Country & Town House meets Dr Sophie Shotter, renowned Skin & Aesthetics Doctor and founder of Illuminate Skin Clinic, to find out which skincare trends are set to explode this year…

The Skincare Trends to Know About in 2022

Sophie Shotter

1. Going makeup free – many of us wear makeup on most days for varying reasons. But actually I think more of us are waking up to the fact that the more we let our skin shine through, the better we look. Making this happen isn’t just a single step though, it’s a combination of lots of different things we want to target in the skin. Smoothness, even tone and a natural radiance are top of the list.

2. Topical wrinkle relaxers – whilst injectables are more popular than ever, they’re not for everyone. Over the last few years I’ve seen a huge increase in clinically effective topical products which will deliver micro-doses of wrinkle relaxing peptides to help decrease expression lines around the eyes and on the forehead. Top of my list are the Meder Myo-Fix Complex and the Revision Skincare Revox Line Relaxer.

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3. Anti-inflammatory skincare – we are increasingly understanding the impact that inflammation in our bodies has on our overall health, including our skin. There are now skincare products which will help to control and minimise inflammation within the skin, and therefore minimise signs of ageing. I love the Heraux Anti-Inflammaging Serum which is an amazing preventative skincare product to invest in.

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4. Anti-pollution skincare – it’s not all about the harm that UV light causes us anymore, but we’re becoming increasingly aware of the impact of lifestyle and the environment on our skin. Pollution is a HUGE one, and if we live and work in cities the pollution can sit in our pores and increase inflammation. I love the Exuvicance Probiotic Lysate Anti-Pollution Essence. An essence is applied before you apply serums to the skin. This helps to rebalance the skin’s microbiome and provide antioxidant molecules to help shield your skin from the day ahead.

5. Skinimalism – I’m seeing more and more people who are totally overwhelmed by skincare. Their regimes have become over complicated and often involve multiple steps. The key to a good regime is consistency, and changing it up throughout the year as your skin’s needs change. It does NOT need to be long and complex, and increasingly people are realising this can be very irritant to the skin.

6. Blue light protection – as our device use has soared throughout the pandemic, we are becoming increasingly aware of the impact blue light can have on our skin. Even if you’re good at applying your sunscreen every day, many commercially available sunscreens don’t have the right filters in to protect from Blue light. Looking for iron oxide on the ingredient list is a great place to start.

7. Home use devices – I am seeing more and more investment in home care skin devices. This doesn’t mean people are cutting back on in-clinic treatments, but more that they want to have a good maintenance regime in between. LED light masks and radiofrequency devices are top of the list. The Dermalux flex is an investment, but is portable and lightweight and delivers clinic-standard results. I also love the Orlaya Skin DermaDeep RF Pro which is an extremely effective skin tightening treatment that only needs twice weekly use at home.

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8. Sustainability – we are all starting to think more about the environment in the choices we make. This will have an increasing impact on our buying habits over the coming years, and I am seeing more and more brands starting to consider new packaging concepts or the provenance of their ingredients. It’s not an overnight process and for many brands takes years to complete, as the packaging has to still protect the product from the environment and from bacteria, as well as being inert so it doesn’t react with other elements.

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9. Retinol alternatives – retinol is an amazing ingredient, but some people either can’t use it (think pregnancy or breastfeeding) or can’t tolerate it. Along comes Bakuchiol, a plant based ingredient that has been proven hugely effective for collagen stimulation in clinical studies. Yet it doesn’t provide the irritation retinol can, and is completely safe in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

10. Having a skin expert – with the overwhelming amount of information and products available now, more and more people are realising the need to have expert advice. A skin expert will be able to formulate a plan of products that will work synergistically for your skin, and are most likely to give you the results you want. These relationships often span many years and the plans generated will change as your skin changes over the years.

illuminateskinclinic.co.uk