Concerns Abound Over Mature Skin

With the start of spooky season, consumers are getting spooked out by their own reflection!

Whether from laying out in the summer sun for too long without ample sunscreen reapplication, or enduring stressful events, their side effects are manifesting negatively on consumers’ faces, and they’re not wearing a smile.

Dark circles, dry, leathery skin, droopy skin due to a loss of elasticity, and lines and wrinkles are causing consumers grief and added worry. And if they’re not feeling good about their appearance, they’re not looking good either.

According to Spate’s Popularity Index, mature skin and the skin microbiome are the fastest-growing concerns in the US.

Skin Microbiome

The skin microbiome is no longer a scientific term ingrained in a skincare experts’ expansive vocabulary. It’s becoming as much a conversational topic as neighborhood gossip among beauty lovers.

In layman’s terms, the microbiome is the ecosystem of bacteria that lives on the skin’s surface. When this delicate balance is disrupted, it can trigger conditions like atopic dermatitis, psoriasis and acne. As consumers become more informed about how the skin functions and how to support it, they’re increasingly curious about microbiome-friendly products and routines.

Per Spate analysts, the trend has grown by +134.9% compared to last year, and across platforms. On Google, searches are up 47.7% compared to last year, with 1.6K average monthly searches, analysts say. On TikTok, views have risen +142.3%, generating 3.0 million weekly views. Interestingly, no brands currently dominate the top search queries, which leaves room for companies to establish themselves as the authority on microbiome health in the same way brands have claimed expertise in acne or barrier care. With a Very High Paid Views share (81.0%) and TikTok Shop Views share (76.5%), brands have an opportunity to partner with creators not only to spotlight microbiome-friendly products, but educate audiences on why the microbiome is a mighty matter.

Mature Skin

Meanwhile, the industry is shifting away from “anti-aging” and embracing the more inclusive term “mature skin.” The trend has grown by +77.6% compared to last year, and across platforms. On Google, searches are up 5.5% compared to last year, while TikTok has seen growth of +101.4%. Although Google holds the majority of the trend’s popularity share at 85.2%, TikTok is where the conversation is really taking off. The platform now averages 11.7 million weekly views under this trend, per analysts, highlighting that the mature skin community is thriving there, over more “mature” audience-driven platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

On TikTok, users are turning to hashtags like #matureskinapproved and #matureskinfriendly for product recommendations, tutorials and application tips. The top-related hashtag is #drmelaxin, which drives 1.0 million average weekly views. Much of this traction is thanks to the brand’s Cementrete Calcium Multi Balm, the term of endearment for which is the “wrinkle stick” by veteran creators.