I am product a junkie, a hoarder, a collector - whatever you wanna call it. I spend every spare penny on makeup, skincare, and haircare products and live for a free sample. Most of my free time is spent watching tutorials or reading product reviews, and I even work in the beauty industry.
MY SKIN
I live in a constant cycle of trying to calm my acne-prone skin, over-correcting and then rehydrating my new dry & flaky skin, and round and round it goes.
TRENDS
Combining my tendency to buy any product I can get my hands on with my constant efforts to achieve *perfect* skin (stalking fancy dermatologist’s Instas for advice, leaving my ancient healing clay masks on long enough to long sunburnt once it’s washed off, etc. etc. etc.), I have seen many skincare trends come and go, and I have partaken in most. Something I’ve realized more and more is that trends jump across every industry.
1. Good Fats & Face Oils
As the culinary landscape shifted more towards whole foods, recognizable ingredients, and good fats, the skincare industry hopped on the bandwagon. Once conditioned to search for the oil-free products on the shelf, I found myself in a flood of new propaganda recommending the best face oils for my already oily skin, or which avocado yogurt masks would nourish my face but also could maybe be an addition to brunch. While I think this idea of whole, clean ingredients makes sense for some diets and skincare routines, I’m still not entirely convinced that a facial oil can zap a breakout as effectively as some oil-free, high-strength spot treatment
2. Glitter & Dew
Skincare trends trickle down from the fashion world as well! As glitter accessories and holographic makeup looks began having a moment, every brand launched radiance-boosting products promising a glowing, dewy complexion. I’m a huge advocate for moisturizing and would love to have a radiant glow about me all the time, but this trend bred a lot of products that seek to cover skin issues with a dewy finish, rather than addressing the problem. If you think your skin is looking dull, drink some water! Get some sunshine! MOISTURIZE! And then proceed to top with your favorite glow-enhancing serum because yes, of course I think we should all buy one more product for our skincare routines.
3. Waters & Gels & Jellies
Water is a hot topic right now, and has been for a while. It’s talked about in environmental discussions, in the health world, and yes - skincare. This overarching trend of water has manifested in the skincare world in the different watery, gelled textures that have popped up over recent years. Clinique expanded their beloved Dramatically Different moisturizer collection with the clear, watery Hydrating Jelly. Water-based essences are having a moment, and even brands like Dermologica and Neutrogena offer water-gel formulas. These new textures seem to take the age old skincare advice of “just drink more water!” to a different level, and I can get behind it.
MY PHILOSOPHY
After hopping on every skincare trend I have seen in the past 10ish years of my life with less than perfect skin to show for it, I feel enlightened in my new philosophy: just use what works for YOU.
I think this can be done most easily by researching brands to get a sense of what they’re all about. Does it seem like a brand new line with products designed to look good in a shelfie? Then maybe it isn’t the most perfected formula. Does it have a million 5 star product reviews but maybe not fit into the current trends? That might be a more reliable brand to try! I think it’s all about finding a mix of brands you trust, products that have given you desired results, and trends that align with your lifestyle.
I’m the first to admit that my skincare routine is quite the contradiction! For example, I really do believe in clean products for skincare, food, house cleaning, etc., but I also know myself, and I know that there are some products I can’t compromise on - I find my happy balance by using a lot of Walmart’s new clean skincare line, Earth to Skin. The Super Greens Nourishing Night Cream and Super Fruits Blueberry Scrub are my 2 favs, then I go in with a trusty benzoyl peroxide spot treatment to get the job done.
Overall, I think the best strategy (that I hope to start adopting more myself) is literally do the simple, obvious things! Drink water! Eat good foods! Don’t pick at your skin! And use products that make sense to you :-)
xx - Allie P
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