If you’re looking to get a head start on the latest innovations and products, let the biggest skin care trends for 2026 lead the way. In the last couple of years we’ve seen shoppers become more knowledgeable about skin care than ever, with results-driven products and at-home devices taking off in popularity. When it comes to cosmetic work, celebrities have led the charge in transparency around the work they’ve gotten done, with a more natural look than the Instagram face of years past.
The skin care trends of 2026 build off these factors. Cosmetics are going back to basics, with regenerative and noninvasive treatments offering real results. Filler and botox are becoming more tailored to faces to accentuate and refresh your natural features, while biomimetic ingredients (ingredients that mimic the substances that naturally occur in our skin and body) like polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN), an ingredient derived from salmon sperm, will continue to appear in our favorite products.
Ahead, top dermatologists share the most popular skin care trends of 2026.
Meet the Experts
- Dendy Engelman, MD, is a board-certified cosmetic dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at Shafer Clinic in New York City.
- Nava Greenfield, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City.
Monopolar radiofrequency
Dendy Engelman, MD, board-certified cosmetic dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at Shafer Clinic in New York City, lists monopolar radiofrequency as a go-to option for patients seeking natural results and preventative skin health. Monopolar RF uses a single electrode to deliver a high-frequency current into the skin, generating heat in dermal layers of the skin that then stimulate collagen.
“This is set to be a major trend in 2026 as patients continue to seek noninvasive treatments that deliver visible tightening and collagen stimulation without downtime,” she explains. “Newer platforms like Everesse are elevating the category by offering deeper, more consistent energy delivery with improved comfort, leading to immediate firmness and gradual collagen remodeling over time.”
Streamlined skin care routines
After years of maximalist skin care routines, the pendulum has started to swing back to basics. In addition, social media trends and hacks are starting to fall out of favor. “Along with the explosion of nutraceutical use (the consumption of supplements and fortified foods), we are also seeing more untreated acne and a tremendous amount of wrong, unhelpful, and confusing information on the internet,” says Nava Greenfield, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City. “Skin care trends will inevitably be going back to basics, making skin care more simple and easy to follow, like three-step routines instead of 20 steps.”
Regenerative aesthetics
According to Dr. Engelman, treatments that activate the body’s natural repair mechanisms are leading the industry’s next chapter. In a 2024 American Academy of Facial and Reconstructive Surgery member survey, 57% of facial plastic surgeons expect regenerative medicine to be a major growth area, and one in four predict exosomes will become a key part of future practice.
“Biologic therapies such as biostimulators, exosomes, platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), growth factors, and stem-cell-derived products are transforming rejuvenation by improving tissue quality from within,” she explains.
However, when it comes to exosomes, she cautions that they will only be highly effective when they remain stable and intact in the final formula. “Exosomes act as cellular messengers, carrying growth factors and proteins that support skin rejuvenation. If they break down during formulation, they can’t deliver those signals, meaning performance hinges on stability.”
Dr. Engelman recommends SkinMedica TNS Recovery Complex, which contains stable, fibroblast-derived exosomes that remain intact and active in the finished product. “This is the first peer-reviewed study of its kind, and it’s an important distinction because it validates that exosomes in this formula not only exist, but arrive to the skin in a state where they can actually perform,” she says.
Tailored injections
Another emerging trend is custom and tailored dosing of neurotoxins like Botox. “A top concern for patients is the fear of unnatural outcomes,” explains Dr. Engelman. “However, research shows that when done appropriately, and in the hands of licensed and trained providers, the outcome can be very desirable.”
Dr. Engelman also predicts that hyaluronic acid injectable fillers like Juvederm will remain a staple, albeit with a different role than years past. “As aesthetics matures, fillers aren’t being phased out; they’re being refined,” she says. “Their role is becoming less about dramatic transformation and more about quiet craftsmanship. In 2026 hyaluronic is the essential medium for a new generation of subtle, sophisticated results that no other technology can replicate. Patients aren’t asking to ‘get filled’; they’re asking to look like themselves, but fresher.”
As a result, filler is shifting toward “micro-dosing, layered refinement, and anatomy-respectful enhancement, rather than the volumizing approaches that defined the early 2020s.”
Biomimetic ingredients
Some of the biggest trends that will dominate skin care in 2026 are biomimetic ingredients (ingredients that mimic the substances that naturally occur in our skin and body), PDRN products, and products that combat any unwanted effects of using GLP-1s.
“We have seen excellent outcomes with formulas that offer new and more effective ways of mimicking the body’s own processes and reparative abilities to deliver results, and I anticipate this will continue to be a focus for science-driven skin care brands in the coming years,” explains Dr. Engelman. She also notes that PDRN products will gain popularity after the interest in the salmon sperm facial kicked off in 2024 and 2025.
“Following its popularity, brands have been leaning into the trend with PDRN products that deliver similar hydrating, plumping benefits at home,” she says. “I think we will see this trend continue to grow in an at-home format in 2026, with more brands coming up with creative ways to integrate the ingredient into topical skin care products.”
FAQs
What to expect from skin care in the next two years
Dr. Engelman expects that brands and retailers will cater more to the knowledgeable and discerning beauty shopper by providing more detailed and technical information about ingredients, as well as integrating tools on their websites and other platforms that allow for more individualized care beyond just quizzes and skin types. She believes we’ll see “more synergy between at-home care and in-office procedures and treatments” as devices get more advanced and patients continue to desire skin care that allows them to both heal fast and maintain results longer.
“Over the next two years, we’ll see personalization anchored in your skin history, the procedures you’ve had, how your environment changes throughout the year, even how your skin behaves during stress or travel,” she explains. “Routines will become adaptive, not static. The most exciting evolution is that personalization will increasingly be tied to professional care: Your at-home regimen will be designed to complement the lasers, peels, or other treatments you’re doing, almost like a long-term skin care road map.”
What is an ideal skin care routine based on 2026 trends?
According to Dr. Engelman, we can expect that the ideal skin care routine is going to be more streamlined, intentional, and tailored to each individual’s unique needs. “In general, I recommend the double-cleansing method, followed by a growth factor or peptide serum, nourishing moisturizer, and of course SPF in the morning. At night, it’s all about one targeted active that supports your skin’s needs, usually a retinoid or a growth-factor treatment, followed by barrier support,” she says.
She also thinks that skin care routines will also include more body care. “Incorporating a retinoid or peptide lotion a few nights a week has become increasingly popular because the skin below the neck benefits from the same science-backed ingredients,” she says. Dr. Greenfield agrees that skin care has to be personalized for every individual and emphasizes that individuals with skin concerns should work toward closer collaboration with a dermatologist.
What is the next big thing in skin care?
Science-based products and treatments will produce the next big thing in skin care. “I think science is really where skin care is now, and where it will continue to go,” says Dr. Engleman. “Using the wealth of knowledge and research that we have today, we are able to synergistically marry cutting-edge in-office treatments with effective topical formulas and at-home devices for holistic skin care that delivers better results than ever before.”