6 Trends Your Skin Will Thank You For This 2019

2018 was filled with highly innovative treatments, and tons of new products have inched their way into our daily lives. So, what does this year have for us then? Are we picking up after what’s left of 2018 or are we set to carve a new path towards better skin? Let’s find out from the experts!

 

Say hello to "Skip-care"

Last year was all about 5- and 10-step Korean skincare regimens but, admit it, we all came to a point where life and everything in between have gotten in the way of accomplishing our nighttime routines. This year, expect to see a more minimalist approach to the Korean wonder that has sent the beauty world abuzz. Think Marie Kondo running through your entire stash and just leaving the ones that ‘spark joy’. 

Now known as the “Skip-Care”, this one is all about the essentials. Pertaining to the additional steps other than the standard ‘Cleanse, Tone, and Moisturize’, “some steps can be omitted depending on the skin type,” explains Dr. Grace Beltran, dermatologist, genitologist, and aesthetic surgeon, St. Luke’s Medical Center. “[With new technology], you can combine three steps in one cream, complicated routines need to be minimized especially for busy and tired people.”

 

Professional makeup artist and the woman behind Project Skincare PH, Christine Lavinia, still believes in the power of thorough K-skincare but agrees to skipping a few steps to maximize time, kit space, and money. “There are a lot of skincare-makeup hybrids like a serum that doubles as a primer or a concealer that’s loaded with hydrating and brightening ingredients to reduce puffiness and dark undereye circles,” explains Lavinia. “Skincare brands are quick to adapt by formulating better and hard-working products that target multiple concerns at the same time.”

 

Skincare that's exactly for you

In line with this year’s stripping to the bare essentials, beauty brands are leaning toward a more personalized approach to skin care. “There is a movement towards customization and a move towards bio-engineering whether it is from own cells, yeast, bacteria, or viruses,” says Dr. Windie Villarica, managing director, The Skin Inc. Dermatology and Laser Center. 

Beauty brands such as Clinique has launched Clinique iD^TM  worldwide that provides precise solutions to our skin problems like uneven texture and tone, fatigue, and lines and wrinkles. Other brands have also developed their very own apps that help customers find the right fit for their individual skin needs.

Photo: clinique.com

 

Witch Hazel reclaims center stage

More from the past is making a comeback this year and that includes the oldie but goodie witch hazel. This plant-extract is used to help rid the skin of acne and soothe sunburnt and inflamed skin. It also has tannins, a natural antioxidant usually found in roots, bark, and stems of a plant. “[When] applied to skin, tannins have a constricting and drying effect,” as explained by Paula’s Choice Skincare site. “They compress proteins in skin, creating an invisible “film” that can, to a minor degree, temporarily de-grease skin and minimize the look of enlarged pores.”

 

EDITOR'S PICK:

Thayers Witch Hazel, Healthy Options

With all its characteristics combined, you’ll notice a bottle or two of witch hazel alcohol-free toner becoming a staple in every single professional makeup artist’s kit. 

 

We're going "naked and natural"

With the surge of shampoo bars, washable facial rounds, and other sustainable beauty products in online stores alone last 2018, it’s a given that we’ll be seeing more of its kind in the months to come. It wasn’t an overnight thing, but the trend to be more conscious when it comes to products and packaging for the past years are becoming more and more evident this 2019. 

“I’d like to think that people are more aware of the zero-waste movement and how our purchase decisions affect the environment,” says Kira Ramirez, found of Rise + Repeat and Flow Retreats Zero Waste Pop-Up co-organizer. “And if you choose to buy locally, you also support our makers and farmers. We have a lot of homegrown brands that offer really effective products and you only have to visit pop-ups or local weekend markets to meet them.”

READ: Love Beauty And Planet: 3 Reasons Why This Brand Keeps You And Mother Earth Beautiful

 

Micro-needle Patches are the future

Thorough procedures are not only limited to the four walls of your favorite derma’s clinic and 2018’s has seen the surge of at-home beauty tools such as the microneedling wand, portable light-therapy mask, and personal microdermabrasion device. Not one to be left behind, 2019’s got a few tricks under its sleeve such as the dissolving microneedle patch technology. The teeny tiny needles were engineered to dissolve as soon as it has completely accomplished its job: to dig deep into the skin and deliver ingredients for a specific skincare woe. These nifty skin savers are also believed to be the answer to a pimple- and wrinkle-free skin that’s more sanitary and user-friendly. 

However handy, experts such as Dr. Vicky Belo emphasizes that apart from proper usage, hygiene is key for when you’re using these tools at home: “[Your skin] can become infected if you’re not good in cleaning your tools and then you’re putting the bacteria deeper inside the pores.” 

 

The rise of anti-pollution products

Despite reports of declining air pollution level at the onset of 2019, air condition remains poor and is still a major concern for Filipinos. Apart from major health risks, air pollution is also considered as one of the top contributors that can stress and weaken your skin’s barriers and dulls its appearance. So much so, that it has prompted the environment-friendly personal care brand, Human Nature, to develop an “anti-pollution” line to address this problem.

 

EDITOR'S PICKS:

Human Heart Nature Pollution Defense Face Mask, Beauty Bar

Murad City Skin Line, Rustan's

 

“We realized that there’s no natural and locally-made product to address this concern so we came up with the Pollution Defense Face Mask,” explains Tish Martinez-Castillo, corporate communications and PR manager of Human Nature. “With each use of this creamy clay mask, you take the city out of your skin and defend it from the visible effects of aging caused by daily exposure to air pollution.”

As for Dr. Belo, “the drips are the ones that are really anti-oxidants of pollution and glutathione in particular is the best. People who just take it for whitening are missing out on the whole thing because it’s anti-free radicals and anti-oxidants. 

 

Lead photos from @mkqua, @deniseochoa, and @jerrybuanjavier