As we start the new year, there is plenty of advice going around about how to revolutionise your skincare routine for a glowing complexion, or to tackle problem areas. It can be hard to know which products or treatments might be genuinely the right solution for you, and which ones don’t live up to the hype.
While it is impossible to look into the future and predict exactly what will happen, it’s interesting to look at some potential new skincare trends and compare them to existing approaches. Here’s a look at what’s in store for 2024.
Greater use of AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) has been the big news story so far in 2023, and that trend is set to continue in 2024. We may see AI used to personalise health and beauty care, with potentially exciting new innovations such as the ability to customise skincare products.
It may soon be possible to request individually blended formulas that are perfectly matched to your skin type, age, lifestyle, and so on, for example. This means that you can be more confident that you are investing in a product that is right for you rather than taking a chance on something that might end up languishing in a drawer.
However, if you have specific problems to address, it’s always best to consult a qualified skin therapist for the best advice. AI cannot yet replace the human eye and it’s important that you meet your therapist at a pre-consultation to ensure that the treatment will meet your expectations and that you feel comfortable with them.
For example, if you have a condition such as skin tags or moles, they will be able to advise you on the safest and most effective method of removal with the most up to date techniques, such as cryopen treatment, which uses innovative compressed cooling technology to quickly and painlessly remove benign skin lesions.
Greater links between skincare products and mental health
In recent years, there has been much more focus on mental health as rates of stress and anxiety have soared. It’s been a turbulent few years in terms of world events, and there is also more willingness to be open about issues that were previously little discussed.
This has led to the acknowledgement that our mental state can influence the state of our skin. For example, stress can cause fluctuating hormone levels which can lead to flare ups of acne, eczema and rosacea. Therefore there will be more products that are designed to help our skin out whatever life challenges we are facing.
A focus on natural ingredients
The pace of change in skincare products has led to a feeling that the approach has become too clinical and scientific in some cases. In 2024, we may see a rise in popularity of traditional skincare ingredients such as those based on ancient Chinese Ayurvedic medicines, such as ginseng, ashwagandha, and reishi mushrooms.