Top Skincare Trends of 2023
Our hand-picked collection of the top skincare trends of 2023. The topics in this report on today’s emerging skincare trends are selected for their high growth across sites including Google, TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, Twitter, YouTube, and Amazon. Read more about how we track global trends.
Snail Mucin
Snail mucin is a type of skincare ingredient that is derived from snail slime. The slime is said to be rich in nutrients and proteins that are beneficial for the skin, and is often used in anti-aging and moisturizing products. … Read more
Copper Peptides
Copper peptides are ingredients that are said to have anti-aging properties. The peptides are said to help improve the appearance of wrinkles, scars, and stretch marks. … Read more
Tranexamic Acid Serum
Tranexamic acid serum is a serum that is meant to be applied to the skin to help reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness. The serum is said to work by inhibiting the activity of an enzyme that breaks down the blood vessel walls. … Read more
Glowing Sunscreen
Glowing Sunscreen is a type of sunscreen that is meant to make the skin look glowy and dewy. The sunscreen is formulated with light-reflecting particles that create a luminous finish on the skin. … Read more
NMN
NMN is a compound that is being studied for its potential anti-aging effects. The compound is believed to help improve energy levels, protect cells from damage, and boost metabolism. … Read more
Pimple Patches
Pimple patches are adhesive patches that are meant to be applied to pimples to help them heal and disappear more quickly. The patches are often made of hydrocolloid, which helps to absorb the sebum and pus from the pimple. … Read more
Shilajit
Shilajit is a mineral-rich resin that is found in the Himalayas and other high-altitude areas. Aside from improving energy levels and overall health, shilajit is said to be beneficial in improving skin health by regulating the signs of skin aging and aid the repair of cell damage. … Read more
Isntree
Isntree is a Korean skincare brand that creates natural and organic skincare products. The brand is based in South Korea and uses traditional Korean ingredients in all of its products. … Read more
Skin Barrier Repair
Skin barrier repair is the process of repairing and restoring the skin's natural barrier function. The barrier function protects the skin from environmental factors and helps to maintain moisture levels. Damage to the barrier can lead to dryness, sensitivity, and skin inflammation. … Read more
Plum Face Wash
The Plum face wash is a facial wash that is made with green tea extract and glycolic acid. The face wash is said to be beneficial in cleansing and moisturizing the skin. The wash is free of sulfates, parabens, and phthalates. … Read more
Cosrx Sunscreen
Cosrx sunscreen is a sunscreen that is made with natural ingredients. The sunscreen is designed to be gentle on the skin and to provide broad-spectrum protection from the sun’s harmful rays. … Read more
Arazlo
Arazlo is a prescription skincare medication with tazarotene as the active ingredient. The lotion is used to treat acne including blackheads, whiteheads, and pimples. The active ingredient tazarotene is a retinoid which affects skin cell growth and reduces inflammation. … Read more
Argireline
Argireline is a peptide that is used in anti-aging skincare products. The peptide works by inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters in order to prevent the formation of wrinkles and skin lines. … Read more
Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy is a type of light therapy that is said to be beneficial in treating a variety of conditions, including acne, wrinkles, and pain. The therapy is said to work by stimulating the body's cells to produce energy. … Read more
mCaffeine
mCaffeine is an India-based skincare and hair care brand that offers a wide range of caffeinated products. Caffeine strengthens the hair follicles and reduces hair fall. For skincare, caffeine removes dead skin cells and acts as a powerful antioxidant. … Read more
Tinted Sunscreen
Tinted sunscreen is sunscreen that contains colorants to give it a slight tint. The tint is meant to help the sunscreen blend in with the skin, making it less visible. Tinted sunscreen is available in both physical and chemical varieties. … Read more
Caffeine Eye Cream
A caffeine eye cream is a cream applied around the eyes to reduce the appearance of puffiness and dark circles. The cream is said to work by constricting the blood vessels and reducing inflammation. … Read more
Acretin
Acretin is a medication that is used to treat acne. The medication is a retinoid, which is a type of vitamin A derivative. Acretin is available in both a cream and a gel formulation. … Read more
Tretinoin
Tretinoin is a prescription medication that is used to treat acne. It is a form of vitamin A that helps to unclog pores and reduce the appearance of acne scars. … Read more
Retinol Lotion
Retinol lotion is a type of skin care product that is meant to improve the appearance of the skin. Retinol is a form of vitamin A that is said to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, dark spots, and other signs of aging. … Read more
Bakuchiol Serum
Bakuchiol serum is a serum that is meant to be used on the face to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and signs of aging. The serum is made from the extract of the babchi plant and is said to be more effective than traditional anti-aging serums. … Read more
Bakuchiol
