At one time, beauty trends had women using cosmetics to cover up skin flaws instead of addressing them. While 2021 saw a major increase in “skinimalism”, the idea that you should use fewer, more effective products for an efficient skincare routine, 2022 is all about getting and maintaining “status” skin. Status skin is skin that has been pampered and taken care of. Rather than seeking perfection, which is impossible when you’re slathering on layers of makeup and beauty products every day, status skin is all about achieving natural, more beautiful skin.

Status skin shares some of the same ideas that made minimalism so popular last year. It’s all about effective, nourishing skincare routines. However, status skin is taken a step further by adding pampering into your skincare routine. Tools like the jade roller are used to make skin smoother, less puffy, and all-around healthier. Achieving status skin also means taking care of skin by doing things like using sunscreen so skin is healthier and ages more slowly. Below, we’ll take a look at how you can achieving status skin, the newest skin goal.

1. Forget What You Know About Beauty

For a lot of people, getting status skin starts with letting go of those pre-conceived ideas about what your skin should look like. Many people in the media and on magazine covers have had their images retouched, until their skin has lost many of its features like pigmentation and texture. This is also true of many people across social media who have applied filters to their photos. Even though these re-touched images are an unattainable goal, they still send the message that real skin is perfect.

Status skin is beautiful because it has been cared for and pampered. Even though skin is pampered, however, beauty routines are kept simple. Using less products is more favorable than slathering on layers of makeup or beauty products. Additionally, maintaining status skin involves finding that balance that lets healthy skin shine through. At one time, the beauty trend was covering up pores, pigmentation, freckles, and all those things that give the face texture and dimension. Status skin is about embracing all those natural features that we all have instead.

2. Be Prepared to Spend Time Pampering Skin

Whereas the skinimalism trends of last year saw a decrease in the amount of time spent on beauty routines, you’ll need to spend a little more time putting work in to achieve healthy, glowing skin. Since the pandemic started in 2020, there has been greater emphasis on learning how to deal with social distancing and isolation. There has been a major focus on self-care as it relates to the pandemic and the importance of making time for yourself, even when you don’t have to leave the house.

By bring together the trend for self-care and embracing natural beauty, be prepared to put time into pampering your skin. You only have to look to hit TV shows like “Euphoria” to see this type of skincare in action. In one of the episodes, viewers get a peek at character Cassie Howard’s beauty routine. This is something that takes hours. She showers, exfoliates, and then pampers her hair and skin. Plus, the character commits to this routine every single morning. You’ll also see several popular beauty products like the jade roller and the heatless ribbon curler.

3. Don’t Be Swayed By Influencer Marketing

Social media remains one of the most popular activities that people do online. It’s projected to continue growing, from 3.6 billion in 2020 all the way to 4.4 million users by 2025. With so many younger users looking up to whatever is most popular at the time, influencer marketing makes it harder to trust what big names are saying about products. Even if your favorite Internet influencer says they love a product, they might just be pushing something because the manufacturer reached out and they’re trying to make money.

This isn’t to say that any trending tool or product that has caught your favorite influencer’s eye has no value. Sometimes, an influencer might be talking about a product because they love it. However, it is important to evaluate claims on your own and make informed decisions about the products you use on your skin. The best way to do this is take a look at the ingredients list or the science behind how the beauty tool works. Research claims might also give you insight into what actually works, rather than what is trending at the time.

4. Jump on the Plant-Based Products Trend

In 2022, there’s also a greater interest in plant-based ingredients. Plant-based ingredients are more natural and more nourishing for your skin. Many skincare brands have jumped on this trend as well to offer quality products with better ingredients to their customers. Calendula, for example, is derived from the chamomile family. It’s added to many ingredients because of it’s incredible antioxidant properties that fight against inflammation. Rambutan is another popular skincare ingredient. Manufacturers have started looking at is as a powerful anti-aging agent that could replace retinol.

With the interest in products that are all-natural, plant-based, and even vegan, it’s easy to find products that are better for your skin in the store. Many natural products are rich in vitamins like A and C that improve skin health, boost collagen production, fight wrinkles, and target inflammation. As an added benefit, natural medical remedies (like using aloe for skincare) have been around for centuries. You can feel confident that you’re choosing products that make your skin look great, without putting harsh or artificial ingredients on it.

5. Moisturize Daily for Healthier, More Youthful Looking Skin

The skin on your face, hands, neck, and chest are exposed to the sun more than any other part of your body, since they are the least likely to be covered by clothing. They are also most likely to show signs of aging like dark spots and wrinkles, as well as the most likely areas to be affected by skin cancer. For the most benefit, choose a lotion that offers SPF protection and has beneficial ingredients for the skin. Vitamins A, B5, C, and E benefit by plumping skin, encouraging collagen production, and fighting redness and inflammation.

