Masks and inclusive beauty lines are hot beauty trends for 2018

The new year brings innovative beauty products and trends, including inclusive make-up lines and pollution-fighting products

1 Beefing up skin protection

Products designed to help deal with skin stressors in the urban environment will be hot this year.

Mr Nicolas Travis, founder of local skincare brand Allies Of Skin, says: "Smog, smoke and pollution can wreak havoc on skin and its delicate barrier.

But with society now so wired, the next wave of daytime products will also protect users against HEV (high-energy visible) light emitted from mobile phones, computers and tablets.

"They penetrate more deeply into the layers of skin than ultraviolet rays, hence accelerating ageing."

Recent scientific studies have found that HEV might be as harmful as the damage caused by the combination of long-wave ultraviolet A and B rays from the sun. Prolonged exposure to HEV light may lead to what is known as "screen face" - skin that is aged by the blue light emitted by smartphones and computer screens.

Companies such as British beauty brand Soap & Glory and French luxury perfumes and cosmetics houseLancome are already promoting the HEV-blocking properties in their sunscreen products, such as the Lancome UV Expert XL-Shield CC Cover.

Kiehl's Cilantro & Orange Extract Pollutant Defending Masque, $49
Elizabeth Arden Prevage City Smart, $99

Expect also to see more products that defend the skin against environmental aggressors such as air-conditioning, heating and captive bacteria found in closed buildings and on public transport.

Popular ingredients are probiotics and prebiotics (food for probiotics) and mineral blends such as zinc, magnesium and copper, which protect against free radicals.

"These will help the skin function better over time and strengthen its natural defences, which enable the skin to get better at healing itself - think fewer breakouts and less redness and irritation," says Mr Travis.


Urban Decay All Nighter Concealer, $50

2 Inclusive make-up lines

From more body shapes and ethnicities seen in advertising campaigns and on runways, to the launch of more shade-inclusive make-up ranges, 2017 has been a good year for diversity in the fashion and beauty world.

There are early signs that the beauty industry will change and improve to cater to different skin colours, especially after the successful launch of Barbadian pop star Rihanna's Fenty Beauty line, which features 40 shades of foundation.

Freelance make-up artist Jenny Tse says: "It not only offers a variety of undertones, the range is also sold in its entirety all around the world, which is significant because many times, brands pick and choose the shade ranges that are sold in different countries."

Brands such as Saint Laurent and Urban Decay will follow suit this year to offer more meticulously calibrated shade ranges that go from pale to deep.

YSL All Hours 24-Hour advanced formula for example, comes in 22 shades, from light to dark.

Similarly, Urban Decay's All Nighter Foundation comes in a similarly wide range of 24 shades.

Its concealers from the same range will launch on Jan 18. Touted to be able to cover blemishes and even tattoos, the concealers will come in eight shades that cater to skin tones from pale to dark.

Ms Melissa Goh, senior product manager at YSL Beauty Singapore, says: "Monsieur Saint Laurent was the first to use ethnic models on runways and, in line with this value, the extensive 22 shades in the YSL All Hours 24-Hour Foundation will offer a shade for every woman."


Skin Inc offers skin analysis and customised serums at its concept stores.

3 Bespoke skincare products

Spurred by millennial consumers and their desire to have personalised products, more brands are offering bespoke skincare and make-up.

In Singapore, Skin Inc already offers a skin analysis and customised serums at its concept stores in Ion and VivoCity.

Another local skincare brand, The Skin Pharmacy, also creates custom blends of products designed to suit individual needs.

Ms Pauline Ng, founder and managing director of boutique spa Porcelain, The Face Spa, says customisation will go one step further this year with DNA analysis.

Customers send their DNA for testing - often by swabbing the inside of their cheeks - and companies analyse the genetic data to see how their skins would age. Depending on the genetic profile, different skincare products and regimes are recommended.

Swiss personalised skincare system iD DNA analyses a customer's DNA and uses it to improve what is lacking in their skincare regime.

Based on one's results, the company also gives advice on how much water one should drink, how much sunscreen to apply and how much time one should wait in between sunscreen applications.


Estelle & Thild Super Bioactive Repairing Oil Complex, $106
Alima Pure Liquid Silk Foundation, $69
SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Cleansing Gel, $49

4 Clean movement

The organic and clean movement, best personified by actress Gwyneth Paltrow's lifestyle website Goop, shows no signs of slowing down in 2018, with more consumers demanding to know exactly what is in the potions they are putting on their face and body.

Call it the Goop-ification of beauty.

More skincare, haircare and make-up products will offer "clean" ingredient lists - free from silicones, parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, dyes and alcohol - which are purportedly harmful.

But the jury is still out on some of these ingredients. Parabens, which are what stop fungus, bacteria and other microbes from growing in creams and make-up, are allegedly linked to breast cancer, but the causality has yet to be proven in science.

Silicones, which are slippery polymers added to retain moisture and impart smoothness, allegedly suffocate skin and cause break-outs. Yet scientific evidence shows that silicones are not a health risk at low levels of exposure.

While experts are still debating the toxicity of such ingredients, brands such as Swedish organic skincare brand Estelle & Thild as well as American brands Alima Pure and SkinCeuticals are leading the detoxification charge.

For example, Estelle & Thild has been offering organic formulations in recyclable packaging since 2007.

Dr Georgia Lee, aesthetic doctor and founder of aesthetic clinic TLC Lifestyle Practice, says increased consumer awareness improves the beauty industry as a whole.

"Consumers are continuing to ask questions and seek a more in-depth understanding of what they are using and this is the type of consumers we want.

"As they question what is included in product formulations, brands will shed complacency and continue to improve."

Meanwhile, technology will also be playing a bigger role to help consumers decode ingredient lists of products.

Expect more apps such as Think Dirty to crop up. The app allows one to scan product barcodes to get more information about the product and track so-called dirty ingredients.


111SKIN Y Lift Neck & Decolletage Treatment Mask (with box), $198 for four pieces

5 Masks for more than face

A search for #facemask brings up more than 1.4 million posts on Instagram and in the past year, the #sundayfacial hashtag has become an Insta-trend, with thousands of women and men documenting their weekend facial routines.

Retailers are taking note of the flurry for facial masks. The new millennial-focused Watsons personal care store in Bugis Junction, for example, now has a 4m-long wall dedicated to facial masks. There, one can pick up masks for not just the face, but also for the neck, chest, hands and feet.

British-based skincare line 111Skin, which will launch in Singapore on Wednesday, for example, offers a very selfie-friendly Rose Gold Brightening Facial Treatment Mask and a Meso Infusion Micro Mask among its slate of masks.

Featuring tiny micro needles on the mask's surface, the Meso Infusion Micro Mask is said to help administer hyaluronic acid and vitamin C - which brighten the skin and replenish moisture - deep into the skin for better absorption.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 05, 2018, with the headline Masks and inclusive beauty lines are hot beauty trends for 2018. Subscribe