'Less is more' will be trend for 2022

The beauty industry witnessed a myriad of trends in the year 2021. While the recovery time for most trends is often short-lived, transparent skincare is a trend thats definitely making a comeback. As the founder of the D2C beauty and personal care brand Earth Rhythm, Harini Sivakumar, feels skincare trends for 2022 will follow an approach of "Less Is More" while embracing gentle ingredients and fewer products in skincare routines.

In the past, the beauty industry has been flexible, but the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted beauty stores globally. Many beauty and skincare companies now manufacture sanitizers, cleaning agents, and also provide free beauty consultations to customers. In the current scenario, consumers understand that good skin has the power to make any makeup product look well applied, and hence focus more on upping their skincare routines.

Harini talks about skincare and beauty trends that have the solid potential to create a buzz in the coming months and provide a promise of clear and radiant skin without any hassle.

DIY Care

With no scope for an appointment with a hairdresser, many people resorted to colouring and chopping their hair during the Covid days. There has been an increase in DIY skincare, with everything from aloe vera to eggs being put into the mixture or mask. While being at home during the lockdown, consumers had much more time available for self-care, and that's definitely a good thing. The internet is now flooded with face exfoliating and masking tips and tricks. For obvious reasons, even our B-town celebrities took to their Instagram and Youtube handles to share their special kitchen ingredient mask recipes, and for obvious reasons, they were widely popular and accepted.

Skin minimalism

Skin minimalism, aka the skip-care trend, is all about using a handful of beauty products rather than investing in 10 different skincare steps and taking the time to apply them every day. It's about enriching your skin with minimal products to strengthen the skin barrier while nourishing it. Skin Minimalism is a natural, minimal, and no-makeup beauty craze that highlights the pores, complexion, and texture of the skin while allowing your skin to breathe.

Gender-neutral products

The gender-neutral movement in the skincare industry has helped brands to build an inclusive community for people from all walks of life. And with a brand as big as Fenty Beauty, the conversation for genderless beauty took a brilliant note. In today's time, men aren't averse to the idea of applying skincare or wearing makeup, and social media (especially Instagram) is helping them build confidence. As a brand, we too are evolving and diversifying product strategies based on the ethos that we stand for: sustainability, inclusivity, and efficacy.

Blue light protection

Our screen timing can sometimes be alarming! People are turning to products that help to protect their skin from the harmful effects of screens (as most of the time we're on our phones and laptops). And SPF is one such product that has the utmost importance in our lives as it protects us from UV rays and blue light as well. The blue light emitted from screens can be harmful to skin cell regeneration and can affect our skin's natural radiance and accentuate fine lines and wrinkles.

Customized skincare

Who doesn't love a skincare product curated personally just for them? Bespoke skin and beauty products have been trending since last year, and customers' desire to have products that are tailored to their skin types and concerns has been strong. Customization is the new face of skincare! For personalised skincare, the customer has to describe their skincare type and concerns, and you'll be treated with a new product. Accordingly, brands would formulate a skincare product that specifically caters to their skincare needs. We think this trend is here to stay a bit longer as consumers look for a product that works for them, and this option ticks all the boxes since it is more promising, innovative, and works according to their skin type and concerns.

Artificial Intelligence

In the near future, AI will make things easier for consumers! With the help of AI, consumers can try skincare and makeup in a digital environment. Potentially, in the future, we may get to a stage where the physical and digital experience will be absolutely seamless. With virtual reality (VR) or virtual goggles, customers can experience physical retail. Ultimately, this will elevate the shopping experience and will improve the sales conversion, keeping in mind the ongoing pandemic.