In addition to moisturizing as part of your daily routine, you should always moisturize skin after shaving, exfoliating, or showering. Practices like shaving or exfoliating break the skin down and washing takes away natural oils and dries out the skin. After you do these things, adding moisture makes skin plump and more supple. Massaging lotion in also has the benefit of increasing blood flow and circulation to the surface of the skin, which encourages skin regeneration and the growth of healthy skin cells.

6. Moisturize Your Face, Even if it’s Oily

One of the mistakes people sometimes make is neglecting to moisturize their face. Even if your skin is acne-prone or oily, it’s important to moisturize. In fact, adding moisture to a face that is prone to oiliness actually helps with acne. Acne is caused by your skin being plugged up with dirt or oil that has been expelled from your body. Then, bacteria gets in the follicle and triggers inflammation, which causes the redness, pain, and swelling associated with acne.

When you use moisturizer, however, the good, bacteria-free ingredients fill your pores instead. Moisturizing also helps because a lot of the oil produced by your pores is sebum, which is produced by your body. The oily substance sebum is produced to provide protection when your skin is dry. For people with oily skin, it’s important to choose a moisturizer that doesn’t contain oily ingredients. You also want something that is non-comogenic, meaning it won’t clog your pores.

7. Always Protect Your Skin Outdoor

Unless you live in the tropics, then putting on sunscreen when the weather’s overcast or when you aren’t spending a lot of time outdoors might not come naturally. However, even the sun exposure through your car window during your commute or on an overcast day has the potential to harm your skin. Get in the habit of protecting yourself from the sun, even when you don’t think you need it. It should be part of your daily routine, even on those days when it doesn’t seem like the sun could be doing much harm from behind the clouds.

This is especially true when talking about the skin on the face, neck, and chest, which are exposed to sunlight more than any other area of the body. Protecting your skin from the sun’s dangerous UV rays prevents premature aging and wrinkles. It also prevents discoloration from the sun’s rays, dark spots, and even skin cancer. As an added benefit, if you choose a moisturizer that offers SPF protection, you’re getting the benefits of a moisturizer and sun protection in one convenient product.

8. Don’t Forget the Rest of Your Body While Moisturizing

When you look at people we’d consider beautiful, most of them have toned, moisturized skin that just glows. Dermatologists recommend moisturizing skin because it provides a protective barrier between you and the outside world. Filling your pores with nourishing ingredients also stops pollutants from clogging them instead. Furthermore, you should moisturize because it helps plump the skin. When skin is plumper, wrinkles are less apparent. Moisturizing also reduces the risk of blemishes, dryness, and other skin problems.

According to Forbes magazine, one of the best products for moisture is Undaria Algae Body Oil from OSEA. OSEA is based in Malibu, so it’s no surprise that their body oil is made using nutrient-rich seaweed that has been soaked in oil barrels to bring out all those good-for-you ingredients. It also contains grapefruit, orange, and cypress and several types of seed oil for a finished product that firms and nourishes skin, without making it feel sticky or greasy. Be sure to read labels and choose moisturizers with nourishing ingredients that will benefit the skin.

9. Remember to Exfoliate

Exfoliation is a critical first step in your beauty routine. When you exfoliate, you are removing all the dead skin cells sitting on top of your skin. Since the skin is constantly shedding and renewing itself, these skin cells are almost always there working as a barrier against the outside world. Unfortunately, they also work as a barrier against your moisturizer and other beauty products. When you exfoliate, your skin absorbs products better. It also helps remove toxins and impurities from pores and smooths the skin.

There are two types of exfoliation, chemical and physical (or mechanical). Chemical exfoliation uses ingredients like glycolic acid to remove the top layer of skin, while mechanical exfoliation uses abrasive gloves or products like sugar scrubs to gently rub away the skin. You should choose your method on whatever works best for your specific skin type. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends gentle chemical exfoliation with a wash cloth for people with dry or sensitive skin and stronger chemical exfoliation or mechanical exfoliation for oily types.

10. Jump on the Sustainability Trend with Products Like Reusable Sheet Masks

In addition to a greater push toward plant-based and more natural products, the current beauty market demands products that are more sustainable. With cleansers, moisturizers, and other beauty products, choosing sustainably-sourced products means that taking the plant does not harm the natural environment or the animals that live there. For example, there was a lot of controversy surrounding palm oil and its extraction from trees in the rainforest, since it had such negative impacts on the animals that lived there. Now, the trees are grown specifically for the production of palm oil.

