Weekly Skin Care Trends Report (Week of Feb 21, 2025)
Trending Skincare Products
The following products are making waves globally on social media and ad platforms, driving high engagement and sales. (Direct product links included below.)
| Product (Link) | Why It’s Trending | Engagement Metrics & Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Biodance Hydro Cera-nol Real Deep Mask | TikTok-viral Korean hydrogel sleeping mask known for intense hydration and skin barrier repair. Users tout it as an overnight “slugging” alternative for dewy skin. | Surged in popularity through K-beauty TikToks (widely shared “before/after” videos). Frequently sold out on global retail sites after viral reviews, indicating strong conversion from social buzz. |
| COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Essence | Lightweight essence with 96% snail mucin – a key ingredient that went viral via TikTok’s #MirrorSkin trend. Praised for repairing skin, fading scars, and boosting glow. | Snail mucin content has amassed ~968 million TikTok views as of late 2023, driving a global spike in demand. COSRX’s snail line became a bestseller internationally, with countless user demos and shares fueling its sales. |
| Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun SPF50+ PA++++ | A lightweight Korean sunscreen that exploded in popularity on TikTokfor its hydrating, no-whitecast formula. Loved by influencers for “glass skin” looks without irritation. | This viral SPF turned the niche Beauty of Joseon brand into a global name – revenue jumped from just ~$83K in 2020 to $116.7M in 2023. The hashtag #beautyofjoseon boasts millions of views, and ads featuring this sunscreen see high click-through and conversion rates as consumers scramble to buy it. |
(Note: All prices mostly under $50, aligning with social media’s preference for affordable skincare
Each product above earned its trending status through authentic user reviews and viral video demonstrations.)
Ingredient Trends
Skincare ads and social posts are increasingly highlighting certain ingredients that consumers are seeking out. Below are the top trending ingredients and why they’re in the spotlight:
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) – A powerhouse for brightening and oil-balancing, niacinamide remains one of the most in-demand skincare ingredients. It appears in countless new product launches and ad campaigns. Global search interest for niacinamide is huge (~3.6 million searches per month) and still growing
It’s frequently mentioned in ad copy as a solution for uneven tone and pores, and is a “hot topic” on Skincare TikTok
– many TikTok creators tout niacinamide serums, driving further consumer interest.
Snail Mucin – An unusual but wildly popular ingredient, snail secretion filtrate is prized for hydration and skin repair. Originally a K-beauty staple, it became a viral sensation worldwide after users on TikTok demonstrated its smoothing, “glass skin” effects. Videos about snail mucin have garnered nearly 1 billion views on TikTok
reflecting massive engagement. Ads for snail-mucin products (like essences and creams) often highlight its natural growth factors and promise of dewy skin. Consumers are intrigued by the science-backed benefits and the novelty – making snail mucin a buzzworthy ingredient that brands continue to feature prominently.
Matcha (Green Tea) – Antioxidant-rich matcha has jumped into the spotlight as a skincare ingredient this year. In late January, Google searches for “matcha skincare” spiked 2,300%
coinciding with TikTok videos of matcha face masks going viral. Beauty influencers heavily tout Matcha’s anti-inflammatory, redness-reducing properties. One viral TikTok showed an influencer’s matcha green tea mask results and pulled in over 180K views
Now brands are riding this wave: we see matcha in cleansers, serums, and moisturizers, often marketed as a natural, calming ingredient. The trend aligns with the broader move toward clean, plant-based skincare and has given matcha a major boost in ad mentions and product development
Peptides (Collagen Boosters) – Peptides, especially those that promise to firm skin and smooth wrinkles, are trending across prestige and indie brands alike. Beauty editors and dermatologists predict peptides will remain among 2025’s most popular ingredients
These short-chain amino acids (like copper peptides and signal peptides) appear in anti-aging serums and even makeup-skin care hybrids. Ads with claims about “boosting collagen” or supporting the skin’s “protein matrix” are resonating with consumers who want preventive aging care. For example, products with argireline (nicknamed “Botox in a bottle”) and copper peptides have seen increased interest as people share their wrinkle-smoothing results. High-performing campaigns reinforce this peptide buzz – e.g. a recent peptide serum ad campaign delivered strong ROI for a brand, suggesting that highlighting peptides can drive engagement and sales.
(Other notable mentions: Ceramides continue their popularity for barrier repair – search interest in ceramides grew ~7% YoY with TikTok being a major discussion platform
Additionally, ingredients like hyaluronic acid and tranexamic acid are frequently cited in ads, but the four above truly led the trend charts this week.)