Bakuchiol is a natural extract that is derived from the babchi plant. The extract is said to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and is being used in skincare products as a natural alternative to retinol. … Read more
Niacinamide
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 that is said to have a range of benefits for the skin, including reducing wrinkles, evening skin tone, and improving skin elasticity. It is often found in skin care products such as moisturizers, serums, and sunscreens. … Read more
Ceramides
Ceramides are lipid molecules found in the uppermost layer of the skin, keeping it hydrated and protecting it from the environment. Skincare products containing ceramides are often used to treat skin conditions such as eczema. … Read more
Adapalene
Adapalene is a medication that is used to treat acne. It is a retinoid, meaning that it is derived from vitamin A and works by unclogging pores and decreasing the amount of oil produced by the skin. … Read more
Photobiomodulation
Photobiomodulation is the use of light to stimulate cellular processes. The therapy has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of a variety of conditions, including wound healing, pain relief, and skin rejuvenation. … Read more
Azelaic Acid
Azelaic acid is a naturally occurring substance that is found in grains, vegetables, and animal products. It is said to have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, and is often used to treat skin conditions like acne, rosacea, and eczema. … Read more
Cica
Cica is a short name for the herb Centella asiatica which is thought to have healing properties and is used in a variety of skin care products that are meant to soothe and protect the skin. … Read more
Tazarotene
Tazarotene is a medication that is used to treat psoriasis, acne, and sun damaged skin. It is a retinoid, meaning that it is a derivative of vitamin A. Tazarotene is available in cream or gel form, and is typically applied once a day. … Read more
The Man Company
The Man Company is a men's grooming brand that offers a range of products for men, including beard care, skin care, and hair care products. The company was founded with the goal of providing high-quality, affordable grooming products for men. … Read more
Isotretinoin
Isotretinoin is a medication that is used to treat severe cases of acne. It is a retinoid, meaning it is derived from vitamin A, and it works by reducing the amount of sebum produced by the sebaceous glands. … Read more
Alpha Arbutin
Alpha Arbutin is a natural extract that is used for skin lightening and brightening. The ingredient is said to be more effective and gentle than other skin lightening ingredients such as hydroquinone. … Read more
Retacnyl
Retacnyl is a prescription acne medication that is said to be effective in treating moderate to severe acne. The medication is a retinoid, which is a type of vitamin A derivative that helps to unclog pores and reduce inflammation. … Read more
Efudix Cream
Efudix Cream is a topical cream that is used to treat skin cancer. The cream contains the active ingredient 5-fluorouracil, which is a chemotherapy drug. Efudix Cream is used to treat actinic keratoses, a type of pre-cancerous skin lesion. … Read more
Winter Cherry
Winter Cherry is a type of fruit that is typically found in cold climates. The fruit is known for its sweet and sour taste, as well as its nutritional benefits. … Read more
Trend Highlight – The Rise of Caffeine Eye Cream
As demand for ingredient transparency is on the rise, some companies are leaning into ingredients they know consumers are already comfortable with, rather than seeking out new obscure ones.
The health and beauty industry enjoys a multiplicative proliferation of potential products: every combination of an ingredient and a form factor can lead to a new kind of skin or hair care product. Caffeine eye cream is a recent example of this. In eye cream, caffeine isn't meant to be a stimulant; the goal is to take advantage of its other effects: constricting blood vessels makes eyes look less puffy. In fact, this product is self-reinforcing: high caffeine consumption can degrade sleep quality, leading to baggy eyes. So caffeine is part of the solution as well as part of the problem.
The internet’s wealth of information on beauty increasingly makes it easier for consumers to become skincare experts. This means that, in some ways, beauty jargon is less and less effective at wooing customers. More brands are consequently leaning into ingredient transparency.
For any new ingredient, part of the sale process involves convincing customers that it's safe to use. This is easier when a known ingredient is being added to a new product. This also explains why so many beauty products use foods, or essential oils, as a key component. Consumers increasingly want to know exactly what they’re putting on their faces, and caffeine is a popular choice because it’s something they already put in their bodies.
Given this trend toward ingredient transparency, brands started differentiating from their competitors by naming specific ingredients on their product listings. This inadvertently created an SEO opportunity for smaller brands to enter the space since many customers were then searching Google for ingredients rather than brands. In the caffeine eye cream business, some sellers have doubled back, by highlighting the origin of the caffeine (organic coffee beans, or green tea), not just the chemical compound. Since caffeine itself is cheap, a more natural and more upscale source is a unique selling point.
