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K-BEAUTY TRENDS 2020
While you might love the products and routine that you’ve got, this is the time of year to have fun and look at what’s coming up. Tweaking the routine you have is a way of adapting to new skincare needs, or finding something that may work better for you.
The good news is, the Korean skincare industry advances at an incredible pace. It’s constantly innovating and creating to remain competitive and respond to customer needs. This means there’s no shortage of products to fulfill your heart’s desire, whatever your lineup looks like. Let’s look at what we’ve been seeing for 2020.
Sustainable Beauty
Worries about climate change and the sustainability of what we use everyday is at the forefront of a lot of minds. Many people are working at making changes to their eating and consumption habits in an attempt to reduce waste and preserve resources.
This has trickled into the beauty and skincare industry as well. There’s growing interest in the type of packaging brands are using, and whether it’s recyclable, is made of recycled material, or uses minimal packaging. People are concerned about the amount of packaging that comes with skincare (is it in a bottle, in a box, in a bag?), and how it can be reduced while retaining the integrity of the product inside. Some brands have been moving towards things like cleansing bars and solid shampoos in response. Others are moving away from plastic towards materials like cardboard and glass, which are easier to recycle.
Vegetarianism and veganism are on the rise, and that’s reflected in skincare as well. There are brands that are boasting completely vegan skincare lines, and many existing brands are releasing vegetarian and vegan products. Korean skincare is a great choice if you’re also concerned about animal welfare, as animal testing is banned in Korea.
Clean Beauty
Worried that you might be putting harmful chemicals on your skin? You’re not the only one. Customers want formulas that are clean, natural, and organic. More and more people are opting to use brands that use limited ingredients, and don’t contain fillers, artificial colours, dyes, perfumes, and additives. This is great news if you’re very careful about what shows up in your skincare’s ingredient list, but also if you have sensitive skin.
People are also investing in anti-pollution skincare, to protect against harmful substances in the environment. These products tend to be high in vitamins and antioxidants, as those ingredients will prevent free radicals from forming and causing things like dark spots and wrinkles.
Kale on your face? Yes, please! “Food-based products” use fruits and vegetables with high vitamin and nutritional content to boost, repair, and protect skin. Things like berries, citrus, and seed oils are all being promoted as being healthy to eat - and use in skincare!
Streamlined Routines
Have you heard of “skip-care”? This is a trend that moved away from massive skincare lineups to minimal, essentials-only routines. It’s still popular, as people try to spend less money and less time on their beauty regimens.
While we can still use multiple products in our morning and evening routines, we don’t need to get caught up in the number of steps anymore. The emphasis is on using products that are efficient, and only as necessary. This means that some products are only used every few days, as opposed to every night. More doesn’t always equal better.
There are also more and more hybrid and multitasking products hitting the shelves. Things like “cream skin” products are somewhere between a toner and moisturizer, with a fluid, milky texture. These products are meant to replace or combine several steps in your routine, as people face time pressures.
Ingredients like snail mucin and centella asiatica have a host of benefits, making them great for time-saving products. An ingredient that smooths, is anti-inflammatory, heals, and reduces fine lines can be a lifesaver (or skin-saver) for someone with limited time.
Look Into The Science
The more deliberate we are with our skincare, the more we’re likely to know what goes into it. Consumers are getting more savvy - many know the basics about popular ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, and niacinamide. They know what they do. And even if they don’t, many people are taking the time to look it up and do some research into the products they’re buying. There are trusted and well-respected skincare reviewers and bloggers who explain the use of different ingredients, and even how they interact with each other.
There’s a lot of emphasis on ingredients that have had adequate testing and have shown real benefits to the skin. People are interested in the science behind brand claims, and are looking for evidence that products do what they say they do. This has led to some debunking of things like “DIY sunscreen”, which is both unreliable and dangerous.
Gone are the days when people would pick a product because it came in a cute duck-shaped container. A lot of brands are very clear with their packaging, listing the key ingredients and functions front and centre. This transparency and the easy accessibility of information (hello, internet) means that people are more informed than ever, and can make educated choices about their skincare.
People are being more conscientious with what they use, but also don’t want to be slaves to their routine. Choosing things that work efficiently with few fillers saves time, and also ensures that we are only using what is necessary. It’s always nice to have fun with new products, and even better when you can feel good about what they contain!