- Fall 2025 skincare emphasizes barrier repair 2.0, simplified basics, and serums used strategically rather than stockpiled.
- Exosomes continue to emerge as a buzzy (but largely unproven) regenerative technology, while GLP-1–related skin changes are driving innovation in both in-office and at-home treatments.
- Lip balms evolve into multitasking color-treatment hybrids (call it the Rhode effect), reflecting consumers’ desire for plumper lips without filler.
As a beauty editor with over 20 years of experience, I typically view skincare trends as suggestions: sometimes useful, often recycled, and occasionally just plain misguided. And these are very suggestive times! With each new season, I of course expect to see a wave of new skincare trends and launches, but fall 2025's product flood feels more like a tsunami. Add in the constant cultural shifts and viral moments, and it all becomes overwhelming.
That’s why I’ve tapped four industry experts to help zero in on the skincare trends that actually matter for fall 2025. These are the topics your friends are DMing about, the bets your favorite brands and retailers are banking on, and the questions that derms are being asked in the office. Some are uber-practical seasonal updates, others are course corrections to previous trends gone too far, and a few are crystal ball predictions of what’s ahead.
✅ Better Barrier Care
Barrier repair products aren’t new, but their formulations and practicality have become way more user-friendly. And the timing is perfect for fall, as temperatures begin to drop and skin gets drier and potentially more sensitive as a result. “Barrier creams are evolving past the old assumption that thicker equals more hydrating,” says dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD. “These new formulas are lighter and more elegant, but still packed with barrier-friendly ingredients like fatty acids, ceramides, niacinamide, and glycerin," she says, adding that "it’s a bit like tech—early smartphones were clunky, but now they’re sleek and do more with less.” These new and improved barrier creams also layer seamlessly under makeup or sunscreen, making them far more versatile than the heavy occlusives of the past.
3 new barrier-repair products we <3
Versed Daily Recovery Rich Barrier Cream
Good for sensitive skin and wallet-friendly, this hydrator restores and soothes with lipids, niacinamide, and glycerin.
Farmacy Honey Cloud Lightweight Barrier Repair Moisturizer
Ectoin and hyaluronic acid hydrate, while chamomile and calendula soothe.
Deinde Instant-Calming Recovery Gel
The cooling rollerball applicator is instantly soothing and the biotech formula with hydrating squalane and protective antioxidants.
✅ A Return to Skincare Basics
Retinol and vitamin C are being featured as key ingredients in many new skincare launches for fall. So why do the classic gold-standard ingredients keep resurfacing amid buzzy lingo like K-beauty, biotech, and longevity? “It’s likely a correction to the marketplace, which has become so overwhelming for customers. The sheer number of products and hard-to-decipher ingredients has people craving clarity and efficacy over novelty,” says Jessica Matlin, director of Beauty and Home at Moda Operandi. “Unlike five years ago, today’s shopper is educated enough to seek out tried-and-true ingredients like vitamin C and retinol on a label. Brands are happy to spotlight those ingredients on the pack versus those that require extra marketing to explain," adds Matlin.
And derms agree: “Despite so many fad products coming and going through the years, these two ingredient categories have the largest amount of data supporting their effectiveness,” says dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD. “Vitamin C brightens and protects, while retinol strengthens skin and improves the appearance of lines and wrinkles.”
✅ 2.0 Lip Balms
Filler fatigue has sparked a boom in lip treatments that deliver juicier, healthier lips without the sting of old-school plumpers or the stickiness of high-shine gloss. These days, beauty consumers still want fuller lips, but they’d rather get there with products that hydrate and plump than with filler, says Dr. Zeichner.
Lip balm also wins as an easy repeat buy—price-accessible, low-commitment, and vibe-agnostic (you don’t need to be a “lipstick person” to wear one). According to Matlin, hybrid formats are thriving: gloss-balms, stain-balms, treatment-balms. “Comfort with color has become nonnegotiable. Violette_FR’s Bisou Balm and U Beauty’s Plasma Lip Compound stand out because they marry skincare-like comfort with color payoff,” says Matlin.
