10 skincare trends

1. Targeted treatments and “cheat products” are two of the fastest-moving areas of anti-ageing skincare. Eye wrinkle fi llers from La Prairie and RoC have become popular. Also on trend is Kiehl’s Double Strength Deep Wrinkle Filler, which contains hyaluronic acids, peptides, polymers and silica and promises to minimise the look of wrinkles by 85% within four weeks.

2. Stem cell technology is in its infancy in skincare. The biggest hurdle facing this category is confusion. Stem cell creams and lotions do not contain human stem cells (that’s illegal), nor do they make new cells grow. Products like Amatokin Emulsion and the Lancôme Precious Cells range use specifi c ingredients that help to keep the body’s own skin cells active for longer.

3. It’s all in the genes. Personal care giants P&G, L’Oréal and J&J have spent billions on genome research to fi nd out how the skin responds to ageing, stress and pollution at the molecular level. Nearly all of the creams and serums on the market, from Lancôme Genifi que Youth Activating Concentrate to L’Oréal Youth Code Rejuvenating Anti-Wrinkle Day Cream, work by identifying key proteins and genes that age poorly, and use ingredients like Pro-Xylane to nurture them.

4. Performance is a big selling point, so expect more rollerball applicators, airless dispensers that reduce the need for preservatives, and two-phase products that dispense two components in one pump – usually a serum and a moisturiser.

5. The term “dermatologically tested” is biting the dust. All it means is a product won’t bring most people out in a rash. “Clinically tested” will become the norm as women look for assurance that a product can deliver on the benefi ts it promises.

6. Watch out for more research into the effects of hormonal changes. As women approach menopause, their skin becomes drier, thinner and loses volume. We’re already seeing a new breed of ultra-hydrating moisturisers. Super-charged re-plumpers are on the drawing board too.

7. Cell repair that helps skin stay younger looking for longer has become a major trend. After years of using topical solutions to improve wrinkles, cosmetic companies from Olay to Lancôme are now using ingredients such as peptides and retinol that are proven to encourage the skin’s own mechanisms to create more collagen fi bres, and protect existing ones from damage.

8. A recent major trend has seen a crop of creams promising to curb facial slackening by fi rming and smoothing the jawline, face and neck – such as the RoC Complete Lift range, Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream, and Lancôme Rénergie Lift Volumetry Lifting & Shaping Cream. Most contain ingredients like caffeine that contract the skin’s surface.

9. Scientists are working on how epigenetic theory affects the skin. It’s a relatively new line of thought that argues that the genes of your skin and body can be affected by the diet, smoking habits, pollutant exposure and obesity levels of your parents and grandparents. It will be a tough call for cosmetic companies to convince people that their product claims are believable.

10. Women were once content to wait a month for anti-ageing moisturisers to “work”. No more. There’s been a major increase in time/speed claims as companies reboot their products with polymers to smooth the skin on contact, and brighteners and light diffusers to claim that skin looks visibly better in as little as seven days.