When a new year rolls around, there’s always an innate internal tug telling us that it’s time to make changes. Time for a refresh, rebrand and overall zhuzh of our lives. In the beauty industry, it’s a case of putting your best face forward. 2025 can be defined by the (not really) natural look. Kris Jenner’s facelift made headlines, filler fatigue reigned supreme and the height of luxury became the art of subtlety. With minimalism making its way to our faces, barely-there enhancements were the talk of the town. Now that 2026 is underway, we’ve rounded up the must-watch beauty and cosmetics trends for the year ahead.
The 2026 Skincare Trends to Watch
Words by
Clara Taylor
13th January 2026
From layered facials and regenerative aesthetics to AI analysis, these are the 2026 skincare trends to know about.
Layered Facials
If there’s ever an indication of a new beauty trend or cosmetic treatment, it can be found on the faces of Hollywood’s elite. You best believe if there’s a new magical therapy promising the fountain of youth, they’ve sniffed it out before we’ve ever even heard of it. This was out in full display this week with Emma Stone’s Golden Globes red carpet glow. The treatment responsible? Ivan Pol’s, a.k.a The Beauty Sandwich, “snatched” facial. And it’s not just Emma Stone who's eating it up. Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian, Penelope Cruz, Teyana Taylor and more are all converts. Thanks to a layering of his “secret sauce”, bottled in SS02 and SS01, an antioxidant-rich face oil and its double that plumps the skin, in between infra-red and radio frequency devices, Pol’s treatment delivers results akin to Botox – without the needles, of course.
Inside Out Beauty
Lisa Franklin, Founder of Lisa Franklin Beauty
Beauty starts from within may as well be the mantra this year, as we laser in on cellular health. Mitochondrial health, to be precise. Lisa Franklin, Founder of Lisa Franklin Beauty, predicts that functional medicine and treatments like Methylene Blue Infusions, Vitamin IV drips and NAD+ will move from the fringes into the mainstream. Each infusion delivers a targeted blend of essential vitamins and antioxidants directly into the bloodstream for maximum absorption and efficacy. Ingredients like Vitamin C promise to enhance and brighten the complexion, while NAD+, a vital co-enzyme, supports energy production and cellular repair. Happy cells, happy face.
Regenerative Aesthetics
Polynucleotide treatments work with the body's natural regenerative functions.
As the rejection of filler continues, so does the increasing popularity of regenerative aesthetics. Treatments that work with the body’s natural repair functions that don’t drastically alter the face’s structure. We can expect more from biostimulators and polynucleotides. Using natural ingredients (salmon sperm…), polynucleotides refresh tired eyes, smooth fine lines, and brighten the delicate under-eye area. For Dr Ivy of 111 Harley Street, some of the industry’s most compelling breakthroughs come from the use of “regenerative actives like exosomes and PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor), which are transforming both in-clinic treatments and advanced skincare by accelerating tissue repair, boosting collagen, and dramatically enhancing recovery, particularly when paired with laser treatments or chemical peels”.
AI Analysis
Bespoke facials tailored to the individuals' skin based on AI analysis.
AI is everywhere. It’s in our workplaces, our homes, our pockets. This year, it’ll also be in our skincare routines – in more ways than just inputting your products’ ingredients into ChatGPT. AI is helping personalised treatments actually become a reality. The likes of Danish skincare brand, Apeer, founded by expert dermatologists Dr Emil Henningsen and Dermatological & Aesthetic Nurse Victoria Burles Piihl, offer AI-Skin Analysis. Trained on millions of skin images, it evaluates over 15 key skin health metrics in seconds and based on the results provides a bespoke skin regime. Apeer also offers a Pro Facial in its Bond Street clinic where the AI analysis is used to design a tailored facial.
Slow-release Delivery Systems
Advanced facialist, Mariam Abbas delivering treatments at her clinic.
The final frontier of skincare in 2026 is all about what happens after your favourite ingredients hit the skin. Slow‑release delivery systems are stepping into the spotlight, transforming the way actives behave once applied. Advanced facialist, Mariam Abbas, highlights how skincare companies have been “using encapsulation – i.e. encasing or enveloping actives in liposomes (micro lipid particles) and nanospheres to improve products' stability, protect them from oxidation (from exposure to light and air) and enhance their ability to penetrate deeper in the skin”. Popular and pure forms of actives like retinols and vitamin C can be highly unstable, leading to irritation and reactions when applied. Encapsulation ensures products to bypass exposure on the surface of the skin, therefore, minimising the risk of irritation and allowing controlled release of the active in the deeper layers of the skin. Essentially, your products will be working harder for you and for longer.
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