Hello, everybody.
Welcome back to my channel, where
skincare is all about progression over
perfection because perfection doesn't exist.
It's going to be a bit echoey today.
I had to move room, so I
need to get some soundproofing up.
But I'll try my best to get rid of the echo.
It's the morning.
I'm going to be doing my morning skincare
routine whilst we go through some of the
skincare trends forecast... forcasted-did for 2023 to 24.
And these are skincare trends that I hate.
These are skincare trends that I
will not be taking part in.
These are skincare trends that
I will be completely ignoring.
I do feel like a lot of
people forecast trends that never actually happen.
And I'm kind of hoping that happens
for a lot of these trends.
I'm just going to go in, every morning
I just use a micellar water to get
off any excess kind of like moisturizer, oils,
that are left on my oily skin overnight.
Because I do like to start with a clean canvas.
So let's start off with this one because I feel
like after today, I never want to hear the term
slugging ever again in my whole [ __ ] life.
Any variation of slugging, any variation of it,
whatever trend people are trying to make out
of this trend, I don't want to know.
I don't want to know.
So slugging is essentially, for those who don't know,
if you're watching this, you know what slugging is.
But it's essentially putting that occlusive layer, usually Vaseline
or CeraVe healing ointment over your skin, creating that
kind of physical seal over your skin to trap
in hydration, trap in moisture, making you wake up
with plump, well hydrated skin and listen,
I like it.
I feel like a lot of people have always used
an occlusive layer at the end of the night.
That's kind of what overnight masks are.
And that's the difference between a daytime
moisturizer and a nighttime moisturizer, is they're
usually just a little bit more occlusive.
I mean, it's great for people with very, very dry skin.
Oily skin, not so much.
But I would say as I got older and
I am oily, I do tend to find I'm
getting drier, especially in my cheek area.
So it's something I, you know, I do.
Some of you may have done it not even knowing the term was slugging.
I enjoy it.
But now there are so many variations of slugging.
There is slugging over makeup.
There is lip slugging.
There is slugging with oil that's got a new name to it.
I can't even remember what it's called.
It's the same[ __ ] thing.
With all these evolutions of slugging
like, there's, like there's another step to slugging
that's going to be bigger and better.
There is no variation of slugging.
There doesn't need to be a variation of slugging.
It does what it needs to do.
It's as simple as that.
It's like, what can I do with water?
Well, people have, like, diet
water, this kind of stuff. Water is water.
That's a bad example.
There's no need to have variations of
something so basic, yet effective.
This is the Bioderma, by the way, micellar water.
It's just the only one I can leave
on my face without it being irritated.
And it's designed to leave on your face.
It's this TikTok trend of taking a trend and then
trying to invent something on top of that trend in
order to come viral and be the next person to
come up with the next big thing and coin a
certain phrase for something that already exists.
And that's what creates these stupid, pointless trends,
this over complication or something that's so easy.
TikTok is quickly becoming the fast
fashion kind of world of trend ideas,
of constant trends, constant products you need.
It's actually...
I can't keep up.
I can't keep up with it.
And there's these fake hacks and these fake must
have products and these fake kind of like skincare
techniques that are making people bored and tired and
exhausted of just doing a nice skincare routine.
Over complicating stuff and overwhelming people.
Just put some Vaseline on your face and shut up.
Mornings for me, is all just
about making my skin comfortable.
So I like to go in with
kind of like healing, soothing products every morning.
I'm going to be using the Pure Skin from e.l.f.
This is their toner with Oat
Milk, Aloe Juice and Niacinamide.
I have done a sponsorship with them before.
This isn't sponsored.
What I will say about this is I'll be honest,
I didn't give e.l.f skincare the time of day because
when makeup brands do skincare, I'm like, no.
I usually feel like they're just an add on. Do you
know what I mean? Or they're just kind of like a
skincare product that's going to help your makeup look nice on
your skin and really cares less about the benefits.
But e.l.f Skin, like, when I actually used it,
I turned them down for a sponsorship twice, actually.
And then I started using their products and they got
back in touch with me and I was like, yes.
I was like, please let me this time.
