Beauty tech
20 December 2024
If glass skin goals, collagen based skincare and cutting-edge beauty devices reigned in 2024, what will be the beauty trends that will define 2025? From the rise of biotech ingredients to regenerative innovations, here are skincare trends that will be big in 2025.
2024 saw a popularity boom for skincare and beauty devices that mimicked in-clinic dermatology treatments for example, VT Reedle Shot Essences, Medicube devices and PDRN serums that were heavily marketed as an alternative to in-clinic microneedling, HIFU treatments; and PDRN injections respectively. Although these skincare products differ from in-clinic injections or true microneedling treatments (with the Korean MFDS clamping down on some of these companies for misleading advertising); this hasn’t deterred the growing demand for skincare products inspired by aesthetic treatments.
This demand for cosmetics that provide in-clinic solutions shows no signs of abating. I foresee this trend to continue, with a focus on regenerative and bio-engineered ingredients such as exosomes and ectoin.
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If 2024 saw personalised beauty routines with the help of artificial intelligence and diagnostics like La Roche Posay’s Spotscan+ and Cetaphil’s AI skincare analysis, 2025 will see the continued growth of these mobile tools for skin analyses. Virtual try ons for beauty products with augmented reality will also grow as these smart systems evolve to enhance their accuracies and enhancement consumer engagement.
Smart beauty tools are also expected to evolve significantly in 2025 to meet growing demands for devices that replicate in-clinic treatments. Beauty tech tools like Medicube’s AGE-R Booster Pro were immensely popular this year; and we can expect more beauty brands to leverage on this demand for multifunctional gadgets. One interesting innovation from 2024 is Hapsense, a wearable skin sensor developed in Singapore for skincare analysis. Hapsense is said to improve skincare analyses with AI integration to improve the development and marketing of cosmetics.
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Forget collagen gummy bears or oral sunscreens- these skincare supplements are passe compared to the new generation of edible skincare. Think skincare smoothies, retinol pills and edible ingredients that are part of holistic, beauty-from-within approach in Asia.
The benefits of consuming edible skin care in general remains unclear. Some nutraceuticals such as probiotics and polypodium leucotomos have more evidence for their effectiveness but the same cannot be said for most other skincare supplements. Nonetheless, more beauty brands are venturing beyond cosmetics for improved skin ageing and “well-aging” to differ a diverse range of supplements. Examples of these edible beauty supplements include Clio’s newly launched range of supplements against UV damage called TRUE RX and Vital Beautie’s Super Retinol C, a mix of retinol and vitamin C in a sachet.
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2024 was another big year for sunscreens, especially for Korean sunscreens which enjoyed unprecedented growth in the US market. The global sunscreen market is expected to enjoy continued growth as benefits of UV protection grow and sunscreen formulations become more advanced.
Leading the charge for sunscreen developments in 2025 are Korean, Japanese and French sunscreen manufacturers with multifunctional sunscreens that go above and beyond sunscreen protection- think sunscreens that repair DNA damage or support the skin’s microbiome. Development of UV filters is also poised to continue, with an emphasis on advanced filters that defend against long wavelength UVA rays, blue light and infrared rays.
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Another growing segment of the beauty industry is regenerative skincare. Regenerative skin care aims to repair and rejuvenate the skin at a cellular level; and represent a more long term and proactive approach towards skincare needs.
These products supposedly focus on stimulating cellular activity, enhancing skin barrier function, and promoting tissue regeneration. Examples of regenerative skincare ingredients include stem cells, growth factors, exosomes and polynucleotides. The jury is still out on whetherapplying these ingredients are effective, but that has not stopped the rising popularity of regenerative cosmetics.
