When January rolls around, it shouldn’t feel like an insurmountable hurdle to set resolutions in 2025. Tiny tweaks can often make a difference, and there’s no need to spend a small fortune, either. We are sharing our skin, hair and makeup resolutions for 2025. Trust us, these are tips you’ll want to stick to, says editor Trudi Brewer.
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Sunscreen all year round
We have said it many times, but if you’ve given up wearing an SPF daily, please make this your top beauty resolution. So, what are the benefits of wearing SPF all year round? Here’s our list. Fact: 80 per cent of UV rays can penetrate cloud cover, while UVA, responsible for premature ageing and skin cancer, can also make its way through glass windows. Every skin expert will tell you it's a good idea to wear sunscreen daily, even if it is cold and gloomy — regardless of skin colour or tone. The best news is that sunscreen now comes in many formulas, including serums, tinted highlighters, and glow-giving face creams.
Avene Sunsitive Sunscreen SPF 50+ Serum, $55.
Made with sensitive skin in mind, this measured dose of hydrating serum laced with an SPF 50 sunscreen is a summer essential. Stacked with hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and aloe vera, it rapidly absorbs, leaving the ideal base for makeup - including no white cast. It’s genius.
Naked Sundays SPF50+ Collagen Glow 100% Mineral Perfecting Priming Lotion, from $28.
High SPF protection in a 100 per cent mineral (physical) sunscreen formula. But it’s also a four-in-one SPF. A primer, moisturiser, SPF, and collagen-boosting ingredients, all in one formula. This is one screen we have on rotation.
Polyglutamic Acid - the new hydration hero
One ingredient you will be hearing more about in 2025 is polyglutamic acid. A terrific skin hydrator that helps keep the complexion plump and full of moisture. A ‘humectant’ – an ingredient that attracts water towards it, much like hyaluronic acid, urea and glycerin – polyglutamic acid can hold up to 5000 times its weight in water (while hyaluronic acid holds up to 1000 times its weight). Drawing and keeping water inside the skin - and that’s not all, polyglutamic acid also helps to improve skin’s elasticity, reduce the appearance of fine lines and promote a smoother, more radiant complexion. Polyglutamic acid attracts moisture, so layering hydrating products afterwards will help draw and retain that moisture within your skin.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Serum Crystal Elixir, from $64.
British makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury knows how to create a flawless canvas on the skin, and the ingredients in this serum help do just that. It is boosted with brightening vitamin C, hydrating polyglutamic acid, and the clever peptide Replexium, further promoting a healthy-looking glow.
Dermalogica Circular Hydration Serum with Hyaluronic Acid, from $54.
This serum is a hydrating powerhouse. First, the trusty hyaluronic acid blended with polyglutamic acid (from fermented soy) supercharges the skin with moisture. Then plant-derived sugars and amino acids and a postbiotic blend of lactobacillus ferment help balance and keep the skin’s microbiome healthy.
Invest in an LED mask
LED face masks are hailed as the simple (but pricy) solutions to tighter, smoother skin. In 2025, it’s essential to understand how LED masks work and how to reap the benefits that go beyond skin deep. LED masks combine red, infrared and blue light at different wavelengths to rejuvenate skin. Red light, for example, has been shown to improve acne by reducing inflammation, neutralizing acne-causing bacteria and targeting overactive oil glands. It also activates the skin cells that produce collagen and elastin, promoting skin strength and elasticity. While the initial outlay is costly, this is the most natural way to rejuvenate your skin, regardless of your complexion goals. A quality LED mask will feature various settings to target different skin concerns. If you’re keen to commit, here are the masks we rate.
TRUDERMAL Glow LED Face Mask, $689.
Created to improve the skin by using advanced LED light technology that stimulates skin cells, increases collagen production, and reduces inflammation, rosacea, and dermatitis while promoting skin rejuvenation. The LED face mask offers different light wavelengths that target specific concerns, such as reducing fine lines, improving skin texture, and soothing irritated skin, resulting in healthier and more youthful-looking skin.
CurrentBody LED Light Therapy Face Mask, $676.
To improve the texture and tone of the skin from the comfort of your couch, this mask offers three wavelengths of light to target skin every concern, like fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven skin tone, boosting collagen production and cell regeneration, which helps to firm and plump the skin. A big plus with this LED face mask is it’s cordless and rechargeable. For just 10 minutes a day, it is a safe, natural way to look the best version of yourself.
Adopt a simple Yet active skincare routine.
A complicated TikTok skincare routine may be alluring, but ‘skinimalism’ is the ultimate skincare mantra for 2025. Using multiple skincare products with many active ingredients, such as glycolic acid and retinoids. It can weaken the skin’s barrier (the outermost layer) and cause flare-ups and irritation. Why? Essentially, the skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin (also known as the stratum corneum) that works as a protective veil to insulate your face against environmental stressors. A combination of cholesterol, fatty acids, and ceramides in that layer keeps all the good stuff (like water) in and all the bad stuff (like pollution and free radicals) out. Michelle Henry, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York, emphasises, “A healthy, balanced, and well-hydrated skin barrier should always be on top of our skincare goals.” This less-is-more approach involves cleansing twice daily, incorporating vitamin C, niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid into your day moisturisers or serums, applying SPF every morning, and considering retinol in a moisturiser at night.
Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Night Cream, $185.
This Retinol Tri-Active-infused night cream is designed for all ages and skin types. Thanks to niacinamide, hydrolysed yeast extract, hyaluronate, and soybean extract, it helps rejuvenate the look of the skin while intensely hydrating it. Beyond brightening and firming, it also strengthens the skin’s protective barrier. An all-in-one skin-loving treatment cream that works its magic while you sleep.
Essano Makeup Melt Milky Oil Cleanser, $18.
Ideal for summer, this gentle milky cleanser melts away makeup and sunscreen in seconds without leaving the skin feeling parched. Suitable as a double cleanse, one to eliminate grime and the second to deliver the good-for-your-compleion ingredients, including fermented postbiotics, nourishing ceramides and squalane, hyaluronic and amino acids. I can be found at any supermarket.
Scalp care is the new skincare.
The good news is that treating your scalp like the rest of your skin means you don’t have to learn anything new. We have advocated diligent scalp care for years and are thrilled it’s finally getting the attention it deserves. If your hair isn't looking healthy or shiny, your scalp may be inflamed or stressed; the hair it produces will reflect this. Dermatologist Bertha from Aventura Dermatology says, “Alongside hormonal imbalances and medical conditions that affect hair growth, the health of your scalp is a huge determining factor in the health of your hair. Hair growth and strength can be affected, and the scalp's moisture can affect the hair follicle. Dandruff can irritate the scalp, leading to dry skin and other issues, such as inflammatory conditions causing itching and hair loss in certain cases.”
Umberto Giannini Grow Scrub Vegan Exfoliating Scalp Scrub, $25.
In the same way, the skin needs exfoliating from time to time, and so does our scalp. Grow Scrub helps remove the build-up of skin and hair product residue without stripping the hair of colour or shine with a blend of sea salt, coffee seed extracts and plant oils. Safe to use with hair extensions. This will be a game-changer for a dry, itchy, flakey scalp.
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide
Serum for Hair Density, $46.
Trustworthy skin experts, this serum is a bottle of scalp hydration and skin barrier protection. A leave-in treatment combines skin-loving hyaluronic acid, squalane, arginine, zinc and magnesium. A few drops massaged into the scalp, ideally at night, will help to condition the skin on the scalp and help promote healthy, strong, glossy hair.
90s-inspired beauty
Then, the fashion world’s obsession with the ’90s is set to continue into 2025, including' 90s-inspired beauty, anchored by luminous-looking skin, barely there, monochromatic makeup created with neutrals just a shade or two darker than your skin tone, enhancing and highlighting your features natural shape. However, this neutral glow doesn’t mean you must forgo colour in your routine. Red-toned lip paired with smudged brown eyeliner. Or a poppy red pout teamed with muted, warm-toned copper hues on lids are perfect for capturing this effortless yet elevated 90s vibe.
Naked Sundays Beautyscreen SPF 50 Foundation Tint, $60.
This new multi-purpose skin tint ticks every box as a complexion perfector. First, the SPF 50 is mineral zinc oxide, which offers broad-spectrum sun protection. The tint provides a light to medium coverage, and it’s loaded with skin-caring ingredients, including polyglutamic acid, niacinamide, peptides, and nourishing squalane. There are 13 shades in the range.
VIOLETTE_FR Bisou Jelly, $54.
This French beauty brand is a master at creating clever makeup. This innovation is where balm meets lipstick to deliver a sheer kiss of red colour whipped in a hydrating natural shine. There are two layers. In the middle is a red pigmented core blurred by the gloss-like natural balm made with plant extracts, including Monk's pepper, castor seed, and sunflower seed oils.
Gourmands are still the fragrance style of choice.
The not-so-breaking news for 2025 is that gourmand-inspired fragrances are not going anywhere. Why? People want to smell sexy and delicious, and gourmand scents deliver that aroma; hence, searches across Google and TikTok for caramel and vanilla perfume have doubled over the past 12 months. While fragrance makers continue developing exciting food-inspired scents, this new breed is called “neo” or “new” gourmands. Still edible and delicious but softer, more sophisticated, and more complex.
Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 62 Perfume Mist, from $47.
Sol de Janeiro excels at creating tropical-inspired gourmand fragrances. This newbie is no exception. Inspired by the sultry beaches of Brazil, expect a blend of pistachio, almond, jasmine petals, vanilla, and salted caramel. This refreshing mist can be spritzed on skin, hair and clothing to guarantee it lingers.
Jean Paul Gaultier Divine Le Parfum, from $165.
The perfumer describes this scent as a blend of flowers and salt. Hypnotic frangipani and sunlit jasmine are spiked with salty, sweet meringue and the warmth of amber, which has become one of the most popular fragrance ingredients. This scent is superb, and the bottle is another collector’s style statement.
An afternoon of music, fashion, food and Piper Heidsieck champagne.