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Join Dr. Zain, Heather, and Courtney in the latest episode of Skinside Out as they review the most transformative skincare trends of 2025 in a special Naughty or Nice edition. From barrier repair and microbiome-friendly formulas to advanced actives and the rise of minimalism in skincare, the team delves into the good and the bad of this year's dermatology innovations. They also tackle hot topics like sustainability in skincare, the impact of AI and personalized skincare technology, and the growing inclusivity and diversity in skincare products. Find out their expert opinions on at-home non-invasive procedures and much more!
00:00 Introduction and Hosts
00:50 Skincare Trends of 2025: Barrier Repair and Microbiome
03:47 Advanced Actives and Targeted Ingredients
05:11 Sustainability and Eco-Friendly Skincare
06:53 Tech-Driven Personalized Skincare
10:08 Minimalism in Skincare
11:57 Inclusivity and Diversity in Skincare
13:51 At-Home Non-Invasive Procedures
17:40 Conclusion and Call to Action
Creators and Guests
Host
Host
What is Skinside Out?
Welcome to Skinside Out, where science meets beauty, the ultimate dermatology podcast! Dive deep into the fascinating world of skin health with expert insights, evidence-based discussions, and myth-busting truths. Each episode explores the medical, cosmetic, and surgical aspects of dermatology, while keeping you informed about trending skincare topics. Whether you’re a skincare enthusiast, medical professional, or just curious about how to achieve your best skin, Skinside Out is your go-to resource for staying informed and inspired.
32 Skinside Out
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[00:00:00]
Dr. Zain: Welcome to Skin Side Out Where Science Meets Beauty. I'm your host, Dr. Zane, with Heather and Courtney. So as we're getting to the end of 2025, we're going to review some of the skincare trends that we saw, really transforming the dermatology landscape. And we're gonna do a naughty or nice edition. All right, so let's get straight into it.
So we've seen a lot about barrier repair and microbiome friendly formulas, thoughts.[00:01:00]
I think we all agree on
Courtney: the nice list.
Dr. Zain: So, you know, I think that the barrier has gotten a lot of attention and you know, we are seeing skincare products that are incorporating. Various ingredients to help optimize that skin barrier. Because, because we know that when there is barrier disruption, there's inflammation and can flare conditions such as eczema, um, psoriasis, other things like that.
And if we can kind of replenish those necessary ingredients, we're able to calm things down. So, um, what are some of those ingredients that we look for?
Heather: Um, I think in terms of like. Superior repair. We're looking for like ceramides and peptides, I think, for the microbiome. Um, and just kind of supporting the skin's ecosystem.
Mm-hmm.
Heather: Um, it's good to have like a pre or probiotic. I think using a pre or probiotic topically may not do very much. Um, so if it's being advertised in a [00:02:00] skincare product, it might not be. Worth it as much as taking a pre your probiotic orally, like the inner glow age defense.
Dr. Zain: Yeah, I agree with that.
Courtney: Yeah.
Or like getting it through, like, I eat a lot of yogurt or like keefer. Mm-hmm. I love Keefer. Um, something like that.
Heather: Yeah.
Dr. Zain: Yeah. And like there's some skincare lines that are using certain molecules. To kind of help with that barrier. So like defenses, uh, these are proteins that kind of help also with preventing like infection and things like that.
And when we are depleted of those, like say in eczema, you know, we tend to have more colonization with staph. So it can be helpful with replenishing some of those molecules.
Courtney: Yeah, I feel like this was like, um. This year was like healing era for the skin. I feel like last year and like the year before, everyone was so focused on like exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate, like glycolic and mm-hmm.
Th acid. And I think people are over exfoliating. And now we're kind of like, oh, you don't really need to
Dr. Zain: mm-hmm.
Courtney: Be exfoliating every single day. And same
Heather: for the body too, just kind of repairing [00:03:00] the, the skin on the body as well. Remembering to put those barrier creams on your neck, your dec, your hands. Um, anywhere that needs a little
Dr. Zain: help.
Yeah. Don't neglect your skin wherever. It's, um, so I think that with advanced technology and more research, we're gonna see a boom in this field, um, especially with, you know, microbiome restoration, kinda like how we saw with the gut.
Heather: Mm-hmm.
Dr. Zain: Um, I think that we are making headways into really optimizing.
You know, the barrier using, you know, various, you know, topicals, but also using like bacteria and other microorganisms that can help restore that balance. Mm-hmm. Yeah. All right. Next we're gonna go on to advanced actives and targeted ingredients as a trend.
Courtney: Nice.
