Ask anyone what type of skin they have and most of us will reply with sensitive, oily, normal, or dry. And traditionally, that’s the way that many of us still shop for our skincare products. However, consumers are becoming increasingly aware that this general approach to skincare just isn’t delivering when it comes to results. After all, our complexions are, well, complex.
“We are all different and so is our skin… One size does not fit all,” says Ben Esdaile, MD, consultant dermatologist at Skin + Me. Esdaile believes that 2021 will be all about “tailor-made and custom-blended skincare prescribed for the individual based on their skin type, life stage, skin concern, and lifestyle.” That way, consumers will truly get the results they are looking for.
For this to work, skincare needs to get technical. “Consumers’ ever-changing and individual skin needs must be catered for via digital skin analysis,” explains Karen Lee-Thompson, founder of Wo, an innovative skincare line. That means online questionnaires, AI photo analysis, and even digital dermatologists (but more on that later). “As much as we’d love to go out and browse in shops, it is unlikely that we are able to do so safely in the first half of 2021,” says Lee-Thompson. “Brands need to push personalised skincare capabilities to the next level, [without being] gimmicky, and recommend the most suitable products for users.”
Brands like Skin + Me, Wo, and Function of Beauty are already paving the way when it comes to using diagnostics tools and quizzes to determine exactly what their consumers’ skin needs are in order to provide the tailor-made products to suit. However, we should expect to see even more brands emerging with bespoke skincare solutions in 2021.