Some of these Pure Skin products,
there's some I don't like, obviously. Some I do like.
And I've been vocal about the ones I don't like.
But the Pure Skin and their Holy
Hydration stuff and their Breakout stuff is
actually really, really nice and really affordable.
This toner is just really soothing, healing.
And it's a nice thick texture, but not too thick as well.
Terrible review. Sorry.
The next trend is No-tox.
I feel like every year there's some kind of anti Botox trend.
And listen, I'm not here for it.
I am here for Botox.
I don't think everyone needs to get Botox, but what I
don't like about these trends is the idea that there's a
replacement for Botox. I'll get into in a minute.
So No-tox is basically about the kind of re-rise of
a non-invasive at home treatment by using skincare tools.
We're talking LED masks like micro-currents.
We're going back to two years ago again
and all these kind of at home devices
are coming back round, which is great.
I think if you've got an at home device and
you can afford the one off, hefty kind of fee
for them, price tag for them, go for it.
But the idea is that these no-tox devices
can kind of replicate these procedures, like these
cosmetic procedures at home in a non-invasive way
with no pain and no downtime.
Of course, mainly focusing on anti-aging, claiming that these
products are a replacement for Botox, giving
birth to the no-tox name.
I love my LED mask.
I love LED treatment, love it.
But what I'm not here for, ever,
is Botox in a bottle style claims.
Let's take LED masks, for example. They're good.
I like a good LED mask.
They're promising when it comes
to fine lines, dark spots.
It can target redness, acne
causing bacteria with consistent use.
But you're never going to get the results
that you get from a 30 minutes Botox
appointment that you're going to get with consistent
use with LED masks or micro-current devices.
Micro-current devices are a long
journey, but they're really promising.
But I wouldn't say they're an alternative to Botox.
Botox, it just goes in your face and then you're done.
Filler, you can reshape your face and you're done.
Micro-current devices take a little bit longer, but
the subtle changes they make are quite good.
But, after like a year, it takes ages.
And I'm not saying don't use them.
I think that most of them are great,
but they're not a replacement for Botox.
You don't have to get Botox. That's not what I'm saying.
But if no-tox was a trend about embracing
the wrinkles and fine lines on your face,
then I'd be all here for it. But it's not.
It's a trend that suggests that you can get
Botox at home without the Botox, because at home
treatments will do just the same job for you.
It's not...
It's not accurate.
Get Botox if you want Botox.
Get filler if you want filler.
If you don't, don't get them.
And just see gradual, very gradual
results with these at home treatments
if you use them daily, fine.
It's up to you.
But let's not pretend there's
an alternative to Botox yet.
Next up, I'm going to go with my COSRX Cica Serum.
Again, I just kind of like buy these in bulk
because it's a standard morning practice for me to use
a soothing serum, a healing serum, bit of Centella.
Okay, the next trend is science-backed skincare.
You may be confused thinking, but James, you always
talk about science and you love a bit of science.
And yes, I like scientific results and
studies. I like claims based in science.
But science-backed skincare is essentially an anti
clean beauty movement. Again, which I love. Which I love.
It's a realization that not all of our skincare
products are made to kill us, give us cancer,
enter our bloodstream and toxics and chemicals.
And also the rise in popularity of professionals, skincare
experts and scientists coming online and becoming influencers and
sharing their knowledge of what, you know, what is
[ __ ], what is fear mongering, etc.
And these people also launching their
own brands, which I absolutely love. Great, love it.
But this isn't a trend.
If you haven't been using skincare that is backed by
science, then what the [ __ ] have you been using?
You've been using Clean Beauty and that's your problem.
That's your fault.
I know that's not this audience because
I know you're all so well informed.
But I am glad people are coming to
the realization, hopefully potentially, that Clean Beauty doesn't
mean anything and people should be using skincare
that's back with science in some way.
I feel like people are now coming to
the realization that Clean Beauty has been playing them.
Like they know that they've been using all these,
like, fear mongering terms, fake science, cherry picking at
data in order to sell their skincare.
They understand that the Clean beauty movement and industry
is just as big as the dirty skincare industry.
