1. Skin care will be more streamlined.

One of the biggest makeup trends for 2018 is a natural look—which means it only makes sense that for 2019, the whole beauty industry is going back to basics, says licensed esthetician and professional makeup artist Corey Michol Sam. In other words, taking care of our skin—without complicated, multi-step routines—will be a top priority. Sam predicts more brands will refocus on cleansing, toning and moisturizing above anything else. This simplified skin care approach gives users time to focus on other aspects of their lives, like self-care and wellness, while also allowing their pores to breathe. 

2. Need skin advice? There’s an app for that.

No matter the need or question you have, there’s an app for that. Now you’ll likely be doing the same for your skin predicaments, according to dermatologist Dr. Janet H. Prystowsky, MD, Ph.D. She says there are many developers trying to help people with skin problems, including the American Academy of Dermatology, who released a new tech-forward app designed to manage chronic urticaria. “The app allows people to journal and diary their hives, learn about them and discuss them with their dermatologist,” she explains. If you’re curious, check out the app store for your iPhone or Android and dabble into the scene. As more companies release ways to track skin progress, we’ll have more information on how to tame flare-ups, breakouts and the rest of ’em.

In addition to apps, expect to see a range of smart beauty devices—beauty tools that can be easily connected to the Internet, Bluetooth and mobile apps—to hit the stores. Aside from offering faster results and cutting-edge designs, this new breed of devices will put a premium on convenience, with most of them wireless, portable and multifunctional to make incorporating them into your routine as seamless as possible.

3. SPF will get higher and cleaner.

Or rather, people will be willing to prescribe to a higher SPF as more awareness around skin cancer heightens. Dr. Prystowsky explains that the days of tanning beds are gone, as younger generations understand the risk of unnecessary sun exposure and have access to at-home tanning products that require zero dangerous UV rays. They’ll also go natural with their formulas in response to global warming. “People will use higher-SPF sunscreens because of increasing skin cancer risk, but will avoid oxybenzone because it is bad for the environment,” she explains.

4. Skin care products will respond to inflammation and pollution.

When you inhale and exhale, it’s easy enough to know if the air you’re breathing is healthy or questionable. But there is a pollution you turn to day in and day out that you don’t give a second thought to. Until this year, that is. Dermatologist Dr. Sabrina G. Fabi, MD, FAAD predicts more skin care products will target the effects of these toxic environmental factors. “There is mounting evidence to support that pollution not only increases the amount of pigmentation, redness and wrinkles one has, but also can increase bone loss,” she explains.

The good news is there is a way to manage these downfalls, since Dr. Fabi explains that the topicals we apply on our skin, as well as the cleansers we use, can minimize the particulate matter that sits on our face and helps minimize the detrimental aging effects of pollution on skin. She suggests that using a topical with a powerful antioxidant can ward away the harmful inflammation. “Using topicals that fuel your cell’s energy stores to heal and repair at night from all the insult our skin experiences during the day,” she explains.

5. Taking a beauty supplement will be more common.

People have been using the natural fibers of the earth since the dawn of time, but lately, vitamins, especially the ones designed for the skin, hair and nails, have become trendier than ever. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Papri Sarkarsays that thanks to more readily available research and information about how our skin is impacted by our diet, beauty supplements will see an uptick in sales in 2019. This promotes the idea of feeling gorgeous from the inside out, as people edit their diets, too.

“Many will decrease sugars and dairy, and add in fish oil and vitamin B3. I think some will also add biotin and zinc,” she explains. She shares that some of her patients dig Hum Nutrition OMG Omega the Great, because many fish oils have an aftertaste but this large pill doesn’t and it’s easy to pop. “I recommend keeping any vitamins and supplements near your toothbrush or house keys so you don’t forget to take them,” she adds.

6. More beauty brands will follow the “clean” and “honest” route.

Since we are more aware than ever of what we are putting into our bodies, why wouldn’t we maintain the same diligence with our skin care? Dr. Sarkar shares that people will be even more mindful about beauty products, checking—and analyzing—every last ingredient.

