The Four Skincare Trends to Try (Plus the Three to Skip) in 2025
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In my humble beauty editor opinion, 2024 was a pretty low-key year for skincare trends. Sure, there was the obsession with barrier creams and the proliferation of at-home skincare devices, but overall nothing seismic occurred in the world of skincare and cosmetic treatments. All business as usual.
Now the same thing cannot be said for what's about to happen in the new year. Fortunately (idk how you feel about change, but as a skin-obsessed editor this shit gets me going) 2025 will be a year of some pretty major shifts when it comes to the way we treat and talk about our faces and bodies. I'm sharing all my predictions below and tapped three experts to give me theirs, too. Consider it the ultimate blueprint for what's to come for skincare and aesthetics in 2025.
What's Out for 2025:
Over-filled faces
While 2024 wasn't generally great for injectables (it was the year of Notox after all) it was particularly bad for filler, with "filler migration"and "dissolving filler" dominating TikTok. That said, I don't think filler itself is out—but the pillow-face look that permeated IG for years definitely is. Plastic surgeon David Shafer, MD, FACS agrees with me: "If it’s obvious that patients had filler, then it’s a bad job," he says. "Moderation in facial aesthetics will take center stage in 2025, moving away from extreme or overly dramatic alterations." It's (finally) the end of an era—thank god.
Skincare overconsumption
I write about skincare products for a living and I'll be the first to say that no one—I repeat, no one—needs a 12-step routine with a bunch of different toners, essences, serums, creams, face masks, and trendy at-home treatments.
"There's a desire for simplicity in skincare," says dermatologist Heather Rogers, MD. "People are becoming more selective in the products they use, picking items that can address their needs long term instead of just buying into the latest fad—and skin is healthier for it," she says. Stick to the basics—cleanser, treatment serum, moisturizer, SPF—and if you want to use a few extras, fine, but know that it's not essential for good skin. And while we're on the topical of skincare routines, there's absolutely zero room in anyone's lineup for beef tallow moisturizer or DIY sunscreen, says Dr. Rogers.
SOS Daily Balancing Gel Cleanser
Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer
Mineral Mattescreen SPF 40
Overselling skincare products
A good skincare routine is key for glowing, healthy skin—but by no means is skincare alone going to give you a Lindsay Lohan-like glow up. "The days of overselling skincare as the sole solution for ageless skin are behind us, as celebrities and surgeons are becoming more transparent that most visually perfect faces rely on a mix of professional treatments—rather than just skincare products—to maintain their look," says Dr. Shafer. There's Botox and filler of course, but many A-listers utilize bio stimulators, energy-based devices, metabolic optimization, strategic procedures such as Renuvion plasma skin tightening, and surgeries such as facelift when indicated." Which brings us too...
What's In for 2025:
Plastic surgery transparency
This will be the year that everyone gets real about plastic surgery. A lot of this has to do with the above (consumers are simply too savvy to be duped into thinking that skincare alone transforms faces), but also the fact that when it comes to beauty and cosmetics, nothing is really considered taboo anymore. We've all grown pretty comfortable with talking about our personal experiences with noninvasive "tweakments" like injectables and lasers, and the next iteration of that is talking honestly about plastic surgery—especially on social media. Basically, BrowTox walked so upper blephs could run.
Collagen banking
As people become more proactive about skin health and addressing signs of aging, collagen banking will be a more mainstream practice in the world of beauty, says Dr. Shafer. For the uninitiated, collagen is the protein responsible for skin elasticity and youthfulness, and it naturally declines starting as early as our mid-twenties, explains Dr. Shafer, but advances in regenerative medicine will allow individuals to bank their own collagen, storing it for later use in treatments.
Collagen banking treatments—like Morpheus8, Emface, and certain lasers—will continue to grow in popularity too. The idea is that you do that these collagen-stimulating treatments now to set yourself up for better skin in the future. "It's more of shift toward prioritizing skin longevity vs skin aging," explains Dr. Rogers.
And collagen banking applies to topical skincare too. Peptides—a tried-and-true collagen stimulator—will continue to be one of the most popular skincare ingredients in 2025.
Collagen Bank Face Moisturizer
Pro-Collagen Banking Serum
Pomegranate Peptide Firming Serum
Salmon sperm skincare
Get familiar with PDRN. "It's going to be the year of Polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) extracted from salmon DNA," says dermatologist David Kim, MD. Rejuran is THE brand to watch. They have the proprietary injectable with PDRN that everyone in South Korea is getting to improve skin elasticity and hydration as well as smooth wrinkles and fine lines. They also have skincare with the ingredient and it’s fantastic. "I've been using their ampoule, moisturizer, and face mask," says Dr. Kim.
Elevated bodycare
We've seen a growing interest in bodycare over the last few months, but it's going to boom in the new year. 2025 will be the year that the masses prioritize bodycare the same way they do skincare—and it's largely thanks to a handful of new female-run brands that are reimagining the category. Think: Ultra-chic packaging, nourishing, plant-based formulas, and delicious scents—all of which make shower time feel like a bright spot in the day. Cyklar and Gente Beauty were both featured on Hailey Bieber's gift-guide (I'm personally obsessed with both of their body washes) and SIDIA is a staple in legit every beauty editor's bathroom.
Sensorial Body Wash Naked Neroli
Soaked The Wash
Tropical Rain Shower Gel
Meet the Experts:
David Shafer, MD, FACS, is a board-certified plastic surgeon and the owner of the Shafer Clinic in New York, NY.
Heather Rogers, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in Seattle, WA. Dr. Rogers is the cofounder of Modern Dermatology and the CEO of Doctor Rogers Skin Care.
David Kim, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist atIdriss Dermatology in New York, NY. Dr. Kim is the founder of Lightsaver, an editor-favorite sunscreen brand.
Why Trust Cosmopolitan?
Lauren Balsamo is the beauty director at Cosmopolitan with a decade of experience researching, writing, and editing skincare stories that range from the best body washes for acne-prone skin to the best anti-aging serums. She regularly tests and analyzes new skincare products and treatments, while working with the industry’s top experts to assess new technologies and trends.
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