Skin Immunity Rises... Beauty Keywords in the COVID-19 Era

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] With the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, interest in immunity has increased, and 'skin immunity' is emerging as a new beauty keyword.

The clinic center of contemporary cosmetics brand AHC analyzed the skincare trend after the COVID-19 outbreak with the keyword 'skin immunity.'

According to a survey conducted by AHC Clinic Center and beauty magazine Marie Claire on 3,326 Korean adults, more than half of the respondents expressed significant concerns about skin problems caused by the normalization of mask-wearing, such as pores, blemishes, skin elasticity, and sebum.

To improve their skin condition, they mostly used 'serums or ampoules (56.5%),' and preferred products that boost skin condition lowered by the daily use of masks (28%) and products that increase skin density and elasticity (23%).

Preference for ‘microbiome,’ which is effective in maintaining skin health and immunity, was also found to be high. The microbiome is the microbial ecosystem on the skin surface, which helps activate the skin immune system by increasing the number and distribution of beneficial bacteria.

Consumers cited skin barrier improvement (30.4%), skin immunity enhancement (22.9%), and skin health maintenance (18.6%) as the expected effects of microbiome cosmetics.

By age group, people in their 20s and 30s expected skin barrier improvement, while those in their 40s and 50s expected overall skin base care such as immunity, skin health, and balance.

An AHC official stated, “As the spread of COVID-19 continues for a long time and mask-wearing duration increases, there are significant changes in individual skin hygiene and skincare needs. It seems that consumers are looking not only for products that can protect the skin healthily from mask irritation but also for products that can cultivate a healthy skin ecosystem and help maintain natural beauty.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.