❌ Serum Stockpiling
Remember when there was just one serum in your skincare routine? Well, not this fall. Now there’s a serum for every inch of skin (including scalp), and the term "serum" has expanded to cover textures like gels, oils, sticks, lotions, and even face mists. It begs the question: what isn’t a serum these days? And do you really need a wardrobe of them? “Serum refers to a product that delivers a high concentration of a particular active ingredient,” says Dr. Zeichner. “When they first hit the market, consumers treated them like a one-stop shop. Now people are more ingredient-savvy—sometimes to the point of going overboard with too many at once.”
This season, skip the serum stockpiling for a smarter strategy. “Let your serum and moisturizer complement each other. If your cream hydrates, use a brightening serum; if your cream has actives, choose a barrier-repair serum. Think of them as partners, not duplicates. And rather than juggling multiples, stick to one good serum for your face and the areas that take the most sun damage—chest, hands, scalp—where your goals are the same,” Dr. Gohara says.
🔮 The Exosomes Buzz
Exosomes are the latest trendy skincare ingredient showing up in cosmetic treatments and over-the-counter serums. But what are they, exactly? Exosomes are tiny vehicles released by cells that act like cargo ships, carrying proteins, lipids, and genetic material. In beauty, they’re touted as powerful cellular messengers and the next wave in skin regeneration. In practice, experts are cautious. “What’s unclear is what the cargo actually is—exosomes may be plant or stem cell-derived, and different products contain varying ingredients. I look at exosomes as the Wild West of skincare: huge potential, but also huge unknowns,” says Dr. Zeichner. Dr. Gohara agrees: “Exosomes are fascinating, but consumers should know the science isn’t fully there yet before splurging.” This technology is one to watch.
🔮 GLP-1 Face Care
Rapid weight loss can impact the skin’s elasticity and collagen, leading to sagging and hollowing. “It's like you have significantly less stuffing, but the size of the surrounding fabric doesn’t change,” explains Dr. Zeichner. There's also the fact that early research suggests GLP-1 medications may also interfere with collagen production, Dr. Zeichner adds. While topical retinoids and collagen-stimulating peptide creams or serums can help, dermatologists agree that the most reliable fixes are in-office: radiofrequency microneedling (like Matrix or Morpheus8) to tighten and volumizing facial fillers to restore contours.
“As these medications are here to stay, we’re going to see more early intervention at the derm,” says dermatologist Karan Lal, DO. Many future products will likely be tested specifically on GLP-1 patients, especially for mid and lower-face laxity. “Fillers in this group often work best when they’re pure hyaluronic acid, since biostimulators (like Sculptra) can be hit or miss when patients aren’t eating enough to sustain collagen production,” he says.
Dr. Lal also points to growth factors, hyaluronic acid skincare, and even creatine-containing products as promising at-home options. “Creatine really does help the skin appear firmer, though there aren’t many formulas yet. And believe it or not, tan skin tends to look less saggy. My patients swear by the Jergens Natural Glow line for face and body,” Dr. Lal adds.
3 collagen-boosting serums that are worth the splurge:
Dr. Diamond's Metacine Instafacial Plasma Bioactive Growth Factor Serum
Allies of Skin Multi Peptides & Growth Factor Collagen Boosting Face Serum
Meet the experts:
- Mona Gohara, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist in New Haven, CT, and associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine.
- Jessica Matlin is the director of beauty and home at Moda Operandi and founder and host of the award-winning podcast Fat Mascara.
- Joshua Zeichner, MD, is the director of cosmetic and clinical research in Dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, NY.
- Karan Lal, DO, FAAD, is a double-board-certified pediatric and cosmetic dermatologist based in Scottsdale, AZ.
Why Trust Cosmopolitan?
Erica Metzger is an established beauty director, freelance writer, brand consultant, and content creator with 20 years of industry experience in print and digital media. She is the founder and editor of The Beauty Loop, a weekly industry newsletter for beauty journalists and PR executives.
