6 beauty and skincare trends for 2021: Covid-19 gave us face masks, ‘maskne’ and WFH – now we need LED devices, at-home treatments and striking eye make-up to rock on Zoom
Expect more anti-ageing ingredients such as retinol alternative bakuchiol, prebiotic and probiotic-based skincare like the fermented sake face mist by J Lo’s Drunk Elephant, plus ‘skinimalism’ and permanent make-up
Like everything else in our lives, 2020 was a defining year when it came to beauty, with Covid-19 being the deciding – and, well, only – factor driving most of our beauty routines. Naturally, the art of self-care spiked in popularity as many turned to creative ways to indulge themselves (and stay sane) indoors instead of heading to spas. Full face make-up took a back seat as everyone sought to combat the dreaded maskne.
In some countries, lockdowns meant no trips to hair salons either, so quarantine haircuts also made headlines in 2020, with searches for “how to cut your hair” at an all-time high, with perhaps the most polarising throwback hairdo, mullets, getting searched the same amount as buzz cuts.
There has never been a time when the practice of mindful breathing was taken so seriously, too – according to Google Trends, meditation was one of the most popular search terms worldwide for 2020.
Skin is in
When was it not, anyway? If 2020 was the year of DIY beauty, 2021 will be the year of slow beauty. The “skinimalism” trend has burgeoned in the midst of the pandemic – Pinterest reported its steady rise mid-last year as many eschewed thickly made-up, foundation-laden skin for minimal to zero make-up, glow-getting skincare essentials and savvy ways to let the skin shine (read: dewy, not sebum-induced) over video calls.
Age-defying remedie s
On that note, expect a slew of skincare launches that could very well be real-life fountains of youth. Up-and-coming ingredients that brands are spotlighting boast multifunctional benefits that are potent for your skin – and some are even more sustainable for the planet.