Dr. Zain: So. I think there's a focus [00:04:00] on data and evidence-based medicine with certain, um, ingredients.
So I do think that, you know, like we've talked about in other podcasts, we're looking at, you know, antioxidants, we're looking at peptides, growth factors, um, retinoids, things that we know on the molecular level have an impact on skin health. I think people are interested in it because they're hearing more about it.
It's more mainstream social media, and I think it's a good thing.
Courtney: Yeah. I think, um, companies are focusing on quality, um, ingredients now, and I think that's what consumers are also looking for in products, um, is the quality of the products and yeah, having, um. Multiple, uh, ingredients in one. You know, I always think about the Alpha re overnight cream from skin, better with the glycolic, the niacinamide, and the, you know, retinol in there.
So when you have quality ingredients, but also multiple, I think it just [00:05:00] makes it easier, uh, to use one product instead of using like three or four crappy products.
Heather: Yeah. And I think people are doing their homework too. Mm-hmm. To know what is in the product that they're looking to buy.
Courtney: Mm-hmm.
.
Dr. Zain: Sustainability and eco-friendly skincare thoughts.
Courtney: Naughty, woo. Doesn't wanna
Dr. Zain: save
Courtney: the world,
Dr. Zain: heared me out. I do love, cancel love. I do love eco-conscious products. I do love, you know, sustainable products, but I think the emphasis on that as opposed to the quality and the efficacy of the product, that's where I see some disconnect in some of these.
Oh, this is have, is vegan free? Can? You can have both, but I just wanted to. Play devil's advocate.
Courtney: Yeah. Doctors saying supports forest fires.
Dr. Zain: No, I don't. Um, so that's my, I just wanted to kind of bring up that point. Of course, I want sustainability and eco-friendly, but not at the cost of efficacy and safety.
Courtney: [00:06:00] This is true. This
Dr. Zain: is
Courtney: true
Dr. Zain: because I do find like, hey. You want beef towel? That's,
Courtney: yeah. Yeah, that's real. Uh, eco. I don't think that eco, like,
Dr. Zain: no, it's probably actually bad
for
Courtney: the, it's probably bad for the cow.
Heather: I think though people are using it as like a recycled product, so technically it could be, let gag a
Courtney: little.
I don't know what that means.
Heather: I mean, like. Like a byproduct.
Courtney: Okay.
Heather: Like, you know how they make, like, um, like what,
Courtney: they'll take the cow and they get the cow meat, but then they're using like the towel, like, like getting, using every,
Heather: and then they're using like the little bits for like dog treats and stuff like that.
Like maybe they're just using beef towel instead of just like throwing it away. I don't
Courtney: know. Yeah. You know, as a pescatarian, I could go on a whole tangent about like just the, the beef industry and how detrimental it is to Earth in general, but. Yeah, stay away from the towel for multiple reasons.
Dr. Zain: All right, let's move on to tech driven personalized skincare [00:07:00] thoughts.
Heather: Oh, okay.
Dr. Zain: Unanimous. So my thoughts, I think that. Everyone's skin is very unique and I don't think any technology is able to truly assess that. Um, a robot can't really look at your face and really assess the quality of your skin. Um, what type of skin do you have, what other conditions you're suffering from.
Even though, like I know there's algorithms and you know, there's probably other technology that'll be coming down the road. We're not there yet. I do think that seeing a board certified dermatologist, another qualified professional to really truly assess the skin quality and targeted treatments is going to do you a lot more than getting some algorithm that may or may not be right and can sometimes do potential harm.
Courtney: Mm-hmm. Yeah. I think we're seeing the rise of, you know, AI and especially in like chat GPT and Gemini and whatnot, and I just don't think it's, , as personalized, I don't think. Yeah. It's able to [00:08:00] tell you, you know, really, I mean, it's, it's just a,
Dr. Zain: it's not a person, it's a totally different experience. Yeah.
They can't touch my skin. They can't really examine it. Mm-hmm. They're looking at under like different filters of light and just really assessing it from multiple angles
Courtney: and they can still make mistakes. I mean, cha me, he tells you at the end like, don't take this for, you know, for your life because it still makes mistakes.
Yeah. So, you know,
Heather: can you imagine like what. The world could likely be like in like 15 or 20 years. Like imagine if you just. You're going to the dermatologist and like
Courtney: the
Heather: computer rolls up, you check in with the computer and then like you get your scan, your face scanned, and then like a robot comes up to you and gives you your treatment plan.
And then
Courtney: it's like those robots at like the restaurants that like will serve you drinks or take your trash. They'll be like, please give me your trash.
Heather: Yeah.
Courtney: And then they'll say Thank you and you give it.