And that the EWG doesn't have your best interest.
I'm going to be using the Oracle
Reviving Eye Gel from Dieux Skin.
I absolutely love this stuff.
It's like a lightweight eye gel... oh, that's a bit close.
That just sinks right into the skin.
And I don't have to spend hours patting at
my skin in order to help it sink in.
I will link the products down below if you
want to know a bit more about them.
Sorry, I'm not really reviewing any of them today.
The more interesting part of this for me is the kind
of like bio-tech side of it, and the more kind of
like, I guess eco-conscious side of it where people are
kind of like creating their own lab grown natural ingredients.
A more eco-friendly approach to natural ingredients, which
I'll have to look into a bit more.
But, you know, instead of like ruining crops, I don't know.
I don't know where things grow.
And taking straight from the earth, they're just kind of like
creating all their own kind of stuff, which I feel like
a lot of brands do anyway. I don't know.
Okay, next I'm going to use the,
I think it's Sigi Skin or Siggi Skin.
I love this brand so much.
I've been using their products for like, the
last month and they're so nice.
This is their Daytime Moisturizer with 71% Oats.
Troxereutin. I don't know what that is, actually.
Polyglutamic Acid and Matcha Extracts.
It's just such a nice, lightweight morning moisturizer.
The next trend is skin boosting.
A continuation of skin cycling.
Listen, I know a lot of dermatologists kind of had
their say on skin cycling and how it was kind
of like a bit basic, but I honestly thought that
it was a really good way to get people who
weren't massively into skincare, who were just starting skincare, who
consume all these TikTok videos and think, oh, my God,
where do I even begin?
I thought skin cycling was a great way to
kind of introduce people to the idea of cycling
your skincare, when to use actives, et cetera.
So skin boosting is meant to be the evolution
of that, not created by the same dermatologist, but
created by someone else in order to add actives
daily into the skin cycling routine.
Introducing a more potent version of these actives.
Nick Stenson, Ulta Beauty senior Vice President of Store
and Service Operations, says, "This is an effective way
to get even more out of your routine."
Sorry, I have to read this quote because I was like,
I don't know what this is. "Especially since the most
active ingredients typically require regular use for best results."
Yes, and that was kind of the
issue that dermatologists had about skin cycling.
It's a great beginner routine, right?
They say, "This allows you to get
the full benefits of your daily skincare
products, since you're using stronger ingredients to
boost collagen production, increase cell turnover and
improve radiance and overall skin health."
And that was from Bustle.
Again, skin cycling great for beginners.
It's not for people who already know what actives they
can and can't use and what kind of percentages they
can use and what their skin can tolerate.
It's not for people like us, who have probably been
doing skincare, our skincare, for years and years
and years, and know what we like and don't like.
This skin boosting is just a skincare routine.
So was skin cycling, but skin boosting is just
a skincare routine, it doesn't need a name.
We have given a name to a weekly skincare
routine that's riding off the back of skin cycling.
It's just a skincare routine.
And this isn't from TikTok creators trying to...
Actually, I think this was coined by Ole Henriksen.
That might be wrong.
I'll do my research and put it here.
I think this term was coined by them.
This trend doesn't come from TikTok.
It's a brand trying to ride off the
back of a popular TikTok trend whilst chucking
their own products into the mix.
The idea of using more actives
is just a longer skincare routine.
It's just your weekly skincare routine.
You have your recovery days, you have days
to exfoliate, you have days to use retinols.
Some people use retinols every day.
Some people use Vitamin C is every day.
It's just an advanced skincare routine.
I also don't believe daily use of
actives and stronger actives, as the person
said, equal better results at all.
And stronger actives aren't the necessary
next step to improving your skin
and improving your skincare routine.
I personally don't feel that.
I'm nearly donee. We've got one more trend, but I
can be using the ISOI Lip Treatment Balm.
Again, had a sponsor with them recently, but I love
their products, I've been using them for a long time.
This is just my go to daily lip balm.
A very natural... why did I put it around my lips.
Very natural tint.
The last trend, sustainable skincare. Bear with me.
