5 Skin Care and Beauty Trends for 2015

It’s always interesting to see what beauty industry experts predict will be the biggest skin care and beauty trends for the upcoming year.  Miracle creams and the definitive fountain of youth don’t make the list, but here are five we can expect to hear more about in 2015:

1. 1. Black Tea:  We’ve seen the popularity of green tea in skin care products thanks to its antioxidant polyphenols but it seems black tea is poised to give its cousin a run for its money, perhaps due to the current kombucha craze.  Kombucha is a fizzy, fermented black tea beverage which can be increasingly found in health food and grocery stores.  Kombucha is chock-full of enzymes that aid in digestion, immune system boosting vitamins and probiotics, thanks to its fermentation process.  In addition to free radical-fighting antioxidants, black tea is also high in tannins which can act as a natural astringent when used topically.
2. Cleansing Powders:  As we steer away from environmentally damaging microbeads, old school facial cleansing powders are ready to come back in style in a big way.  In Asian, where taking care of your skin is serious business, they’ve never fallen out of favor.  The beauty of cleansing powders is the seemingly endless combinations of ingredients, from rice bran for cleansing and exfoliating to antioxidants like Vitamin E.  Using them couldn’t be more  simple: just combine a teaspoon of the cleansing powder with a bit of water in the palm of your hand, lather it up into a soft foam and gently massage over the face, rinsing well afterwards.  The unexpected bonus of using a facial cleansing powder?  It’s light for travelling and can be safely tucked into carry-on luggage.
3. Beauty Apps:  As more and more people rely on their cell phones and electronic gadgets, cosmetic companies take it one step further by adopting apps that recommend cosmetics and skin care products based on customers’ uploaded photos.
4. More accountability:  Most consumers are incredibly savvy and invested in knowing what’s in their skin care products, where their money goes, whether a product is environmentally green and whether a portion of the cosmetic company’s profits are put to good use socially.
5. Customized products:  As consumers become more knowledgeable about their own skin care needs, personalized skin consultations, individualized treatments, and customized products will become more mainstream and less of a luxury item.

One disturbing prediction for 2015: a rising demand for plastic surgery by the under-30 set as “selfies” and online photo posting place even more emphasis and stress on how you look compared to everyone else.