The year is almost over, oh what a year it has been for skincare. A lot of delicious trends came out this year as people became more knowledgeable in their skincare routines. This makes us extremely hopeful for the coming year! Let’s jump into what we here at Regimen Lab think will be the top trends you should watch out for in the coming year. 

 

10. Terpenes

In 10th place is this niche group of actives called terpenes. They have a variety of benefits in skincare, and you might know some of them: Bisabolol, Centella asiatica terpenes (Madecassoside, Madecassic acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic acid), Licorice terpenes (Glycyrrhetinic acid), Ursolic acid, etc. These individual actives are popular on their own, but they are also fascinating as a group. Most of them have anti-inflammatory effects, some promote ceramide synthesis, some are excellent for wound healing, and some act as penetration enhancers by influencing barrier organization. A deep dive into the whole group definitely deserves attention. 

9. Endocannabinoids

No, this is not the stuff that gets you high. Our body, skin included, produces lipid-based neurotransmitters capable of modulating inflammation, pain perception and metabolism. Newer ingredients have started targeting this system and are shown to enhance the effects of this system to promote anti-inflammation and reduce pain perception. It is a fairly new concept, but we are excited to dive into it next year.

8. Skinimalism

The idea is to condense your routine into only what is necessary. As we learn more about skincare, we are tempted to try every single product out there, which may do more harm than good. This trend urges us to refrain from giving in to various hypes and focus only on what our skin needs. This is definitely something we can get behind. One of our formulation philosophies here is that if there is a new science that shows great results, instead of making a new product, we update our current product to incorporate it. 

7. Antimicrobial peptides

Aside from the moisture barrier, the skin also has a microbial barrier present in the uppermost layer of the skin. Naturally, the skin produces peptides that inhibit bacterial, viral and fungal growth. In some skin diseases like Rosacea, the lack of Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs) may cause the colonization of pathogenic microbes, where they wreak havoc by inducing inflammation. There are ways to boost this microbial barrier, and more science has been published that is worth looking into next year.

6. Better Retinoids

This is an exciting year for retinoids as newer retinoids are becoming more popular in the mainstream population. In 2019, a fourth-generation retinoid (Trifarotene) was approved for topical use and is now being produced here in Canada. It is more selective for Retinoid Acid Receptors (RAR) nuclear receptors and is purported to have a lower risk for systemic absorption. In terms of non-prescription retinoids, retinaldehyde is becoming more and more popular. Retinaldehyde (Retinal) is the molecule that retinol needs to be converted into before converting into retinoid acid. It is supposedly more potent than retinol and less irritating than tretinoin. In other news, Health Canada also revised the restrictions for retinoid usage, which is a huge win for us. 2023 will definitely be an exciting year for Retinoid research.

5. Emulsifier Awareness

With the awareness of skincare actives, consumers are starting to become more aware of ingredients that are supposed to be inert. In new studies done by our lab, we’ve found that emulsifiers actually play a greater role than expected. We’ve tested several emulsifiers and found they can affect barrier repair the way barrier lipids do. If you think about it, some of these emulsifier structures are similar to what we have in the skin. The results were shocking as there are emulsifiers that promoted barrier repair while others delayed it. This highlights that you can’t just add barrier lipids to a formulation and call it a day. We’re excited to share our findings with you in the new year.

4. Optimised Slugging

Slugging is a fresh-off-the-oven trend this year, and more and more people are doing it despite the stickiness of petrolatum. The idea is to seal in all the goodness that you apply to your skin with a thin layer of petrolatum or lanolin or anything occlusive. However, old findings from the lab of Dr. Peter Elias show that petrolatum may inhibit the repair of lamellar lipids by limiting access to damaged areas. This eludes to the fact that there should be a balance between barrier repair and slugging, and we are determined to find out. 

3. PPAR

This mouthful term Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor (PPAR), will be our Mantra for 2023, and we’ll let you know why. You know how retinoids need to bind retinoid nuclear receptors to exert their effects on the DNA? PPARs are another form of nuclear receptors just like retinoid receptors. We’ve spent the whole of 2022 studying them, and we think they will become the next big thing in skincare. Some articles even go further to say that they are the next retinoids. Can’t wait to smother you with PPAR next year. 

2. Barrier Repair

You know the drill. Barrier Repair should be in everyone’s vocabulary. Maximizing active penetration and optimizing for ingredients is so 2021, prioritizing barrier repair is the bomb. Allow us to teach you how to properly sus out real barrier repair products from cheugy ones. It will be a blood bath, but we’re all ready for it. 

1. Soothing/Anti-Inflammatory

This is what we think 2023 will be all about. Finally catching up to Asian skincare. Gone are the days of trying to fit in as many actives as we can into our skin. People are starting to realize that every form of irritation or inflammation contributes to pigmentation and aging. So we must panic and assess whether the products we are using are soothing enough for us. We will dive into the major signs of inflammation (Redness, Stinging/Burning, Swelling, Heat) to find ways to tackle each. Biggest hint for 2023: Major SOoooOOooothing Update 

 These are just a few of the top science-based skincare trends to watch out for in 2023. As the beauty industry continues to evolve, so do the trends. It’s clear that science-based skincare is here to stay and these trends are sure to be popular in the coming years.