I think sustainable skincare
is really, really important.
This trend is about the skincare industry trying
to find more sustainable ways to exist.
Packaging, refillable products, less waste.
I think that's what most brands... well, no, that's a lie.
I think a lot of brands are
trying to strive for that, especially new ones,
which is great, of course it's great.
But if you look at what's actually happening in
the skincare industry as far as sustainability goes, a
lot of it is performative right now.
A lot of it doesn't really mean a lot.
I will be honest and be the first to say that
I do not know a lot about sustainability within skincare.
I'm not massively sustainable.
I do my recycling, I try to do my bits where I can.
But I do not believe that simply refillable packaging
is the answer to being a green sustainable company.
Simply using glass bottles or cardboard packaging is...
I don't believe it's that simple and it's not.
We know it's not.
And the fact the vast majority of what
we believe to be sustainable actually isn't.
And the industry and consumers seem to be
more about having instant answers to what is
going to be a decades long resolution.
There are no fixes and instant answers.
It's going to be such a
long process to becoming truly sustainable.
I think a good example of consumers not having
a real idea of, about sustainability, and the journey
to real sustainability is Innisfree's paper bottle.
Back in 2021, I think it was,
Innisfree launched their paper bottle version of
the iconic Green Tea Seed Serum.
This was a plastic bottle that used 51% less plastic
than their other serums, wrapped in a cardboard bottle.
So whilst using 51.8% less plastic than the usual
bottles, it's still had a bit of plastic in.
And the cardboard packaging, the outside was used
as an easily recyclable way to display all
the information needed on your average bottle.
And whilst they did in fact show their
plastic bottle on the campaigns, they kind of
showed a dissected version of the bottle.
Their tagline was a little misleading for
people who didn't see the promotional materials.
Just saw it on the shelves.
It says, yes, I'm a paper bottle or something.
So it looked like this serum was
just in a recycled paper bottle.
So when people cracked it open and
saw that plastic, there was outrage.
They were like, they're lying to
us, they're hiding plastic.
And it was considered greenwashing and I get it.
So it was immediately called
out and the brand apologized.
But as I mentioned, that bottle used 51.8%
less plastic than all their other bottles.
The plastic insert and cardboard packaging was
easily recyclable, which is a great step
in the right direction.
Amorepacific, actually launched several eco-friendly products that
year with a goal of reducing its
plastic packaging by 700 tons by 2022.
But now the product doesn't exist.
It's now back to being in
glass which isn't more sustainable.
A very clunky, heavy glass bottle, which people
are like, oh my God, great, it's recyclable.
But you now have to consider other things like
the weight of the bottle, the journey it goes
on, how much gas, fuel is needed to transport
all these heavy bottles of glass.
It's just not as simple as make
everything cardboard, make everything decomposable and biodegradable,
make everything glass and recyclable and reusable.
It's just not as black and white as we want it to be.
And I say that I'm not in
on this trend because I'm cautious.
I'm very cautious about brands claims
when it comes to being sustainable.
There is plenty of greenwashing claims out there.
We know refills aren't always the best
answer, SKNN by Kim Kardashian being one
of the main examples of that.
As I mentioned, I'm not the one
to really follow advice for when it
comes to sustainability or what's going on.
Liah Yoo and her brand Krave, always do an
amazing job about being very open about this issue
within the industry, dissecting how difficult it is actually
to be sustainable within this industry.
Liah posts some amazing documentary-style videos
on her YouTube channel talking about the
sustainability and sustainable journey of very popular
products that we use every day.
Ingredients, myths, all that kind of stuff, and
how difficult this space is to navigate.
And I get it.
So, yes, I won't be taking part in this
trend because whilst that's great and I'm here for
it, I'm going to be cautious about the claims
that brands are throwing out there and just taking
their sustainable claims at face value.
So there we go. No sunscreen this morning because I'm staying inside
under these studio lights to record all day.
Let me know what you think about these trends.
If you've heard any other trends that are going
to be, going to be big this year, let
me know in the comments down below.
You can watch some more product reviews here, some general light
entertainment here and I'll see you over there.