Welcome to the Asian Beauty podcast by me, Dr.TWL, a podcast based on my book Asian Beauty Secrets plant-based perspective to skin cycling, from the beauty bible series. On this podcast we focus on 2023 skincare trends such as an asian beauty perspective of skin cycling without acid peels or retinols, but with plant actives like bakuchiol, papain, bromelain and rare medicinal herbs.
As we near the end of 2022, one wonders what 2023 holds for the world of beauty. Today’s episode is on the key trends I expect to take off, beginning first with the topic of plant-based microbiome skincare. The microbiome is essentially the complex ecological system of skin- which is a fairly recent interpretation in dermatological research. Much like how scientists now confirm that soil is in fact a living organism on its own, playing host to a myriad of microbiota that synergise to create an optimal environment for all life on earth.
The microbiome of skin can be understood in a similar fashion- with the complex interplay of resident germs that determine the health and immunity of skin. Perhaps better known as resilience. In the last episode, we discussed the impact of nutraceutical foods on inflammaging in our take of edible beauty for skincare and how it connects with the entire body via the Gut-Brain-Skin axis.
With all this in mind, I would say 2023 would be the year where we take a fresh look at beauty. Where we connect the Mind, Body & Skin. Our journey now starts with understanding how healthy skin truly behaves.
2023 skincare trends- Beauty Lesson #1. Skin is alive
The Skin: A Garden of Healthy Germs
In my perspective, we can understand the skin as a garden source. Especially, a Garden of Healthy Germs. Every skin cell is teeming with living energy powered by the mitochondria. All that is possible because of a myriad of surface bacteria that interact in a beneficial way to ensure healthy skin functioning. The more alive the ecological system is, the healthier it looks. This is one of the reasons why ‘beauty from the inside out’ is not just a trend catchphrase, but one that is in fact that the science can back.
2023 skincare trends– Beauty Lesson # 2. Overnight ageing? It does exist
Lacking sleep? Researchers tell us it is not as simple as dark circles and eye bags from sleep deprivation which is what causing individuals to look older. More so, humans are psychologically hardwired to pick up signs of fatigue. These are best related to microexpressions around the eyes, correlating with reduced attractiveness.
2023 skincare trends– Beauty Lesson #3 Beauty sleep is real
Skin genuinely ages dramatically when deprived of rest. This is not just taking a nap in the middle of the day or at odd hours. We have to obey nature of what it means to follow the Circadian rhythm, which is the natural timing of life- with the sunrise and sundown. Luckily, the results of a good night’s rest are equally miraculous, resulting in almost instant reversal of overnight “ageing”.
2023 skincare trends– Beauty Lesson #4 Power of the mind and emotions
It’s easy to dismiss this as another beauty fad or something new-age related. Except dermatologists have clear evidence that proves psychological states impact skin conditions more than any other organ of the body. The culprit? The complex neurological pathways that send signals to our skin cells via the immune system. In fact, the brain directly impacts the formation of wrinkles on your face- regulated by our emotional states. I discuss this in my research paper On thoughts, emotions and facial expressions published in the International journal of Dermatology¹. This is because the brain regulates emotional states.
2023 skincare trends– Beauty Lesson #5 Diet matters
Anti-inflammatory food helps with whole body cellular senescence
Cell senescence is the process by which healthy cells gradually fall asleep with biological aging. Cells do a whole lot in their lifetime, keeping our damaged DNA being one of the key functions. When this fails, cancer cells grow and this increases the growth of cancerous tumors in our body. More specifically, cancers are malignant tumors. Essentially, a diet rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals will not just keep you feeling well, but also all your organs in tip top shape.
2023 skincare trends– Beauty Lesson #6 Skincare’s untapped potential in the field of beauty and aesthetics
The rise of aesthetic treatments comprising injectables, lasers, radiofrequency and other technologies – leaves many with the impression that the more high-tech it is, the better. As with modern agricultural practices initially hailed for its efficiency over traditional permaculture methods, this may prove to be self-destructive in the long term. Well, this is not the focus of this podcast. I have explored this in my exposition on body dysmorphophobia and commercialising beauty in separate musings which you may find out more about in my podcast (Dermatologist Talks: Science of Beauty).
However, we can view skincare as a true adjunct in our pursuit of skin health. In the same way a healthy diet is for our overall health. Healthy diet has been viewed as less effective than medications or preventative therapeutics that involve taking tablets and a variety of tablets that one can obtain from the diet. If the same can be said of skincare, then this is truly a pot of gold.
2023 skincare trends– Beauty Lesson #7 Learning to decipher the truth behind effective beauty interventions
Feminine empowerment in the realm of beauty must involve allowing women to make their own decisions. One can only make these decisions if we propagate the truth. If you only have a one-sided viewpoint from media, can it still be fairplay? This is why I believe that beauty edutainment is going to set the stage for a different approach to public outreach in the coming year. This along with my other podcasts are under our newly founded edutainment arm, Dr.TWL TV. Essentially, our mission is to provide the scientific and entertaining aspects of traditional marketing. In a way that is engaging and also educates + empowers listeners to make the best choices. Being able to decipher what is true and what isn’t is increasingly difficult.
Hpw do you decipher the truth behind effective beauty interventions? An easy way to tell is checking if the science behind the intervention impacts any of the following pathways based on the latest understanding of dermatological research. While many aesthetic treatments do have the intended effect on skin, we must question the longevity and sustainability especially in a post COVID-19 era.
The 3 most important questions we must ask when analyzing or assessing any new beauty interventions:
1. Skin ecology- How does the intervention change the skin environment?
It is beneficial and in line with how the natural physiology of skin is understood?
2. Does it normalise the skin microbiome or does it work as an antibiotic?
We talked about plant-based microbiome interventions in the form of skincare. Microbiome diversity is one of the key markers of a healthy organ. Our body coexists with millions of microbes, maybe more. Each has a key function in regulating the microenvironment. As with our gut, our skin thrives in a diversity of microorganisms. Herein is the fallacy in traditional dermatology practice. We started treating acne with topical antibiotics because they were hailed by drug companies. We quickly found out that they lost effectiveness, because of antibiotic resistance. Worse still, our infectious disease colleagues realised there were many more who were developing antibiotic resistance from topical antibiotics being applied on skin. When drug companies updated their topical antibiotics with benzoyl peroxide, they stated that it can reduce bacterial resistance. However, that didn’t prove true in the medium term.
3. Is there a more sustainable option?
There must be a better way. This led me to research on one of the oldest practices of pharmacology in the world – ethnobotany. Essentially, I have dedicated my dermatology career to the research and development of plant actives for treatment of various skin conditions. My aim in this book, Asian Beauty Secrets is to bring out the modern science of an ancient art. My hope is that as a dermatologist, my expertise in expounding scientific benefits and debunking skincare myths- without bias will help many.
Teo W. L. (2021). On thoughts, emotions, facial expressions, and aging. International journal of dermatology, 60(5), e200–e202. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijd.15443