“It makes people feel like their values are aligned and they’re taking control of their health,” she explains. “It’s nice that many brands and stores are labeling what their products are free from for patients who are looking for those products.” If you want to ensure that every part of your routine is clean and trustworthy, she suggests Indie Lee as a reputable brand. Depending on your skin type, there are various options, but the formula works with nature, not against it.

In addition to clean formulas, expect to see some new and trendy natural ingredients in your new favorite skin care products, like cannabis or CBD oil, silver, activated charcoal and kefir.

7. Light therapy will continue to be big.

Light therapy isn’t anything new, but as new research sheds more light on the benefits of light therapy, more and more dermatologists will be prescribing it to their patients. “There has been a lot of recent research on the healing power of LED lights,” explains Dr. Clara Yu, aesthetic medicine specialist and founder and CEO of Beauty Cult. “Different lights can treat different skin conditions: red for inflammation, yellow for anti-aging, blue for acne and green for skin pigmentation. By combining these LED light treatments with your daily skin care regimen two to three times a week, it will speed up your results.”

8. More people will opt into professional skin care.

According to Dr. Yu, as interest in skin care soars, more people are looking into graduating to professional skin care products—or those that are clinically backed and mostly physician-dispensed. “Traditional skin care regimens are a must for daily maintenance, but in order to get faster results, the trend is going toward more scientific and medical-grade products,” she says. “With better delivery methods and cell signaling, you can see better results, especially in anti-aging products that aid in collagen production.”

What Is Exfoliation?

Exfoliating the skin is the process of removing dead cells from the outer layer of your skin using an exfoliant, which could either be a chemical and physical exfoliant. There are a couple of ways to physically exfoliate. The first involves using a skin care tool, such as a sponge, towel or brush, on your skin to displace and remove dead skin cells. The other method involves using a liquid, gel or scrub with granules like microbeads or sugar to smooth and refine the skin. With chemical exfoliation, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) or enzymes are used to loosen the glue-like substance that holds dead skin cells together so they are easily removed.

Why You Should Exfoliate Your Skin

Your skin is constantly repairing and replacing itself. Because of this, you can be left with layers upon layers of dead skin all over your body. Exfoliating helps rid your body of these leftover dead skin cells, revealing healthier, brighter skin immediately after.

While brighter skin is certainly a perk, exfoliation can actually help improve the health of your skin as well. If your skin is riddled with dead cells, your skin care products may not be able to penetrate deep into the skin and do their work. By removing the top-most layer of skin, you’re making it easier for your topical skin treatments to sink deep below the surface where they could make a difference.

If you have acne-prone skin, exfoliation can help clear out clogged pores that often lead to breakouts. It can also help fade acne scars faster by accelerating skin cell turnover and stimulating collagen production.

How to Exfoliate Your Face

When using a physical exfoliant, start by washing your face with your regular cleanser. Then, take a quarter-size amount of your face scrub and apply it onto your face in circular motions, avoiding the eye area. Gently massage the product onto the skin for as long as your specific product recommends, usually from 30 seconds to a full minute. Then, rinse off with warm water and gently pat your skin with a clean towel. Follow with your hydrating mask, serum or cream.

When using a chemical exfoliant, wash your face with your regular cleanser. If your chemical exfoliant comes in a pre-moistened cloth or pad, apply this all over your entire face, neck, décolleté and even the tops of your hands. Allow a few minutes for a chemical exfoliant to be completely absorbed into the skin before moving on to the next step in your regimen, which may be a treatment serum or cream. Do the same for exfoliants in forms of gels or serums. Some types of chemical exfoliants, often called “peels,” are used similar to a mask application and are required to be rinsed off after a few minutes. Always check your product label to make sure you’re using it correctly.

Remember that exfoliating your face should only be done about one to three times a week, as exfoliating too often or too hard may cause micro-tears on your skin’s surface and strip your skin’s protective layer. If you have inflammatory acne, rosacea or hypersensitive skin, ask your dermatologist to determine what exfoliant to use and how often to use it.

