Five skincare trends from 2022 that we're taking into next year

Zoe Cripps OK! beauty editor

By Zoe Cripps

Zoe is OK! Head Of Beauty and covers celebrity beauty news, product launches and helpful beauty hacks.
Five skincare trends from 2022 that we're taking into next year

Skincare trends come and go, but some do just stay cemented in our morning and evening routines. Take retinol, for example – can we remember a time when we didn’t use the powerful anti-ager?

2022 has seen plenty of trends sweep social media and the beauty industry, including snow mushroom extract, inside-out ingestible skincare and LED face masks, to name but a few. However, will all of them stay as popular in 2023? Possibly not, but there are some that OK! deputy beauty editor Zoe is keen to keep up with in the new year.

So, from skinimalism to skin cycling, here are some of the trends she found benefitted her skin most this year, and the ones she’d recommend you try out for yourself…

Barrier repair

This year there’s been a big push on products that work to repair the skin barrier instead of overwhelming it. If you’ve ever used a potent ingredient that just didn’t agree with your skin, you’ll know it can take ages to get your skin back to a normal state.

Barrier repairing products come in the form of cleansers, creams, gels and serums, and most contain essential fatty acids, ceramides and/or collagen. All of those ingredients work to support and balance the skin’s microbiome, not strip it.

There are plenty of products out there but I’m loving Balance Me Collagen Boost Moisturiser. It boasts a tri-peptide complex which promotes collagen production and is packed with hydrating hyaluronic acid.

Niacinamide in skincare

Niacinamide is popping up everywhere in the beauty aisles, and it’s making waves on TikTok too. The #niacinamide hashtag has been viewed billions of times on the clip-sharing app, meaning plenty of people have worked out how the wonder ingredient can help their skin.

If you haven’t looked into it, niacinamide helps neutralise harmful free radicals and preserve collagen levels, making it a great addition to an anti-ageing regime. It also reduces excess sebum production, which can help to manage oily or blemish-prone skin. Since I experience hormonal breakouts, I’ve been using it in a serum form to help tackle spots – and it’s working.

Skinimalism

The term ‘skinimalism’ says it all really: simple routines with a minimalist approach. For me, this means investing more in skincare that I know my skin likes, and less in complex regimes featuring several products that might not be beneficial to my skin type.

By selecting key products to tackle the skin concerns you have, you’re getting a much tailored – and affordable – routine. I’ve realised I don’t need ten products to have good skin, I just need a few good ones that work for me.

SPF as a base

We’ve seen some amazing SPF launches this year. No longer is a suncream something thick and sticky that we know we have to apply during the summer months to avoid lines, wrinkles and sunburn. These days, plenty of SPF formulas are designed to be used in place of foundations, and they’re very often packed with skincare benefits. 

Where I used to wear a foundation daily, I now use a tinted SPF – and I’ve had more compliments from friends and family than ever on how glowy and even my skin looks.

Skin cycling

When I first heard about this trend I thought it was just another social media craze that would pass quickly – but it’s now something I do weekly. Created by US dermatologist Dr Whitney Bowe, skin cycling is a four-day routine in which you use a different type of skincare product each night. The four stages are:

  • Night one: exfoliation night – using a chemical or acid-based exfoliant after cleansing. We recommend Gatineau Limited Edition Radiance Enhancing Enzymatic Gommage, another great product available in this month’s Skinsational Edit Beauty Box.
  • Night two: retinoid night – a moisturiser can be applied first as a buffer if your skin is sensitive or new to retinol. Follow with moisturiser.
  • Night three: recovery night – using only gentle, hydrating and barrier repairing products. Look out for ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin and niacinamide.
  • Night four: another recovery night.

As someone who has skin that gets easily overwhelmed and irritated, I find this routine perfect for helping me get the most out of my regular products while also not causing damage to my skin barrier.