Heather: It's, yeah, it's, it's not personalized. I think, like you said, they're mistakes. I mean, we're human. We [00:09:00] make mistakes too, but I think it's.
The robots and the AI cannot get a good enough look at the skin and evaluate what it truly needs.
Dr. Zain: Mm-hmm. And I truly believe that medicine is an art and science. Mm-hmm. And yeah, you can treat. Science and train the robot. Yeah. Or you know, AI algorithms, but that finesse with that art. Yeah. And really assessing, you know, patients and kind of giving a tailored, customized approach.
That's something you can't really teach.
Heather: Yeah.
Courtney: Yeah. And what AI is gonna be able to laser your armpits. Please,
Dr. Zain: Ashley. I dunno.
Heather: Maybe,
Courtney: maybe.
Dr. Zain: Well, Larry also was saying something about like, how, you know, AI is gonna teach robots how to do moss and he used that specific example like in one of his Wow. Which was
Courtney: pretty, I know that they have some of like the, um, robotic, like I, but I think
Dr. Zain: Oh, like the Da Vinci.
Yeah. That's been out for years.
Courtney: Right. But some of those I feel like are [00:10:00] meant to like,
Dr. Zain: augment
Courtney: Augment Yeah. And help where we physically can't do things. Yeah. Not as a replacement. So, yeah.
Dr. Zain: Yeah. Cool. All right, so moving on to this trend of minimalism, also known as schism.
Courtney: Nice.
Dr. Zain: All right. Nice. Mm-hmm. So I like minimalistic approaches. It leads to better compliance. It's more cost effective. And also less chances of having irritation, side effects, um, allergies, things like that. So I think that if you can get away with the minimal amount of products to achieve your skincare goals, that is, I think, a win.
Heather: I think it's all also preferential to use, like multi um, functional products. Mm-hmm. So you're getting. Multiple benefits out of just this one single serum or moisture.
Dr. Zain: Yeah. Kinda like how I see the benefits with the compounds. They're getting multiple different medications, [00:11:00] um, kind of working synergistically to get the optimal result.
Heather: Yeah.
Courtney: I think some people. Like the ritual of a skincare routine.
Dr. Zain: Yeah. No, I mean, I'm
Courtney: not, but
Dr. Zain: I'm not, I mean, that's
Courtney: not
Dr. Zain: me.
Courtney: Um, so yeah, sometimes it can be hard to tell those patients, you know? Yeah. You don't need the, the toner, you don't need the
Dr. Zain: mm-hmm.
Courtney: The mi, whatever, um, because yeah, they like that whole like, ritual of it, but
Dr. Zain: Yeah.
But if you're like, you know, your typical male patient Yeah. They want the bare minimum. Yeah. Make it easy,
Courtney: quick,
Dr. Zain: but
Heather: still get a result. Mm-hmm. So it's a good thing to have like a smart
Dr. Zain: Yeah.
Heather: Simplified routine.
Courtney: Yeah. And a doctor ine doesn't care about this factor, but the overconsumption part,
I'm never gonna let that
Dr. Zain: go. I'm supporting the economy though,
Heather: says the businessman.
Dr. Zain: All right. So we're gonna move on to [00:12:00] inclusivity, diversity, and you know, accounting for different skin types. So thoughts in how skincare is addressing that.
Courtney: If any of us put naughty
Heather: man. Yeah. What is your explanation for that?
Dr. Zain: Yeah, I mean, I think that we have so many more options for all skin types, which is incredible, especially with skin of color. So I've been impressed with newer reformulations every year that look more natural, um, making patients more likely to use, um, various products. Especially sunscreen.
Courtney: Mm-hmm. And we're seeing more studies done, I mean, even beyond just cosmetics.
But when we're looking at some of the, um, medical drugs that, you know, you guys are prescribing, I know there have been several reps recently who've shown us new studies on specifically patients with skin of color. Mm-hmm. And so. I think, um, it's, you know, very, uh, encouraging to see that these companies are making effort where they did lack for so many years.
Heather: I think, you know, sunscreen kind of jumps to mind where there's a lot of sunscreens on the [00:13:00] market that don't really do well for skin of color. They leave that white cast. And, um, I think even so thinking from a dermatology perspective, rashes and. Inflammation looks very different mm-hmm. On different skin types.
And I think just recognizing that too, and um, and addressing that with the patients makes a huge difference too.
Dr. Zain: Yeah. And I also like. In terms of advertisement, we're including more skin of color patients. Mm-hmm. So there's a wide spectrum of ethnicities, different skin types, and it's really normalizing, you know, there is skincare for all you can find a product that is right for you.