How to Exfoliate Your Body

One way to exfoliate your body is with a warm shower and a loofah, sponge or washcloth. However, you can find both chemical and physical exfoliating body washes to really soak in the benefits of exfoliation—while making your shower time a little more spa-like. For chemical exfoliation, consider using a body wash that contains glycolic acid concentrate and use it as you would your regular body wash. For physical exfoliation, gently massage the body scrub of your choice in circular motions to eliminate dead skin cells. Let it sit for a minute and rinse off.

How to Exfoliate Your Feet

The bottoms of your feet tend to be home to the roughest spots of skin on your body, so they require a little more TLC when it comes to exfoliating. If you’ve gotten a pedicure before, you know that physical exfoliation—scrubs, stones and files—can be an effective way to smooth rough heels. Your feet can also benefit from chemical exfoliation. All you have to do is soak your feet for an hour, while your feet absorb the glycolic, malic and lactic acids. Then, within a few days, your feet will start to shed a layer of skin, revealing baby-soft feet.

The Basics: What Are Peptides and What Do They Do?

Before we talk about peptides, it’s important to understand what amino acids are. “Peptides are strings of amino acids, which are the building blocks that make up proteins in our body, including collagen in the skin,” explains Dr. Whitney Bowe, renowned New York City–based dermatologist and author. “Without these proteins, we will see wrinkles, brittle nails and dry hair that’s prone to breakage.” “Peptides serve as the building blocks for not only new collagen, but also elastin fibers,” adds Dr. Deanne Mraz Robinson, partner at Modern Dermatology in Westport, CT. “These fibers are the building blocks of our skin and add to tissue firmness and elasticity.” Aside from being essential to the skin’s structure and function (important factors in firmness, texture and overall appearance), peptides are found in every human cell and play an important role in how the body functions, often acting as a biologic messenger. “We need peptides at all times. If we are deficient in them, our body cannot function,” says Dr. Robinson. “Peptides have a myriad of uses in the body, from being the building blocks for enzymes, hormones and an energy source.”

How Peptides in Your Skin Care Work

So if peptides are already present within the body, why do we need more of them? The answer, according to experts, is aging. “We lose 1% of our remaining collagen per year after age 30,” says Dr. Robinson. “Our skin’s natural communication channels also slow down over time.”

But simply slathering peptides onto your skin doesn’t necessarily give you more of them. According to Dr. Bowe, how they work is a little more complex: “Your body sees these peptides as ‘signals’ that you need to heal, which tells your body to produce more collagen where you need it most,” she explains. “If you are healing from an injury in your ankle, those peptides will signal your body to focus its repair efforts in that joint. If your skin is aging prematurely, those peptides might signal your skin to boost its production of collagen and even hyaluronic acid, plumping up your skin and restoring a healthy skin barrier. When you introduce exogenous peptides onto the skin in the form of a moisturizer or serum, it tricks the skin into thinking there’s been an injury or wound, and it stimulates our collagen-boosting processes.”

When it comes to skin care, not all peptides are created equal. “While there are hundreds of peptides, there are specific peptides that are more efficacious for the skin than others,” explains Dr. Robinson. For example, carrier peptides deliver trace minerals to the skin to boost collagen, while enzyme inhibitor peptides work to slow down the skin’s natural breakdown of collagen. Signal peptides send messages to different parts of the skin to promote collagen, elastin and other proteins; and neurotransmitter peptides, touted as “Botox-like,” block the release of chemicals that cause the muscle contraction of expression lines, thus smoothing wrinkles.

How to Get More Peptides

When it comes to enhancing the skin, Dr. Bowe recommends getting peptides from topical skin care products. However, she stresses the importance of looking at the product’s formulation: the stability of its ingredients and its ability to penetrate the skin barrier. This is where a consultation with your dermatologist may be helpful.

Finding the right product type can go a long way too. For example, instead of choosing a peptide-enriched cleanser, Dr. Robinson recommends opting for products that are not easily washed off the skin, like a moisturizer, eye cream or serum. She also suggests opting for products with copper peptides, which “help not only generate collagen but also maintain the collagen you generate.” She also suggests looking for products that also introduce niacinamide, vitamin C and antioxidants into the mix, in addition to peptides. 

