The 7 Skincare Ingredients You’ll See Everywhere In 2021, According To Experts

With each passing day, there seems to be a brand new skincare ingredient to take note of. While some ingredients are lauded classics, frequently celebrated by experts and customers alike, others are new and notable, gaining traction on TikTok and social media. If all the acids, serums, and oils leave you scratching your head, the skincare experts are here to help, offering their thoughts on what ingredients are worth watching in the year ahead.

Don't toss away your favorite cleanser and plan an entire revamp of your skincare regimen just yet, as not every ingredient or trend might be for you. However, there's no harm in experimenting, and as these beauty brains explained, each ingredients comes with specific benefits, meaning you should always be aware of the impact products could have on your skin.

Get familiar with all of the expert-approved skincare ingredients to watch in 2021, below.

We only include products that have been independently selected by Nylon’s editorial team. However, we may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

Skincare Ingredients To Watch in 2021: Buckthorn Oil

According to Elina Fedotova, cosmetic chemist, celebrity esthetician, and owner of Elina Organics Skincare & Spas, you'll want to get familiar with buckthorn oil in 2021. It can potentially help treat multiple skincare woes, beginning with its known ability to regenerate and rejuvenate the skin.

As for its added benefits, Fedotova noted, "It also helps heal sun damaged, irritated, dry, and itchy skin. Using this powerhouse fruit daily on the skin helps slow down the signs of aging by nourishing the tissues in your skin and body, hydrating your complexion and preventing wrinkles. If you are prone to frequent rosacea outbreaks, Sea Buckthorn is also a very promising treatment for rosacea."

Skincare Ingredients To Watch in 2021: Jojoba Oil

Dr. Hadley King expects the clean beauty trend to continue, especially when it comes to the inclusion of Jojoba Oil. Rich in vitamins E and B, the oil is helpful in hydrating, and repairing the skin, and its also known to help calm inflammation and eczema. "Jojoba oil is technically a wax ester, rather than a triglyceride like most oils are. It's lighter and less greasy than many other oils...Jojoba oil absorbs deep into the skin, so it does not feel as greasy as an oil that sits on the top of the skin," Dr. King told NYLON.

Skincare Ingredients To Watch In 2021: Tranexemic Acid

As mask-wearing continues to be the norm, Glenise Gomez, Regional Trainer with Heyday, suggested looking for products that contained tranexemic acid, which she says works to "balance and minimize pigmentation especially discoloration from maskne, post acneic scars, and actinic damage."

She compared the product to another popular ingredient, saying, "Whilst buffered retinol is touted currently the skin may take up to 3 weeks to acclimate so improvement of texture alongst with minimized pigmentation within the same time frame from tranexamic acid will be preferred. It’s readily available as a synthetic derivative of lysine and so can be more cost effective than sourcing with concerns of the environment that we need to consider for planet sustainability."

Skincare Ingredients To Watch in 2021: Baltic Amber

Baltic Amber comes with an amino acid, also known as succinic acid, Fedotova explained. The ingredients is a powerful antioxidant that can potentially help to firm up skin and reduce signs of aging. "It helps to firm the skin by reducing toxins and free radicals," Fedotova explained of the acid.

Skincare Ingredients To Watch in 2021: Polyglutamic Acid

Dr. King likened this trending skincare ingredient to another popular favorite, hyaluronic acid. Both bind water, but as King explained, polyglutamic acid doesn't penetrate the skin. Rather, it forms a hydrogel film on the surface, preventing water from evaporating, which helps skin lock in moisture. "When combined with hyaluronic acid, it creates visible plumping because these two humectants are working at different levels in the skin," Dr. King explained.

Skincare Ingredients To Watch in 2021: Prebiotics and Probiotics

The skincare community has long touted the possible skin benefits of incorporating products with prebiotics and probiotics. However, Priscilla Tsai, CEO and Founder, cocokind, theorized that 2021 could be the year that both take off, as the two are commonly found in food and products. "There is more research on how different areas of your skin or body (for example face or scalp) might react to an imbalanced microbiome. Some might experience itchiness or some tightness but adding pre and probiotics to your skincare will help rebalance each unique network so each will feel the benefits in their own unique way. They really are versatile ingredients that will really benefit everyone," she said.

Skincare Ingredients To Watch In 2021: Bakuchiol

Retinol continues to surge in skincare popularity, but Dr. Naissan O. Wesley, author and aesthetic and surgical dermatologist, believes this gentle, plant-derived version could be popular in 2021. According to Dr. Wesley, bakuchiol has been around for more than 3,000 years, but there's been renewed interest, saying, "This ingredient is helpful for overall tone and texture of the skin in renormalizing the way the skin forms, supporting collagen to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and reducing appearance of sun spots. It is often also better tolerated than retinol, which can sometimes be potentially irritating to the skin."