The Covid19 pandemic has dramatically changed people’s approach to a lot of areas – majorly impacting their demands from beauty industry and wellness scene. 2020 has shaken the old constructs and rigid narratives yet helping us to open ourselves to embrace new ways of thinking in all areas of life including our skincare in 2021.
So what are the top beauty and wellness trends for 2021?
As an immunologist and a beauty expert several of the 2021 trends are right in my alley and I wanted to share my opinion. I believe these trends will change and have a very powerful impact on the beauty and wellness industry and us, consumers.
The main skin concerns of 2020 were Maskne and irritation (aka inflammaging) due to face masks and breakouts which are moving into 2021. Sensitization and inflammation of the skin were another main concern due to wearing masks and stress. The increased stress and blue light exposure for the majority that worked from home also wreaked havoc on the skin.
This year, consumers will be searching for brands or products with a strong alignment to health, safety, immunity, therapeutics, and an association with overall wellness.
2021 is the Self-Care Renaissance and everyone is welcome to join in.
Let me highlight 5 trends here that are going to be bigger than just a trend in 2021 and beyond. The key theme emerging in 2021 is healthful wellness and supporting the skin immunity for all.
1-Clean to Conscious Beauty
This year we will see the clean to conscious movement cementing itself in the beauty industry. 
Everyone has become quite aware of the impact we have on earth and how in turn affected us with pollution and emergence of a pandemic.
Clean beauty to protect our bodies and environment in addition to new Blue Beauty movement to protect the oceans are becoming key movements in 2021 which are important in healthful well-being.
The “clean” to “conscious” movement will opt for a more considered and mindful approach to treating skin concerns. Consumers will be searching for brands or products with a strong focus in health, safety, immunity, therapeutics, and an association with overall wellness.
2- Immunocosmetics: The Rise of Skin Inflammaging Supporting Wellness
The pandemic has accelerated all wellness-related trends with the basic principles of health and keeping stress and diseases at bay as a core priority. In 2020, we realized the importance of a healthy immune system.
What does a healthy immune system do? It protects us from viruses, bacteria and all kinds of internal and external aggressors. 
With that said immuno-stabilization and immuno-balance are key aspects in whole body wellness this year. In 2021 a healthy skin both on the surface and underneath becomes crucial with our skin going berserk with stress and quarantine-induced inflammaging .
Immunocosmetics and skin immune supporting wellness will become much bigger in 2021 focusing both healthy skin appearance and underneath. Both are dependent on a healthy skin immune system and skin microbiome.
Immunocosmetics and skin immune supporting products cover advanced blue light protection, diminishing stress related maskne and inflammaging, balancing skin microbiome for immune resilience.
With more than 70% of US consumers becoming more health conscious, this trend is definitely here to stay.*
3-Skinimalism with plant based multi-tasking/multi-use skincare
This term has started in Pinterest and I think it is very well put. It is all about caring about your natural skin, focusing on multi-functional skincare products with maximum efficacy and wearing less makeup. 
So no more 10-20 step skincare routines that hurts the skin barrier and irritates it even more.
With most searched anti-inflammatory plant based ingredients being bakuchiol, witch hazel, especially face mask with honey and gotu kola, we will see a lot of botanical and nature-based skincare products in 2021.
In addition, now that consumers are more conscious about their spending habits, multi-tasking/ multi-use products will be on the rise in 2021. Summary, best bang for the buck in beauty (BBBB) is here.
4-Erasing the binary conversation around skincare: Beauty and Wellness for All
This year we will see the renaissance in self care and skin care. Consumers have become more socially-aware about issues concerning mental health, race, gender, and representation in the media, which is also reflecting to beauty and skincare. The big beauty industry not only separated beauty in gender but also neglected entire sets of skin types with a narrow view of beauty standards due to possibly cost/profit issues.
Gender has been a hot topic and skincare industry especially indie brands are finally addressing the meaning behind feminine and masculine associations. Because skin is skin and all is beautiful.
In 2021, we will see more gender neutral all skin types inclusive multi-tasking skincare products wellness and healthy well-care converges. There are already some certain indie beauty brands breaking the mold in gender neutral and inclusive beauty embracing all skin types from all binary attributions.
All for wellness and wellness for all, I say!
5- Honesty in Skincare: Science and Credibility
The pandemic has promted consumers to be more self aware and mindful about what they use and who they listen to especially in the scientific area. This habit is reflecting on the beauty industry in 2021. With start of 2021, the demand for evidence based, healthier, good-for-skin and mind solutions in beauty products have risen significantly. 
The pandemic changed the skincare needs as observed with a e-commerce sale spike with 93% year-over-year. The main demand started in 2020 for expert-backed and efficacy- and science-focused brands is markedly growing in 2021.
Last year nearly, 50% of facial skincare users specifically looked for and purchased clean beauty products free of sulfates, phthalates and skincare products made with natural or organic ingredients*. More and more people are demanding ingredient listing, however they are also looking for the real scientific aspect of them as well as real scientific credibility behind it.
Although we are seeing a rise in celebrity skin care, the move towards authentic indie and small brands is on the rise. With increasing number of well informed consumers, we will see more brands using scientifically proven ingredients as we move through 2021.
Finally, in 2021 and beyond, we will see honesty, transparency and sustainability becoming the main drivers of the multi-billion beauty industry starting in US and moving to rest of the world. We will see more in-depth knowledge in clean beauty giving rise to more innovations, constructive conversations around skin and self-care transforming the beauty industry.
Dr.Ebru
*The Women’s Facial Skincare Consumer Report from The NPD Group.
*Euromonitor
