Five offbeat beauty ideas trending this season

If the Kim Kardashian-popularised vampire facials are anything to go by, beauty has been courting the wacky with flair for quite a while now. After all, weird can be wonderful, bizarre and beautiful. In the fast-faced, fad-based skincare industry, offbeat yet exciting practices, products and techniques are the norm. To paraphrase rapper Badshash, they help you not just shine but glow. To find out what’s trending this season, we reached out to Dr Akanksha Sanghvi, aesthetic dermatologist and founder of Oprava Aesthetics, a Mumbai-based international luxury aesthetic clinic.

Here’s her take:

Glazed donut skin

Much like that shiny glaze on a well-done donut, glazed donut skin refers to glossy skin that is not oily but well hydrated. “It is important to have a great texture with minimal dilated pores and no breakouts to achieve the perfect glazed skin. The trick is to layer the products one over another in the right order and manner, which are generally a combination of skin actives like AHA, BHA, Vitamin C, retinols and non-actives such as hyaluronic acids and other hydrating or repairing serums. The skin regime must consist of a good cleanser or face wash with exfoliating properties, a mist or a toner rich in hydrating molecules and calming properties, a serum or essence to treat skin texture; and the final step is the use of moisturiser, which helps to seal in moisture and make the skin plump and dewy,” says Dr Sanghvi.

Skin cycling

It may conjure images of a layer of epithelial cells on a cycle but skin cycling as per Dr Sanghvi is a great way to start showing your skin some kindness. “It is about layering skin actives in the right order and to not use too many actives in one application over the other, causing a damaged epidermal barrier and increased sensitivity and breakouts. Skin cycling allows you to strategically use your actives over the week with rest days in between,” says Dr Sanghvi, adding: “For beginners, one can start with exfoliators, toners, moisturisers, serums and essence, and cycle between these products using rest days in between.”

Traditional skin cycling suggests using exfoliating serums or exfoliators one night, and retinol or AHA the second night with two rest days following it. “This cycle is repeated throughout the week. Skin cycling can be done using products according to skin types while addressing skin concerns such as acne, blemishes, open pores, fine lines or rosacea. Skin cycling allows your skin to treat and heal at the same time while minimising chances of irritation and other side-effects,” she says.

Go waterless

“Water is the commonest content in most skincare products. Anhydrous skin care involves using skin products without any water content and instead using fruit extracts, botanical waters and organic oils as a base for any formulations. Waterless beauty originated from the concept of not diluting the core ingredients in your skincare as most of the best-selling products in the market today contain 60 per cent or more water,” says Dr Sanghvi. Also, replacing water with fruit or plant-based extracts can help with additional anti-inflammatory properties and soothing effects on the skin. “Anhydrous products without water use oils, waxes and butters which are intensely moisturising. The use of waterless products needs lesser preservatives and hence has less chance of bacterial contamination,” she adds.

Hybrid beauty

The term ‘hybrid beauty’ stands for make-up, foundation and primers that treat and hydrate alongside giving you a flawless make-up finish. “Hybrid make-up skincare is one of the biggest trends of 2023, which includes lipsticks with hydrating oils, moisturisers with foundation tint, primers with sunscreen, and concealers with serums or mascara with Vitamin E oil. This stands true not only for skincare products but also haircare products which consist of shampoos, serums, sprays and hair masques with ingredients that style hair while treating them right,” says Dr Sanghvi.

Skin minimalism

Less, it turns out, is a lot more, especially in the world of skincare. “Skin minimalism is a new trend that helps you achieve your skin goals using just the required number of products that are necessary for building a regimen. The concept of skin minimalism involves giving your skin a dose of self-compassion. It involves understanding your skin needs and addressing all skin concerns using a single product. The end result is to use skin care mindfully and to not use excessive products, unconsciously, and more than that is required,” says Dr Sanghvi. It encourages the use of products that are multifunctional. “Skin minimalism is safer on the skin. It makes you more compliant with skincare, is cost-effective, environment friendly and reduces chances of skin reactions and dermatitis,” she says.

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