Ad Engagement Insights
This week’s social media and Meta ad data reveal what’s working in skincare advertising – and what’s not – based on engagement metrics:
Best-Performing Ads and Campaigns
Skin1004’s TikTok LIVE Shopping Ad (Korean skincare brand) – A TikTok case study shows that a live-shopping campaign for Skin1004’s ampoules was a hit. Its live ad reached 190K+ users, achieving a CTR of 2.82% and an impressive 4.06× ROAS (return on ad spend)
The real-time demo format and influencer partnership drove high engagement. This indicates interactive formats (like live streams with purchasing features) can greatly boost click-through and sales in the skincare niche.
Bushbalm’s Targeted Facebook/Instagram Ads – Niche body-care brand Bushbalm tested Shopify Audiences to combat declining ad performance post privacy updates. The result: campaigns using these audiences outperformed their normal ads by 20–30%, including a 42% higher CTR
Although their CPMs were higher, the conversion rate and ROAS were significantly stronger, meaning the targeted ads found more ready-to-buy customers
In short, Bushbalm’s best ads succeeded by leveraging better data for audience targeting – translating to quality clicks and more purchases.
Rhode Skin’s “Peptide Lip” Social Launch – Hailey Bieber’s skincare brand, Rhode, generated enormous buzz on Instagram with its new peptide lip product campaign. A behind-the-scenes Instagram Reel from Rhode amassed about 264,000 likes and hundreds of comments within days
.The campaign cleverly tapped a celebrity (singer Tate McRae) and nostalgia (recreating a ’90s ad aesthetic) to spur engagement. While these were organic posts rather than paid ads, the strategy illustrates how creative storytelling and influencer star-power can yield viral engagement. Such success often spills over to ad performance – Rhode’s subsequent paid ads for the launch likely benefited from the heightened brand interest (and likely saw strong click-through rates due to the product’s waitlist demand).
Underperforming Ads and Adjustments Made
Face Reality Skincare (Acne Brand) – Turning Around Sluggish Ads: This acne-focused brand initially struggled to break through a crowded market – early ads had mediocre engagement. They identified the issue: broad messaging that didn’t hook their target audience (estheticians and acne sufferers). In response, the team overhauled their strategy: they audited the ad funnel, then tested new creative angles and persona-specific messaging (e.g. “90% Effective at Treating Acne” and “Your Esthetician Will Approve” themes)
The improvement was dramatic – within a month, they zeroed in on winning creatives for each audience and saw a 72% jump in CTR and a 33% higher conversion rate
This optimization drove a 400% increase in ROAS for their DTC ads
In summary, the underperforming ads were revamped by sharpening the message and creative to resonate more with the intended audience, which immediately boosted engagement and sales.
Common Issues: Across various brands, common causes of underperformance include ad fatigue (viewers tune out repetitive creatives) and mismatched targeting. For instance, many brands saw post-iOS14 ad performance dip – as was the case with Bushbalm, which reported a >20% YoY drop in ROAS when ad targeting became less efficient
The remedy has been to adapt with new tools (as Bushbalm did) or to refresh creatives more frequently. Brands that identified stale creatives replaced them with fresh content (often user-generated style videos or striking before/after comparisons), and those tweaks often revived CTR and engagement. The key takeaway: when an ad underperforms, diagnose the likely issue (audience, creative, or offer) and test a targeted change – the data this week shows that doing so can transform an ad from lackluster to high-performing.
Key Takeaways (Quick Reference)
- Affordable, viral products are dominating – Budget-friendly skincare like K-beauty masks, snail essences, and sunscreens are trending due to social media virality, translating to high ad clicks and conversionsEnsure product links and ad creatives highlight why they’re buzzworthy (e.g. user testimonials, before/after pics).
- Ingredient-centric marketing works – Ads focusing on trendy ingredients (niacinamide, snail mucin, matcha, peptides) are seeing strong engagement. Consumers respond to ingredient benefits in copy (“brightens with 10% niacinamide”) and these ingredients are heavily searchedConsider featuring these in campaigns if relevant.
- Top ads leverage novel formats and data – TikTok Live shopping and improved audience targeting boosted CTRs well above industry averages
Don’t be afraid to try interactive content or new ad tech if your current ads plateau.
- Continuously optimize underperformers – If an ad’s CTR or ROAS is lagging, revisit your targeting and creative. This week’s case studies showed that refining the message for the right audience (and updating creatives) can yield double-digit CTR gains and dramatically better ROIIn short, track your metrics closely and be ready to pivot – the brands winning in 2025 are those who iterate quickly based on what the data tells them.
