansers have active ingredients like Vitamins A, B3 (niacinamide), B5 (panthenol), C and E to start working as you gently cleanse. Serums like Vitamin A, B3, Vitamin C and exfoliants nourish and moisturise while a mineral-based sunscreen whether colourless or tinted acts as a mask against the sun’s rays to prevent sun damage and pigmentation and environmental pollutants.
7. Saying NO to gimmicks
Don’t believe the hype. Skin takes at least 14-21 days to start to turn around when you use good quality skincare. Anyone who promises you instant or overnight results is being disingenuous. Also, home devices purporting to tighten and lift skin are nonsense too. Don’t even start me on creams that promise face and neck lifts…
8. The demise of filters
We are entering into an age of courageous daring and ditching the filters will be part of this. Look at the sheer honesty comedian Rianne Meijer (@rianne.meijer) is championing, a bit like Aussie Celeste Barber (@celestebarber). Real is in. Nobody believes you look like that anyway. Filters make us look “vanilla” and we lose what makes us unique. When you have the confidence of great skin, you don’t need a filter.
9. The switch to exfoliant serums
Did you know that face scrubs rupture the very fine blood vessels and contribute to facial redness? Don’t get me wrong, once every few weeks is fine (and they do feel nice) but the exfoliants of 2022 are going to be serums. The BHA dissolve oil and empty the pores while the AHA aid the rapid turnover. Also, serums moisturise your skin at the same time where scrubs don’t. This is because exfoliant serums tip your skin into an acid state which then boosts your natural moisturising factors (NMF).
10. Repair, don’t cover up
Makeup in 2022 will be to enhance our best features, not to camouflage problem skin. Gone are the days of putting makeup on with a trowel and we’ll say hello to getting our skin healthy from the bottom up so all we need is a suntint, some lippie and some mascara (or eyelash extensions).
11. Chlorophyll isn’t just for plants – Who knew?
Chlorophyll has wonderful anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and antioxidant effects, and stimulates cell growth in wound healing. Ah Mother Nature. Coupled with a strong BHA/AHA exfoliant, this plant extract is a winner for breakouts.
12. Charcoal cleansers with fruit acids
Let the exfoliation commence with cleansing. This trend into 2022 will see the infusion of active ingredients being built into the cleansing process to supercharge your skin. Due to its porous nature, charcoal is able to attract oil and dirt lodged in pores. This may eliminate congestion, prevent bacterial growth and clear inflammation. It is able to bind 200 times more oil than any other ingredient. Couple this with the use of Caviar Lime as an exfoliant and you have a powerful cleanser.
13. Brands that have ingredient transparency
Enough of the bull. Ethical skincare companies are calling out for radical disclosure of all ingredients and the amount contained in their products. If you have any pharmacy or department store brands with retinol in them, it’s time for an upgrade to a proper Vitamin A product with liposomal retinaldehyde. For all the gold on retinoids see our recent blog HERE.
14. Protection from blue light
It’s a recent discovery that blue light can age skin, and we know that zinc-based products can help protect the skin from this. Another great reason to use sun protection that is packed with antiaging ingredients (see “Must Have” number four)
15. No makeup
Who needs makeup when your skin looks great and your sunscreen is tinted? As Vogue so nicely puts it, “Achieve the perfect no makeup, makeup look – as shown at Prada, Hermés and Louis Vuitton – without looking like you just rolled out of bed.”
16. Oil-based facial products
Nooooo! Step away from these. The size of the molecules alone is enough to flag with the discerning skincare buyer that the product will just sit on top of the skin. Not to mention that oil-based products degrade the glue used for eyelash extensions (Ewww!).
17. Education for customers
Skincare will no longer be taken at face value. Pun intended. Consumers are intelligent, armed with education and are discerning users. They easily see through hype and marketing as they understand the science of skincare. When you are deciding which skincare to use, ask yourself: What are the not telling me? Are the active ingredients proven and in a sufficient amount to help my skin? How long has it been sitting on the shelves in a warehouse or store before I bought it? Does it work on real humans or just air-brushed dolly-birds?
18. Education for experts
Sales and marketing skills and experience a skin specialist does not make (Channeling my inner Yoda here…). Consumers are looking for credible sources to believe and there are none better than those with recognised medical, dermal and beauty credentials. Skincare companies that empower the experts to improve their knowledge and empower their clientele will be the suppliers of choice for skin clinics.
19. Valuing your time
Gone are the twenty-step programs, waiting a certain time between product layers so they can “absorb” and spending your valuable time in the bathroom. Two minutes or less and you should be done with your skincare. Trust us on this one.
20. Real before and after photos
At last, the rise of real results, from real people with no tuning of the face or shopping of the photo! If the results look too good to be true, chances are they are and that the photos have been altered. We will see radical transparency from ethical skincare companies in their use of before and after photos and testimonials.
21. Lots of makeup
Yes, this contradicts “Must Have” number fifteen BUT, stick with me on this one. We’ll be seeing artistic makeup as an expression of individuality instead of cover-up and camouflage. Not just for women either, men are embracing colour and artistry. As we all spend time under a mask, we will see eye makeup start to pop even more, the advent of face jewellery like bindis, and stunning, strong lipsticks for when we are showing off our lower face.
22. Spiritual care
We are turning inward and investing in spiritual growth, gratitude and calm in 2022. The last few years have been tough and we will be building our resilience muscles even more. Creating sanctuaries in our homes, visiting nature and exploring activities that make our hearts sing will be high on the agenda.