Um, and there's just so many more options and, uh, I hope that trend continues.
Courtney: Yeah.
Dr. Zain: Yeah. All right. Last but not least. So technology at home, non-invasive at home, procedures, services, thoughts. [00:14:00]
Heather: I can't decide.
Courtney: I know
Dr. Zain: because I, yeah, I can see
Courtney: that. I love a red light mouse. Yes. Right. Okay. I don't like an at home.
Home needling. I feel at home. Microneedling at home. Like hair remove, like,
Dr. Zain: yeah. Supporting outta business.
Heather: The red light therapy is why I was flip flop.
Dr. Zain: Yeah, I understand. I meant to be controversial. Okay.
Heather: You have to decide.
Dr. Zain: Um, yeah, I think that there's some procedures or devices that are fine, um, and appropriate, and there's some that are definitely not.
Um, I really don't like, you know, the microneedling at home. Mm-hmm. Yeah. With the derma rollers. Mm-hmm. It's just like not good.
Heather: I actually have a lot of patients who ask me like mm-hmm. And they've already bought it.
Dr. Zain: Yeah.
Heather: Even for. Hair.
Courtney: Mm-hmm.
Heather: People will be using it for their hair growth too.
Courtney: My patients will ask me, but they already know the answer.
Yeah. They'll be like, yeah, and I probably shouldn't use that. You know, micro or the roller. And I'm [00:15:00] like, yeah, no. Yeah. And they're like, yeah, that's what I thought. But I can tell they already bought it. Like return.
Heather: Yeah.
Dr. Zain: And like things that are kind of cringey. Uh, those Clarisonic brushes, those like face, it's just actually really gross.
Yeah. Because nobody's cleaning those.
Heather: Mm-hmm.
Dr. Zain: And you know, it's kinda like a toothbrush, right? Like it's just kind of accumulates Yeah. Bacteria, viruses, fungi, all that stuff. So.
Heather: I actually had a patient recently who came in with a rash on her cheek, and, um, I told her that I was worried it was HSV herpes simplex.
Mm-hmm. And she didn't believe me. And I even got your opinion on it too. Mm-hmm. I was like, she doesn't believe me. So what is, what are your thoughts? Um. Cultured. It came back positive like immediately, like within a day or two. And she was frustrated reasonably so, because she was like, well, I just spent all this money on like all these at home microneedling devices and everything.
And I was like, well, that's what probably triggered this to pop up. And she [00:16:00] was all frustrated. Mm-hmm. And not at me. Yeah. Yeah. Because she didn't know any better and she thought it was in her best interest to spend money and invest money on those things that she could do at home.
Yeah.
Heather: But.
Dr. Zain: Sometimes the cost effective option is seeing a dermatologist in the first place.
Courtney: Yeah. Yeah. I saw, I meant to send this to you guys. Um, you know me on the Reddit, but on the DIY Reddit, a girl did, and by the way, she did not look any older than like. 26, 27, but whatever. I, I started getting talk at 22, so who am I to talk? Um, but she had done her own talks at home and she hit her, she did her like gummy smiles and she has like a cr she hit like, um, too far over.
So now she like can't kind of like, you
Dr. Zain: actually get the TOXs at home.
Courtney: They, you can order tox like in a tox online. I guess you can order filler, what you can order to, like, it's not what, it's not like Botox obviously. It's like this like. Botulism Sketch. Top Sketch. Yeah. Counterfeit. Yeah. And [00:17:00] man, I'll have to, um, yeah, I'll show you guys after, but she Oh yeah.
That's wild. Her, she's like, I can't bring down my, like left side of my mouth. So she's like, literally like,
Dr. Zain: well, serves you right.
Heather: And then you're gonna spend more money, you're
Dr. Zain: spend more money to correct it. And if
Heather: it's trying to correct it.
Dr. Zain: Yeah. That's like, also like with like the Groupon deals at your Medi Spa.
You think you're saving money, but then when they jack you up and then you're coming to fix it with me, you're spending way more money.
Courtney: The laser hair patients, yeah. Spend two, $3,000 and then they're like, oh, it didn't work. Mm-hmm. You know, I'm still having hair growth. Girl. If you've had 10 sessions, you should not be looking like that.
So yeah, sometimes it's just worth investing for the correct treatment.
Dr. Zain: Cool. , So these were the top trends in 2025 Skincare edition. Um, but if you have any thoughts on these or any other trends that we may have missed, please uh, drop us a line. Uh, leave some comments, like, subscribe. But until next time, skin side. Ouch. Ouch.
Heather: I couldn't pick [00:18:00] it up.