You can also choose sustainability with beauty products that can be used more than once, like reusable silicone sheet masks. Most of the sheet masks are made with two loops that go around the ears. You can still use moisturizers or other beauty products with them. All you do is apply the products to your skin and put on the mask. Then, wear it for 20-30 minutes to give the ingredients a chance to really set into your skin. In addition to using it with your normal beauty routine, you can mix your own face masks with nourishing ingredients like avocado, banana, honey, tea tree oil, and lemon.

11. Jump on the Bandwagon with Science-Backed Tools Like the Jade Roller or Gua Sha Face Lifting Tool

Who doesn’t want a convenient tool that promises smoother, healthier skin? Not only are trending facial tools like the jade roller and gua sha face lifting tool reusable, but there’s science behind the way that they work. These tools are made of minerals like jade or rose quartz. They work best when kept at room temperature or even chilled, since they use cold therapy to help you achieve smoother skin. The process of rolling either the jade roller or gua sha over your skin is also incredibly relaxing.

When the cold minerals come into contact with your skin, the cool temperature causes the skin to contract. This shrinks pores and makes skin appear tighter. Another effect of this tightening is that it smooths the appearance of wrinkles. As an added benefit, the coolness helps with inflammation or puffiness. The result is skin that is brighter, smoother, and all-around healthier looking. Plus, these products can be used again and again, so they keep up with the beauty trend of choosing more sustainable items, too.

12. Use Eye Masks to Reduce Puffiness, Wrinkles, and Dark Circles

The skin beneath your eyes is some of the thinnest compared to anywhere else on your body. Plus, it doesn’t have nearly as many oil glands as other areas of the body so the skin is very unforgiving. This is the reason that it’s so easy to see fine lines, wrinkles, dark circles, and other under-eye problems when they arise. Fortunately, one of the areas you should be pampering as you try to achieve status skin is the area under and around your eyes.

While you’ve likely seen someone at the spa with cucumbers over their eyes, under-eye masks are shaped like a comma and designed to sit below your eye. This makes it easy to apply them to your face and keep moving while you complete your beauty routine. Most have nourishing ingredients that moisturize the area under the eyes, smoothing the appearance of wrinkles. In addition to benefits from the ingredients, there are smoothing and fine-line reducing benefits from the cooling effects of the mask on the skin.

13. Use This Vibrating Gold Bar for a Face Lift at Home

Another cool, trendy product that could improve the texture of your skin is this vibrating gold bar by Jillian Dempsey. The vibrating gold bar has real 24K gold and it uses small vibrations as you move it along your skin. These vibrations work to release tension all through your face. In addition to being incredibly relaxing, this practice reduces the appearance of pores and smooths lines that you may have in your face. It can even be used to reduce the appearance of wrinkles on the neck.

As with tools like the jade roller, this also has benefits from the cooling effects of the gold as it moves across your face. This helps it reduce puffiness and decrease redness. Additionally, there are benefits from the way that the vibrations stimulate your skin cells. As the skin vibrates, it encourages blood flow and the moisture and nutrients travel more readily to the face. Since you are supposed to use it after moisturizing, it also helps moisturize your skin deep down, too.

14. Don’t Forget About Your Hair and Scalp

Maintaining an appearance that is healthy and beautiful doesn’t stop at just the skin. It’s also trending to take care of your hair. This means instead of using heat to straighten it or curl it and risking damage, non-heat techniques are popular. For example, the heatless hair curling ribbon has become very popular for a natural, voluminous hair look. Plus, without the risk of heat damage, it sticks with the trend of looking great without a lot of harsh products.

In addition to safer, more natural methods of styling hair, hair masks and moisturizing treatments are common. The goal with good looking hair is for it to feel good, too. This means hair that is soft to the touch, rather than stiff from piling on the hair products. While products like curling ribbon might be used to enhance the overall look of hair, the finished product feels and looks much more natural. This goes right along with the trend of pampering hair to get it healthy, rather than seeking perfection.

15. Take Advantage of New Attitudes Toward Plastic Surgery

Research shows that more people are willing to open up about plastic surgery than ever before, and not just filler or botox. One of the most popular facial treatments is a total face life. Plastic surgeons also report that there’s a whole new group of people coming in for treatments. While plastic surgery was once something people didn’t do until later in life, after the effects of aging had really started showing up, younger people in the 30s and 40s are choosing to have procedures done.

