Are you excited to get out of the slow show of 2021? The same applies to everything, from dealing with maskne to trimming our hair at home (bless), and, oh, you’ll be happy to know that 2021 is able go in the trash.

Good news! We are heading to better days. Omicron, sit down. Our beloved beauty salons will reopen. Top knots will be removed and we can get back to being human. After a year of doing it all, we can say that there are some really fancy beauty trends out there.

Want to know more? You do. Silly question. Below are the top new beauty trends that we believe will be big in the coming year.

Top trends in beauty technology and evidence-based skincare

• Beauty technology

Be prepared to see more innovative beauty products on the market. Beauty brands will adapt to new technology next year, changing everything from personalized skincare to shade matching to shopping.

A new era of beauty shopping will emerge, with artificial intelligence-powered products and augmented reality becoming the norm.

The virtual retail space will eliminate the need to visit a beauty counter and analysis tools will allow us to make next-level personalisation in skincare and shade matching.

You guys, we are literally living in the future! It’s amazing.

• The “clean” beauty look

This is not clean as in “clean ingredients” – nah. This is the new ‘no makeup makeup’ look. You can search #cleanlook on TikTok to see what we mean.

Galaxies are far from the “Instagram” look that is all about the same thing (contouring and cut-creasing, the gang and the rest) – it’s all minimalistic makeup and hairstyling.

It’s akin to ‘skinimalism’, but with your entire beauty look. Think straight-cut hair, brushed-up brows, and natural skin tones.

• Evidence-based skincare

We are more interested than ever in the science behind skincare products, and we will be doing so in 2022.

You Beauty’s Facebook group shows that we are as savvy about skincare and spending our money. This is why we will see more people slowly shift towards evidence-based skincare and cosmeceuticals. We are all about the results, not the frilly stuff.

• De-gendering beauty

As the gender binary is dissolved and the categories become more fluid, we can expect a huge shift in the space for inclusion. In 2022, beauty will be all about fluidity.

Positively, more brands will move towards universality. They’ll expand their marketing and product offerings in order to be gender-neutral. Pleasing, Harry Styles’ beauty brand that isn’t gender-specific, is a great example.

Your gender shouldn’t have any influence on your beauty choices, whether you’re looking for skincare, makeup, or fragrance.

• Stripped-back routines

We believe that people will return to skincare after spending a lot of time on it over the last year. They’ll use fewer ingredients and products on their skin.

Instead, we will see a shift to a minimalistic skincare regimen and returning to the essentials – moisturizer, serum and SPF.

Brands will follow the ‘less is more’ approach and focus on transparency and results, in line with this philosophy.

• Sustainability

It’s not surprising that beauty brands and consumers are more conscious of their environmental footprint. You can expect to see more in this space.

There will be a 360-degree approach to changing the industry’s business model, from waterless skincare products to carbon-positive beauty brands.

We can expect more brands to adopt an eco-friendly and conscious approach, led by Emma Lewisham and other brands, including plastic-free packaging and refillable products, ethical and sustainable source selection, and responsible approaches to reducing carbon footprints.

• Teen market boom

As the younger generation becomes more educated about skincare and adopts good skin habits, the market for teenage skincare is expected to grow in 2022.

You’ll see existing brands adapting their product offerings to teenagers and their top skin concerns, whether it’s for managing acne and preventing scarring or daily sun protection.