6 Skincare Trends That Are Dominating 2024, According To Experts


In my opinion, if there’s one area of the beauty industry that has the most conflicting advice and is shrouded in confusion, it’s skincare. With the rise of TikTok content, we’ve never had more access to information. And while it’s great that this abundance of advice is at our fingertips, that information can quickly become overwhelming—or even just not right for our own individual skincare needs. The drive to keep up with the latest viral products , the arrival of new launches and buzzy new ingredients each week means that we’re trying out more and more skincare products on the regular, and this mixing and matching isn’t so great for our skin. Take it from me. In my job as a beauty editor (where I’m lucky to have access to new launches) my complexion has been compromised by testing too many products after being seduced by clever marketing and pretty packaging. I’ve learnt that the allure of trying something new every single week does not do any favours for my sensitive skin.

Needless to say, it’s also about who we get our information from on our FYP, as well as what they’re advising. Anyone can declare themselves a skincare expert online, and while they may be well-meaning, I prefer to get my advice from the pros who are qualified to share advice and know their stuff. Think dermatologists, doctors, nutritionists and facialists—those experts who have dedicated years of study to their craft and see a variety of complexions day in, day out, and know the evidence-based research that can de-bunk skincare myths that often run rife online.

With that in mind, I decided to approach the professionals to talk through the only skincare trends you need to know that will truly help you achieve your healthiest skin yet. Scroll ahead for the expert-backed tips, advice and products that your skin will thank you for.

1. Anti-Inflammatory Skincare

Surprise, surprise—modern life isn’t so great for our skin health. Stress, UV rays, pollution and high sugar diets are just a handful of the factors that can cause inflamed skin. But why is inflammation bad for our skin?

“Inflammation is the root cause of much of the body and skin’s dysfunction and disease, and inflammatory influences are everywhere,” says Dr Barbara Sturm. “Everything we ingest or touch, including the air and the water, contains inflammatory triggers. Inflammation is the body’s response to irritation and injury and a primary trigger for acne, premature aging, redness, enlarged pores, and other skin disease and dysfunction including psoriasis, rosacea and perioral dermatitis,” she says.

From the overuse of harsh skincare ingredients combined with other lifestyle factors, many of our complexions are feeling compromised and more sensitive than ever. “We are bombarded every day with inflammatory influences, and they include everything from harsh skincare ingredients to UVA and UVB rays, tailpipe emissions, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, high stress levels, and consuming an inflammatory diet like sugar, fried foods and processed meats,” says Dr Sturm.

Although we can only control our environment so much, there are ways we can mitigate skin inflammation. “If we learn what the inflammatory and anti-inflammatory influences are, we can adjust our lifestyle accordingly and it will have both an immediate and long-term effect on skin aging and your overall health,” she says. “I advise against an approach deploying aggressive acids like retinol and harsh skincare ingredients because they destroy rather than repair the skin matrix and promote inflammation, weakening your skin and making it vulnerable,” adds Dr Sturm. “The goal with skincare is to soothe and reduce inflammation, not cause it, and skincare should never cause any discomfort. If your skin feels comfortable, hydrated and isn’t experiencing irritation, redness or dysfunction, that is a hallmark of effective skincare.”

Look to barrier boosting skincare such as ceramides along with skincare that supports the skin’s microbiome for skin that’s cool, calm and glowing.

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2. Skinside Out

Skincare Trends 2024: Supporting the skin from within with supplements and nutrition

Going hand-in-hand with skin inflammation is the skin-gut axis and supporting our skin nutritionally from the inside out, as well as with skincare. Think of it as a 360-approach for healthy skin from within. “It’s not just about putting a topical cream on; there is a holistic approach to reducing inflammation and achieving wellness, which includes adopting a simple, anti-inflammatory lifestyle,” says Dr Sturm. “This means making sure you get enough sleep, take daily exercise, avoid stress, protect against urban and digital pollution and avoid excess alcohol, sugar, fried and processed foods—and instead, enjoy delicious anti-inflammatory foods like avocados, salmon, olive oil, nuts, berries, and green tea.”

Shane Cooper, cosmeceutical consultant, beauty and aesthetics expert, is seeing more clients in his clinic embracing this. “One thing I’ve noticed is the increasing focus on skin health. Even among my clients, there’s a shift away from heavier makeup looks toward embracing natural skin glow. At my clinic for example, there has been a significant uptake in interest in our exclusive facial treatments,” he says. “Treatment also extends beyond the skin to include gut health, skincare routines, hydration, and overall lifestyle, which play a significant role in how our skin looks. General well-being has certainly grown in importance, and the pandemic has really made people focus on their lifestyles and choices.”

It’s a shift that Dr Thivi Maruthappu, consultant dermatologist and nutritionist, has also seen. “In 2024, I predict that the convergence of nutrition and skincare will continue to boom, focusing on ingredients that work both inside and out—think of the collagen peptide trend of the last few years, we’re more and more aware of collagen peptide supplements and in our skincare too,” she says. “Likewise, as we focus our attention on our gut microbiome with probiotic supplements, we will be aiming to boost our skin microbiome too.”

Of course, achieving this balance is easier said than done, which is why supplements can help to support you skin and wellbeing. “If you sometimes find it hard to follow a healthy diet in today’s fast paced life, what makes a huge difference to me is my Sturm Inside supplements which boost wellness while shoring up likely deficiencies,” says Dr Sturm. “I take Skin Super Anti-Aging (£65) each morning, which is packed with ingredients that contribute to the maintenance of skin health and help protect from oxidative stress, and my Good Night supplements (£65) in the evening, which help promote a more restful and restorative night’s sleep,” she says.

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3. Go Go Gadgets

Skincare Trends 2024: Skincare Devices

At-home skincare gadgets have boomed—particularly LED masks, as well as microcurrent and radiofrequency devices which can bring maintain results of an in-clinic treatment to your home. “There’s been a real growth over the past twelve months in launches of masks that are both really effective but also retailed at an accessible price point which has really spurred on the use of at-home devices. While products for home use won’t be quite as powerful as those used in professional treatments, they are still beneficial.,” says Grace Day, aesthetician and Who What Wear UK contributor.