Top Beauty Trends of 2022

With the help of TikTok, Snapchat, and Reddit, 2022 beauty trends were a mix of old trends made new and new trends that left us questioning our sanity. One common thread connects all of these new beauty rituals and is at the heart of Nuria – we all love to share our beauty tips & tricks and learn what works for other people’s skin in the hopes that it will work for ours. So consider this 2022 trend recap a highlight reel of the 2022 beauty trends that live rent free in our heads and that we would love to share with you!

Slugging

Our favorite 2022 trend was brought to us by….our grandmothers?!?! While slugging is generations old, this trend made a resurgence in 2022 thanks to attention in Korean K-Beauty circles and then viral posts on Reddit and TikTok. So, what is this hot old trend? Slugging is the practice of applying an occlusive layer to your skin to aid in hydration. One of the easiest trends to try, this one-step wonder will have you waking up with plumper, super hydrated skin. By applying an overnight treatment, you help create a barrier on the skin, prevent water loss, and seal in moisture. You can try this trend by slugging your entire face, or just a patch that needs extra care. Our tip on this trend: try applying a serum before you slug (under the occlusive layer) to hold the potent treatment against your skin overnight to see greater benefits, or choose a slugging product with extras, like our Revitalizing Jelly Night Treatment with vitamin-rich Bilberry, repairing Gardenia, and hydrating Safflower.

Jello Skin

Let’s be honest, we love this trend because it sounds weird. As odd as it sounds, jello skin is really just skin that, when pinched, goes right back into place like jello. Achieving jello skin is as easy as hydration, elasticity, and suppleness... but unfortunately that skin bounce can be unrealistic because of factors like age and genetics. That being said, this 2022 trend reminds us to maintain healthy skin habits like hydrate or die-drate, gentle cleansing every day, exfoliate a few times a week, and sunscreen is queen, and for that we are grateful!

Skinimalism

Ironically, as social media floods us with beauty tips, the resurgence of a less-is-more approach to skin care has gained traction. Maybe because we are all a little burned out on the sheer number of skincare products out there, or because we can’t take another “You HAVE to Try This for Your Skin” video. Whatever the cause, this move towards Skinimalism, using natural ingredients and fewer steps in our skin care, has a huge skin benefit. By paring down your skin care to a few key steps using high quality, natural formulas, you give your skin the nutrients it needs without the stuff it doesn’t and you are more likely to consistently follow through on your routine, resulting in achieving the results you want! The key to practicing Skinimalism is to follow five key steps: makeup removal, botanical cleansing, soothing moisturizer, eye cream, and facial masks. With these simple 5 steps, you will be strengthening and protecting your skin barrier, helping you achieve that healthy skin look you covet. Our tip: consistency is key. Try the 5-step routine for at least 2 weeks before deciding if it works for you or not.

Celebrity-Turned-Skincare-Expert

From Hailey Beiber to Selena Gomez (hug it out, ladies), it felt like every other week a new celeb was launching a skin care or makeup brand. While we love following these new launches and learning about the latest in makeup and skin care innovation, a word of caution. Make sure you do the research and look at the label – are they using high quality, clean ingredients, do you trust their safety and efficacy, are you comfortable with their level of transparency? If you answer yes, then go for it! If you introduce new skin care products, try adding one at a time to your routine, allowing a few weeks to see results. And if it’s makeup you are dabbling in, make sure you take it off at the end of the day with an effective but gentle makeup remover!

Retinol Still Reigns Supreme

Retinol continues to be one of the most talked about (and Googled) ingredients in skin care, and rightfully so! Retinol derivatives are clinically proven to be effective against acne, pigmentation, lines and wrinkles, and dullness. But this trend (or should we say skin care staple) comes with a catch – the world of retinol can be confusing and irritating. Retinol is a chemical derived from Vitamin A and belongs to the retinoid family, and definitely deserves the hype, as it works to speed up cellular turnover to bring fresher skin to the surface, along with newer collagen and elastin. As you age, cell turnover gets slower, so this acceleration with retinol helps you maintain youthful, glowing skin. Unfortunately, many people can’t tolerate the irritation and sun sensitivity that comes with retinol, giving rise to the world of natural alternatives. Our faves:

• Rosehip oil – With Vitamin A and essential fatty acids, rosehip oil soothes the skin and reduces inflammation. Try the trend with our Rescue Rebalancing Cleanser with Rosehip oil and antioxidant-packed K-beauty ingredients Mandarin Orange, Rice Water and Seaweed.

• Sage leaf oil - Rich in Vitamin A, Sage leaf oil resurfaces your skin while combating fine lines and other signs of aging. Purely on its own, Sage oil is too strong to apply directly to your skin, but you can try the trend with our Hydrate Moisturizing Toner which contains the ideal balance of Sage oil and soothing ingredients like Cucumber, Chamomile, and Aloe.

• Carrot seed oil - Carrot seed contains a high concentration of beta carotene, which is a nutritious precursor of Vitamin A, and protects the skin from UV light. With carrot seed oil, you get the benefits of a retinol treatment plus protection from further environmental damage to your skin. Try the trend with our potent Defend Skin Restoring Serum with carrot seed oil!

Toothpaste Face

In the category of TikTok-Made-Me-Do-It-But-I-Shouldn’t-Have is the trend of putting toothpaste on zits. At the core of this trend is a serious skin struggle, and while some ingredients found in toothpaste, like baking soda and hydrogen peroxide, are known to shrink pimples, applying toothpaste to breakouts can cause more problems like irritation, redness, and a damaged skin barrier. So before you reach for your toothpaste in a moment of desperation (we feel you), try a safer, more effective alternative to treating breakouts: tea tree oil. While it doesn’t smell as minty as toothpaste, tea tree oil is far more effective at clearing breakouts by promoting a healthy microbiome, controlling oil, and reducing the appearance of redness and pores. Try our Rescue Toner, which combines tea tree oil with witch-hazel (another pore-minimizer), horsetail (soothes redness) and rosemary (a free-radical fighter). Coupled with a clean moisturizer like our Calm Moisturizer, you’ll manage your breakouts without the potential of irritation and redness that comes with the toothpaste TikTok trend.

About the author, Naomi Furgiuele
Naomi is the founder of Nuria and a self-professed nerd with a love for all things science and skin care. She’s had a hand in product development for some of the biggest global beauty brands in the business, gets some of her best ideas while out on a run, and loves her exfoliator almost as much as her awesome family.