Once you find the right cream or serum for you, Dr. Robinson recommends applying it to clean skin twice daily, under makeup and SPF.

Aside from topical products, incorporating collagen-rich foods like bone broth, and adding a reputable collagen supplement to your diet, can also work wonders for your skin.

“LED therapy has gained popularity because it has been mentioned more and more in the media and on social media, especially by celebrities,” says Dr. Sejal Shah, board-certified dermatologist and RealSelf contributor in New York City. “But I believe people like LED therapy because it is non-invasive, painless and can actually be effective,” she notes.

But what exactly are LED lights and how do they work? Read on.

What Is LED Light Therapy

It seems too good to be true: You shine an LED light over your face and the problem areas go away. While that really is how it works, there’s a lot more going on under the surface that only science can explain. It turns out, there’s a powerful source of energy in that tiny light.

“LED (light emitting diode) therapy is a form of low-level light energy that penetrates the skin to cause different reactions and target different issues,” explains Dr. Robin Evans, board-certified dermatologist at Southern Connecticut Dermatology. “This type of energy in the wavelength spectrum of 600–1300 nanometers can penetrate deep into the skin and be absorbed. This can result in skin rejuvenation, repair of tissue and promotion of wound healing. The energy can also target bacteria, inflammation and stimulate collagen.”

The Benefits of LED Light Therapy

No matter what problem your skin has—including breakouts or signs of aging, LED light therapy might be able to help. “The light energy can destroy bacteria, which can be beneficial for acne,” Evans says. “It can also target inflammation, which is beneficial for rosacea and acne-prone skin. It also stimulates collagen, which acts as an anti-aging treatment against fine lines and wrinkles” she adds.

Another benefit, unlike other skin treatments (extractions, we’re looking at you!), is that LED light therapy is for the most part pain-free. An LED light doesn’t heat the skin like a tanning bed would, so there won’t be any thermal damage (the exception is an infrared light.)  “Generally, you’ll have minimal to no downtime with very little discomfort,” Evans adds.

Red vs. Blue. vs. Infrared Light

There are different colors of LED light available. Each offers a unique benefit for the skin, Shah says. Here’s a breakdown of how each works:

• Blue light: kills acne bacteria and treats breakouts
• Red light: reduces inflammation, promotes healing and stimulates collagen synthesis
• Infrared light: similar to red light, but is invisible to the naked eye and penetrates deeper into the skin
• Amber light: builds new collagen and elastin

Using LED Light Therapy at Home

LED light therapy for at-home use might not be as powerful as the ones your dermatologist uses, but they can still be highly effective. Here’s what else you should consider before making a purchase:

• Power matters

LED lights are measured in nanometers. One study found that a combination of red and blue light between 415 nm and 633 nm was effective in treating acne. 

• Regular use is recommended

Depending on the power level of your at-home device, you may need to use it several times a week to see results. Products like the LightStim need to be held on each area of the face for three minutes at a time, so they are a bit of a time commitment. You can also try a hands-free light that goes over your entire face and uses red light to target fine lines and wrinkles around the eye, to cut down on time.

• You get what you pay for

Considering that an in-office treatment costs about $40 per session, at-home LED devices, which can range from $50 to more than a thousand, are an affordable way to reap the benefits of light therapy. But remember that for high-tech devices like this, you usually get what you pay for. Pricing depends on the technology used and its power: the more power the device has, the more likely you are to see results.

Tips and Precautions for Best Results

Almost all skin types can use an LED light at home, Evans says. However, avoid them if your skin is inflamed or irritated, or if you have any rashes on the areas being treated, she recommends. “Anyone with open wounds or possible infections should see their dermatologist prior to trying any of these treatments,” she stresses.

She also recommends following all package directions (some come with goggles to protect your eyes, for example) and testing an LED light on your skin for a shorter amount of time to start. If you don’t have any reaction, use the device several times a week for best results. “Keep in mind that home devices are not as powerful as in-office treatments, so generally they need to be used more frequently and require more of a time commitment to see results,” Shah adds.