Trend Highlight – Water Filters & Skincare
Shower head water filters are seeing a growth of interest among a surprising demographic: beauty aficionados. While chlorine is part of more than 98% of the US supply for drinking water, it’s a chemical that’s religiously avoided by those that color their hair. And though there are many products for protecting colored hair while at a pool, the easiest way for this demographic to do so at home is with a shower head water filter.
Trend Highlight – Why Niacinamide Is Rising In Popularity
When it comes to beauty products, shoppers are increasingly searching for ingredients rather than brands.
As DIY solutions and skincare information, in general, become more ubiquitous, consumers are employing this new knowledge and searching for ingredients directly. This also runs alongside rising consumer demand for total transparency and simplicity.
Brands have been embracing these societal shifts and many have found that by focusing on ingredients, they can cater to both sides of the market — the novices who are looking for simple solutions, and the beauty aficionados who feel they can be their own at-home chemists by focusing on single-ingredient products.
Niacinamide — a complexion-improving skincare product — is one of many skincare ingredients, like azelaic acid, being purchased, talked about online, and searched at a rapidly growing rate.
Trend Highlight – Why Rice Cream For Face Is So Popular
How do you take one of the world's most widely-consumed commodities and turn it into a premium product? If it can happen with water, where bottled water competes against tap water and brands within the bottled water industry compete on perceived quality, then it can happen to anything. Rice is the world's single largest source of calories, and is a staple in countries rich and poor, but it's also an ingredient in increasingly popular rice-based facial creams.
The Korean cosmetics brand I'm From sells a popular rice cream, priced at almost $23 for a 50-gram jar, making the price per gram at over 300 times that of rice itself. What this brand is partly selling is, of course, the form of the product. Because rice is a commodity, brands have experimented with ways to decommoditize their product. One way this brand does this is by showing precisely where their rice is grown with a map and GPS coordinates on the front of their packaging.
The global rice industry is massive, with over $300 billion in annual sales, and, like other food industries, is litigious. When “cauliflower rice” pizza rose in popularity on account of its gluten-free and low-carb nature, rice companies lobbied against the cauliflower rice makers for using the term rice despite not containing actual rice. The offensive is similar to the tactics used by the dairy industry, where top dairy-producing states have lately been making moves against plant-based alternatives like almond milk and oat milk (one of the fastest growing food trends we've covered in the past), as these have caused a measurable decline in sales of cow's milk. As more foods get used in cosmetics, and more food-substitutes get produced for health-conscious consumers, the question of who gets to label which products as what will become an increasingly present debate.
A popular way to use facial rice cream is during sleep. Continuous passive health improvement is always popular—like the idea of passive income, it’s appealing to get benefits not just without making effort, but at a time when you can’t make an effort.
At the other end of the price and premium segment, some DIY beauty bloggers recommend using rice water as a homemade beauty product. It's simple to prepare, extremely cheap, and has many of the same health benefits as rice cream. One reason they don't compete directly: rice cream, while expensive, is very dense; a small bottle allows repeat usage. Rice water, on the other hand, would be harder to ship, and since it can be made at home as a byproduct of normal cooking, it's hard to create a convincing premium product. This allows the rice-based cosmetic industry to effectively capture consumer surplus, between a premium high-end and a nearly-free low end.
Trend Highlight – Sunscreens & Skincare
Sunscreen is surprisingly banned in many US high schools and, of the ones that allow it, some require students to apply it only under the supervision of a school nurse.
This is because the FDA regulates sunscreens as an over-the-counter medication, and limits the ingredients it can contain. This has, in turn, led to a backlog of new US-based sunscreen products—only one new ingredient has been approved in the last twenty years, and eight proposed ingredients have been under consideration by the FDA for a decade.
The sunscreen business in other countries is less regulated, and more dynamic—so savvy American customers have taken to importing the newest products, like Ultra Violette from Australia, rather than waiting years for them to be available domestically.
Nearly 65% of Americans use some form of anti-aging product daily, but only 11% apply sunscreen every day—and even more surprisingly, nearly half the population never uses sunscreen. Sun damage contributes to visible signs of aging like wrinkles and while sun exposure is healthy, sunscreen is a useful way to ensure that it's not net harmful. With anti-aging being such a large market, the challenge for sunscreen brands is to find a different way to pitch their existing product, not necessarily to do something new.
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