2020 Beauty Trends to Carry Into 2021
Fashion will remember 2020 as the year of comfy pants, minimal up-dos, and only worrying about our appearance from the waist up for Zoom meetings. But even though the year wasn’t about dressing up, the beauty community embraced staying at home by posting selfies all over the internet, resulting in a flood of new and resurfaced beauty trends. Here are a selection of the refreshing trends that we predict will continue into 2021 and beyond.
Taking skincare seriously
As many of us spent more time examining our skin in Zoom meetings or our bathroom mirrors, we focused on maskne treatments, revamping skincare routines, vitamin-enriched serums, and finally following sunscreen rules.
Stress, masks, and acne
Thanks to COVID-19, everyone from stay-at-home moms to medical workers (yes, that includes our staff!) struggled with the dermatological effects of stress and maskne. To recap, maskne is a real condition caused by face coverings that trap heat and moisture against our skin and stimulate inflammatory markers, causing breakouts. Face coverings also absorb our skin’s natural oils, tricking our body into thinking that it needs to produce more oil, thereby clogging our pores.
A few tricks we developed to reduce our maskne included wearing less or no makeup under our masks, taking mask breaks when it was safe to let our skin breathe, cleaning our skin at least twice a day to remove built-up dirt and oil, and washing masks frequently.
Buying quality skincare products
In 2020, people paid much more attention to the ingredients in their skincare, largely thanks to leading skincare influencers like Hyram and Susan Yara who reminded us that we should buy products based on the quality and quantity of their active ingredients rather than their marketing or packaging. A few of the most sought-after skincare ingredients of 2020 included hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and beta hydroxy acids. Considering how effective these ingredients are proving to be, we think they’re here to stay.
Sunscreen never goes out of style
We spent more time than ever outdoors this summer exercising and socially distancing, but this (and delayed skin cancer checks) put us at increased risk for issues, including sun-induced skin damage. Many beauty bloggers took the opportunity to remind us of the importance of broad-spectrum SPF—which includes ingredients like avobenzone, zinc oxide, and titanium dioxide—to protect against UVA rays. This recommendation is relevant even for those of us who spend most of our time inside: the American Cancer Society reports that the glass typically used in car, home, and office windows is designed to block most UVB rays, but it doesn’t offer protection from all UVA rays, which can also cause skin cancer and premature skin aging.
As we (hopefully) get to leave our homes and spend more time in the sun in 2021, wearing a high-quality daily sunscreen will be as important as ever.
Makeup
Though makeup wasn’t at the top of most of our priority lists in 2020, we saw influencers and celebrities make waves in two categories last year:
The natural “no-makeup” look. Since this look celebrates clean, radiant, glowing skin with minimal makeup, people have also referred to it as “skinimalism”. According to Pinterest’s 2021 Trends Predictions report, more of us are forfeiting complicated makeup routines for simpler ones that allow our natural skin textures to shine through (think glowy skin and visible freckles).
The “Euphoria” look. The HBO original series, which won an Emmy award for its contemporary “out-there” makeup, sparked an internet trend among teens who painted their upper eyelids with vivid colors and glitter to resemble the show’s unique aesthetic. In direct opposition to the understated no-makeup look, the Euphoria look is all about making a bold visual impact.
We predict that 2021 will continue to be all about beautiful skin and emphasizing areas of the face not covered by masks, like the eyes. As Channel’s Spring/Summer 2021 Ready-to-Wear Show proved, the smokey eye look is set to be big in 2021, as are lighter, playful colors such as yellows, oranges, and pinks—just in time for spring.
Haircare
Another highly visible area of our body unaffected by facial coverings, haircare was huge in 2020, and we think these two haircare trends are only likely to continue:
The Curly Girl Method. This haircare regimen for people with curly, wavy, or textured hair has been around for several years already but gained even more attention in 2020, as natural beauty methods entered the spotlight. This new method of hair care has a cult-like following and will definitely continue to garner more attention in 2021.
Bar shampoo continues to be one of the fastest-growing products in the beauty industry for a few reasons: plastic-free packaging is better for the environment, and—thanks to the sharp surge in demand—people now have more options than ever to choose from.
Nails
With more time spent at home, nail polish and nail art saw a huge surge in popularity. Popular accounts such as Cutepolish and The HangEdit earned many new followers, and this at-home gel nail kit was even named one of Time Magazine’s “Best Inventions of 2020.” Look for creative nail care to continue to boom in 2021.
Zoom Boom cosmetic procedures
Hearing the term Zoom Boom, you might think it refers to the exponential increase in video meetings, but the term is actually being used to describe the uptick in cosmetic procedures motivated by seeing ourselves on screen more often. Facial plastic surgery procedures, particularly eye procedures like blepharoplasty, were among the most requested. Americans also reached for non-surgical enhancements, refreshing their skin with laser treatments and banishing frown lines and crow’s feet with BOTOX.
As continued mask-wearing will likely make us even more eye-conscious moving into the new year, we predict eye enhancements and under-eye bag reduction will become increasingly popular in 2021.
Look your best in 2021 with the help of Dr. Aboutanos
Are you interested in learning more about how blepharoplasty, BOTOX, or other cosmetic procedures can enhance your appearance? Board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Sharline Aboutanos helps women and men in the Richmond, Virginia area achieve their desired aesthetic through a deep commitment to care, compassion, and skill. In fact, she personally performs all BOTOX injections to ensure you receive the highly skilled care only a doctor can deliver. To schedule your personal consultation with Dr. Aboutanos, contact us online or call (804) 355-3410.