Should We Be Jumping on the Latest TikTok Skincare Trends?

As TikTok continues to dominate the social sphere, Olay speak to dermatology expert, Dr Sonia (aka The DermGP) to see if skincare trends evolving from the platform are worth the hype

Feature image | Photo by Anna Shvets from Pexels

From salmon rice bowls and YK2 fashion trends, to the 12-3-30 workout and viral sounds hitting the charts, TikTok is becoming more and more prominent within our daily lives. Increasingly, we are seeing consumers turn to TikTok to discover new recipes, fashion inspiration, exercise motivation and one of the biggest of them all… beauty hacks and product tips.

*Popular TikTok trends include collagen eye masks, lip masks and charcoal masks*. *Photos by Monstera from Pexels*

Data from Olay reveals that unsurprisingly, as TikTok continues to drive and dominate trends, Google search data is impacted. Two current and popular beauty trends on TikTok are “minimalist Skincare” and “essential Niacinamide”. As a result of these TikTok trends, searches for products to help speed up beauty routines spiked by 215.8% from January to March 2022 – and searches relating to beauty products with good value increased by 77.6%.

The tag “minimalist skincare” has over 7.5M views on TikTok currently and has thousands of reviews from content creators telling people why this is the new ‘it’ trend to follow. But why do people do it? Numerous factors come into play, with the top ones being to cut down on beauty spending, track which ingredients are having a positive impact on skin, to speed up their beauty routine, and to practice skincare as sustainably as possible.

Niacinamide has always been a key ingredient, but sometimes it loses out on the top spot to the retinols and AHAs of the world. But TikTok isn’t sleeping on this ingredient; in fact, there are over 279.2M views on videos about this topic on the platform. Why is this? Because when people are adopting a simplified skincare routine, they need products that not only protect their skin barrier but offer multiple additional benefits too.

Dr Sonia, Clinical Dermatology expert for Olay shares her thoughts on which viral beauty trends to take notice of, and which ones to take with a pinch of salt.

Check your sources:

“Many people use TikTok or Instagram for beauty and skincare information, and a lot of the time this comes from influencers and celebrities who might not be experts or qualified health professionals. It’s important to take this into consideration and always be mindful as the information coming from celebs/influencers may not be the most reliable.”

Simplified skincare routine

“In terms of applying a simplified skincare routine, I’m glad that we’re moving away from using 10-step skincare regimes and adopting a much simpler and more practical approach. This simple approach is often called “Skinimalism”. People see the importance of cutting down on purchasing unnecessary products and we are seeing a shift away from unrealistic beauty and skincare standards. Sometimes cutting back on skincare products can seem daunting at the start but streamlining your routine by using fewer but smarter products is the way forward.

“Using a good sunscreen SPF30 and above, with broad spectrum protection, an antioxidant product, such as Olay Vitamin C +AHA24 in the morning and a retinoid such as Olay Retinol24 MAX Night Cream at night (or a skin barrier strengthening ingredient like niacinamide if your skin cannot tolerate a retinoid) are my must-haves. These ingredients are the absolute bare-bones essentials for any skin care routine.”

Benefits of niacinamide

“Niacinamide is also known as Vitamin B3 and is a “jack of all trades”. It can tackle fine lines, hyperpigmentation, acne, oily skin, dehydration, and uneven skin tone. It has been shown to strengthen the skin barrier function by increasing ceramide production. Ceramides are fatty acids that are vital in maintaining the skin barrier and retaining moisture and keeping the skin hydrated. There is plenty of research to back up the benefits of using niacinamide in skincare and it is suitable for all skin types. It also mixes well with other ingredients so it’s a great all-rounder.”