Face and Body

5 must-know beauty trends for 2024

18 December, 2023 . 0

Love staying ahead of the pack when it comes to beauty? Here are the top five beauty trends you can expect to see in 2024 – and how to get in on them.

Quiet luxury, skin-flooding, glass skin and ’90s grunge make-up: these were just some of the key beauty trends that defined 2023.

But as we near the year’s end, experts are predicting a new wave of beauty practices and styles that will dominate 2024. Here are our top picks.

Anti-wrinkle peptides

An ever-evolving space, skincare is set to see some major developments in 2024, including a focus on neuromodulating peptides, short chains of amino acids that act as chemical messengers in the body and perform various functions.

When applied topically, they can help stimulate greater collagen production and inhibit the release of neurotransmitters to prevent wrinkles, and are showing promising results in clinical trials when it comes to the reduction of expression lines and signs of facial ageing.

Skin care ingredients

Just as a black blazer, a pair of jeans and a white shirt are considered wardrobe staples, niacinamide, retinoids, ceramides and antioxidants – all scientifically proven skincare ingredients – will continue to be the must-haves of skincare in 2024.

“The formulations and delivery of these ingredients are continually being improved, providing more efficacious skincare products,” dermatologist Dr Cara McDonald says.

Dr McDonald, director of Complete Skin Specialists, advises adopting a basic routine using these ingredients, along with a good SPF, before playing around too much with novel ingredients.

Good bacteria for the skin

We’ve all (probably) heard about the gut microbiome and the importance for bacterial diversity and richness.

The skin microbiome operates according to the same principle.

Just like in the gut, generally the more bacterial species and more individual bacteria from each species on your skin, the more balanced – and healthy – the skin will be.

Unbalanced skin is more likely to erupt in acne, a condition once thought to be the result of overgrowth of the bacterium Cutibacterium acnes.

But according to recent research, multiple bacteria may be responsible, underscoring the need to keep the whole microbiome in balance.

“Biome is the ecosystem of the skin, and every healthy ecosystem has biodiversity,” dermatologist Dr Andrew Freeman from The Skin Centre says.

“The more biodiversity we have, the better that ecosystem is.”

Dr Freeman says that while once what lived on our skin was considered unimportant, science is slowly proving the opposite.

“When we use certain products, we are harshly dealing with one group of bacteria or another.

“The problem is, when you take away part of the ecosystem, something else fills the gap – and it’s not always good.”

Companies in Australia are beginning to catch on, releasing skin microbiome-based product ranges that aim at balancing the skin microbiome to assist conditions such as acne.

Skincare ingredients for your hair

We’ve all heard of hyaluronic acid for the skin.

But did you know that hair can also benefit from the same ingredients usually reserved for our face and body?

“This interest in scalp health and the use of skincare-like ingredients in hair care products is a natural progression from the kinds of products we’re seeing on shelves like AHA body scrubs, serums for the breasts and buttocks and moisturisers for the body containing traditional face skincare ingredients like niacinamide,” explains Rohan Widdison, CEO of New Laboratories.

In 2024, he predicts products that highlight the hair’s natural attributes, as well as nourish the scalp, will continue to grow in popularity, such as Growth Bomb AHA Scalp Exfoliant and Hair Nutrition Hair Ampoule Hyaluronic Acid Treatment.

Personalised beauty using AI

The era of one-size-fits-all cosmetics is coming to an end as increasingly savvy consumers look for customised solutions to suit different skin types and tones, while also treating concerns.

Underpinned by technological advancements such as virtual try-ons and tailored skincare routines, Rohan predicts that we will see more start-ups – as well as incumbents – roll out increasingly sophisticated digital solutions in beauty.

“Though we are yet to see the full effects of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and AR’s (Augmented Reality) impact on the industry, the appearance of smart beauty devices that adapt to individual needs portend the industry’s massive shift towards tech-driven beauty,” he says.

“Beauty consumers can expect to encounter AI more frequently in beauty from recommendations to skin analysis and data collection.

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Written by Caroline Zielinski.