Men are also catching on to this trend. Even fashion mogul Marc Jacobs chronicled his face lift journey on social media for the world to see. Topics like #Botox are trending and the whole topic is much less taboo than it was in recent decades. While plastic surgery is not required and there’s nothing wrong with being proud of your natural skin, it’s also okay to make changes to your face. All that matters is how happy you are with your overall look and that becomes much more achievable with plastic surgery.

16. Avoid Damage to Skin and Hair by Minimizing Heat

Hot water does have its advantages for your beauty routine, such as helping expand the pores and giving a deeper clean. While you shouldn’t avoid it altogether because there is a place for it in your beauty routine, you shouldn’t be rinsing your body with hot water after your shower or using hot steam treatments every day. Instead, use hot water at the beginning of your shower to open up your pores and get them ready to be cleaned. After washing with a gentle soap, use warm water to rinse.

You should also be cautious when using heat in your hair. You should wash with warm water since it helps break down oils and gets hair really clean. However, once the initial wash is over, use lukewarm or cool water on your hair. You should also avoid using heat when styling, whenever you can. While this isn’t always an option depending on your overall look, the recent trends in hair and skin care have people switching to more heat-less methods of styling like the heat-less curler mentioned above.

17. Remember That Topical Treatments Only Help the Surface

What does it mean when someone says “beauty is only skin deep”? Even though this generally applies to someone’s goodness as a person, real beautiful skin starts from within. Pampering your skin and using topical treatments only penetrate the first few layers of skin. For truly healthy skin, take a closer look at all the things that are going into your body. Bad lifestyle habits like poor diet, smoking, and not drinking enough water are all things that affect your skin from the inside.

By making a few changes to your skincare routine and taking a closer look at lifestyle choices, it becomes significantly easier to maintain healthy, glowing skin. Avoid smoking and drinking or do it in moderation since it changes your skin on a vascular level which can cause redness. You should also try to manage stress in healthy ways since stress might cause itchiness or other problems. We’ll take a closer look at some things that you can do aside from topical treatments, so you have healthy skin from the inside out.

18. Stay Hydrated for Healthier Skin

The research is still out on whether or not drinking water hydrates your skin, however, there are still many benefits outside of that. Water plays a critical role in many processes in the body. In a hydrated person, it helps blood flow and transports oxygen and nutrients to the skin. Water is also critical in digestive processes and the removal of toxins from the body. As the body passes toxins, they are less likely to clog the pores and cause skin issues like acne.

Another major benefit of drinking enough water is that it keeps the cells hydrated. Since hydrated cells are plumper, skin appears firmer and wrinkles are less prominent. In addition to the many benefits for your skin, water is important for keeping your body running as it should. It helps balance electrolytes, maintain heartbeat, regulate body temperature, cushion the joints, provide a layer of protection around the organs, and much more. According to researchers at Harvard, you should drink a minimum 4 to 6 glasses of water per day.

19. Be Sure to Get Enough Sleep

Failing to get enough sleep is something that becomes immediately apparent when someone sees you. Your skin looks dull and rough, you may have under-eye circles, and wrinkles are more prominent than they usually are. Even though getting status skin is about pampering yourself, it’s important that you manage your day so this pampering doesn’t cut into your sleep cycles. At minimum, you should strive to get at least 7-8 hours each night. Even though missing out on this occasionally won’t have dramatic effects, regularly sneaking by on less sleep worsens acne and increases signs of aging.

When you sleep, your skin is more absorbent than it is any other time of the day from the increase of melatonin and HGH (human growth hormone). It also renews quicker than it does during the day, since night time is when your body takes advantage of your resting state to work on healing itself. Not only does your body not have time to regenerate when you don’t get enough sleep, but it also affects it’s ability to control bodily processes. This creates water retention and puffiness, which is responsible for dark circles and the appearance of “bags” under your eyes.

20. Choose Healthier Foods for Better Skin

The foods that you eat have a drastic impact on the health of your skin. Certain foods trigger acne and inflammation, while nutrient-rich foods provide the vitamins and minerals your skin needs to stay health. Recently, science has also uncovered a link between the health of the bacteria in your gut and the overall appearance of your skin. Since eating healthy not only affects your skin but your overall health, being aware of the foods you put into your body and eating a diet balanced in vitamins and minerals is incredibly important.

Don’t worry, choosing healthier foods doesn’t mean that you can never have your favorite foods again. In fact, the best way to eat healthy is without restricting yourself. The foods most damaging to skin health include fried foods, heavily processed foods, and refined carbohydrates. Instead, try to eat fresher fruits and vegetables and whole grains. You should also seek out lean sources of protein and foods rich in healthy fats. You can learn more about foods that help you age gracefully here.