Now that we’ve rounded up the most wearable fashion trends for 2018, we’re turning our focus to the biggest news in skincare. Increasingly, customers are wanting to recreate professional results at home and devote the same TLC they put into caring for their face to the rest of their body. From bespoke skincare to fancy-schmancy at-home devices, we forecast the newest trends for 2018.
Trend #1: Bespoke Skincare
Blend and Boost Face Cream, starting at $150, available at select medi-spas across Canada; Energy, Repair and Detox Boosters, $40 each, clarins.ca; Restorative & Regenerative Moisturizing Lotion, $75, subtlegreen.com
A trend that picked up a lot of steam this year, bespoke skincare—meaning it’s customized to a specific person’s skin—will gain even more traction in 2018. Brands like Blend and Boost and Subtle Green review your skin’s needs through a skincare analysis or survey, then create moisturizers and other products tailored just for you. And bigger companies are also getting in on the custom trend—Clarins recently launched DIY Boosters—you can add a few drops to your day-to-day cream when your face needs a hit of energy or hydration.
Trend #2: Gem-Infused Skincare
Sisley Paris Hydra-Global Intense Anti-Aging Hydration (contains malachite extract), $315, holtrenfrew.com; Herbivore Brighten Pineapple Enzyme + Gemstone Instant Glow Mask, $56, sephora.com; DermaDoctor Kakadu C Amethyst Clay Detox Mask, $73, sephora.com
Skeptics, be warned—if New Age isn’t your thing, you’re going to want to skip over this trend. Fuelled by celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow (whose Goop blog recommended “8 essential crystals” for “energy” and other purported benefits), 2017 saw gems making their way into skincare in a big way despite the fact that, as the New York Times pointed out, “little, if any, scientific evidence exists to substantiate crystals’ efficacy.” If you still want to give crystals a shot, some of the popular stones being used include amethyst—which, it’s claimed, is good for inflammation—while malachite and tourmaline are said to have “detoxification” and “energizing” properties.
Trend #3: Body Care is the New Face Care
Body Hero Duo Daily Oil Wash + Daily Perfecting Cream, $44, glossier.com; Breast, Neck and Bottom Enhancing Lotion, $112, theorganicpharmacy.com; Neostrata Glycolic Renewal Body Smoothing Lotion, $39, beautyBOUTIQUE.ca; Rodial Pink Diamond Lifting Body Soufflé, $190, beautyBOUTIQUE.ca
With everyone tending to their faces with an array of OTT creams and serums, it was only a matter of time before the trend moved below the neck. Beauty aisles are making room for high tech serums, creams and oils that target the skin on the body—and they contain scientific formulas and tailored ingredients similar to what you’d find in your fave mask or eye cream. Trendsetting beauty brand Glossier got in on the mix when they launched Body Hero earlier this year, a body oil and moisturizer collection that’s inspired by the rich oils and fancy creams used on the face. It promises to leave all of your skin with a dewy glow, so don’t be surprised when other brands soon follow suit.
Trend #4: A Return to Natural Lashes
Dior Diorshow Maximizer 3D Triple Volume Plumping Lash Primer, $37, sephora.com; Fusion Beauty Lash Enhancing + Lengthening Treatment Mascara, $30, beautyBOUTIQUE.ca; Plume Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum, $128, nordstrom.com; Almay Liquid Lash Extenders Mascara, $12, walmart.ca
With eyelash extensions and falsies, lashes keep getting bigger and bolder. But this year will see that trend dial down, with a return to a more natural, subtle fringe. What’s new are serums that promise to gently boost what nature gave us and mascara and primer formulas that straddle the line between makeup and skincare by using high-tech ingredients that equal all-natural fluttery lashes. That’s right—now you can swap out eyelash glue for a lash-enhancing serum that’s decidedly more low maintenance, or try an innovative mascara for out-of-this-world lashes—without the mess.
Trend #5: The Rise of At-Home Beauty Tools
Neutrogena Light Therapy Acne Mask, $46, walmart.ca; Crest 3D Whitestrips with Light, $88, walmart.ca; Espada Blue Light Acne Treatment, $200, foreo.com; Beauty Bioscience GloPRO Microneedling Regeneration Tool, $267, nordstrom.com