Beauty & aesthetic trends 2023

The aesthetic world moves at the speed of light and, as with every year, there are continual updates and evolutions, writes aesthetician Karen Ellithorne

Image from Shutterstock

Working in the aesthetic industry whatever role you play, it is essential to keep up with changes in order to succeed in this fast-paced world. This is vital to maintain a sense of relevance with your clientele and also to stay ahead of them. Here we focus on some of the exciting new current developments in the industry and why they are making an impact.

Introducing a new superhero

Look out for new active ingredient Blue Tansy in 2023. Those who have practiced aromatherapy will be well aware of the calming properties of this ingredient and aestheticians in the know will praise its healing properties. It is a very rare ingredient so pure Blue Tansy does not come cheap.

This essential oil has anti-inflammatory calming properties and has even been used by oncologists to treat patients suffering from skin burns and irritation after radiation treatments. It is helpful in clearing congested skin and calming irritation, as well as reducing redness, and is therefore perfect for acne-prone and sensitive complexions. With its skin-healing effects, it helps to repair the skin’s natural barrier and even reduces damage from environmental pollutants and UV rays. These factors make Blue Tansy a great additional ingredient for anti-ageing and stressed out skin.

Keep your barrier up

Nothing beats a heathy glow and as we know this starts with a healthy skin barrier, as this is the main component that determines how healthy or unhealthy the skin looks. If your barrier is healthy, your skin will maintain more water which will keep your skin firm, hydrated and smooth. A healthy barrier also makes the skin less prone to skin irritation and sensitivity.

Skincare formulas and make-up are going to have many natural ingredients in them to protect the skin barrier and keep skins hydrated in 2023. We will see more serum based foundations and tinted sunscreens to protect the skin and also prevent photo ageing.

By protecting the skin’s natural moisture barrier, the risk of breakouts is also reduced and so are ageing and dry skin conditions.

“SKIN BOOSTERS are a GOOD OPTION FOR PATIENTS who are struggling with DRY, DULL or TIRED-LOOKING SKIN, or exhibit early signs OF AGEING such as WRINKLES OR FINE LINES, or just want a BOOST IN THEIR SKIN to RESTORE ITS STATE OF HEALTH. ”

Protein anyone?

Peptides have been around since the early 2000s but are set to make a big return in anti-ageing formulations in 2023.

With their ability to strengthen and rebuild damaged skin, peptides are made from chains of amino acids and function like building blocks or protein, signalling to the skin to perform functions like collagen formation and wound healing. This means that they help to correct fine lines, dullness, redness and discolouration, making them great all-rounder skincare ingredients.

Peptides are an important part of an anti-ageing preparation as they are actually separated into three different groups depending on their mode of action in the formulation. They can be used as signal peptides, neurotransmitter-affecting peptides and carrier peptides.

Signal peptides are able to increase collagen synthesis, or alternatively prevent the breakdown of collagen by collagenase. The second group (i.e. neurotransmitter-affecting peptides) includes the peptides that are able to mimic the effect of botulinum neurotoxins, whereas carrier peptides act as delivery systems for essential trace elements required for enzymatic processes responsible for rejuvenation.

Currently there are more than 30 different peptides used in cosmetic preparations and there are many more in development.

“There has also been an INCREASED INTEREST in the CHIN AREA and recognition that a bit of INCREASED CHIN PROJECTION can help BALANCE A PERSON’S PROFILE drastically. ”

Plump me up

Many of us have seen the benefits of skin boosters and will want to see our skincare benefits penetrate even deeper in 2023.

K-beauty (Korean beauty) brought us the Asian beauty standard of ‘glass skin’, with a porcelain-like, light texture that is devoid of impurities and spots. They are also famous for popularising skin boosters as a cosmeceutical injection designed for boosting collagen production and complementing the skin’s natural ability to self-repair.

Skin boosters are a hyaluronic acid injectable (think injectable moisturiser) that will deeply hydrate. This means great skin hydration and dewy, glowing skin.

Additional skin boosters have also entered the market that can be used treat the eyes area specifically. Not only can the treatment assist with fine lines, wrinkles and crepiness, it can also help brighten dark circles.

Skin boosters are a good option for patients who are struggling with dry, dull or tired-looking skin, or exhibit early signs of ageing such as wrinkles or fine lines, or just want a boost in their skin to restore its state of health.

Each type of skin booster contains different primary ingredients that are suited for different skin goals. In general, all skin boosters contain hyaluronic acid (HLA) – the primary molecule in your tissue repair system – but they don’t all carry the same amount.

The benefits of skin boosters are enhanced tissue regeneration, balanced skin moisture barrier, increased collagen and elastin production and smoother, radiant skin texture.

Dual purpose dermal fillers

Dual purpose injectable fillers, designed not only to treat loss of volume but also enhance skin quality through collagen stimulation, will certainly continue to dominate the filler market in 2023.

This means that in addition to treating age-related volume loss, patients will benefit from improvements in skin quality and texture, such as crepiness and laxity. The overall result is all-round rejuvenation for patients, with immediate results that are super long lasting. Since the launch of biostimulators in our market in late 2021, this sector of product has seen a dramatic increase in popularity.

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Tweakments anyone?

Nasal rejuvenation continues to be a trend in aesthetics but not from the perspective of patients wanting to do major changes to their appearance, but rather to a more refined and subtle change that is not necessarily achieved with surgery but rather with filler and threads.

There has also been an increased interest in the chin area and recognition that a bit of increased chin projection can help balance a person’s profile drastically. The chin has long been an under-appreciated facial feature. A strong chin can assist in making the neck look longer and our submental angle look deeper. Filler injected into the chin can make a dramatic change to facial harmony.

A qualified aesthetician, Karen Ellithorne has been actively involved in the skincare industry since 1992, working as a lecturer and therapist, as well as successfully importing and distributing various products throughout South Africa. Email karen@spaandsalonsolutions.co.za