Those of us with an interest in beauty will have noticed the seismic shift from makeup to skincare in 2020. Things have changed drastically even beyond the rules of lockdown and social isolation, with trends around beauty being one major industry that has evolved a great deal in a short period of time. Skincare has skyrocketed in popularity, with record-breaking sales, meaning it has overtaken makeup as the highest-earning beauty category.

It seems we were becoming more interested in having healthy, glowing, and clear skin this year, whether this is through gradual tanning products or retinol. Lockdown has clearly accelerated how quickly we’ve adopted skincare into our beauty regimes.

By the end of 2020, the UK cosmetics industry was set to decline by 10 per cent, a historical figure. With many of us having fewer reasons to wear makeup in lockdown, skincare has given us our daily fix of improving our appearance for days—that have become our norm—of lounging around the house with a bare face. Wearing makeup daily has become almost as pointless as the bikinis and summer-wear you bought in the January sales.

This shift to skincare is reflected online, with social media ‘skinfluencers’ growing in popularity.

There was a time where beauty vloggers only existed on YouTube. However, the social media platform TikTok has become a window into consumer trends. The rise of skincare content on the gen Z-dominated platform has created a new generation of skinfluencers. These creators educate users on cool new brands, unforgettable trends, and essential ingredients and techniques for flawless skin. According to influencer management platform Traackr, in April 2020, engagement on skincare-related TikTok videos surged by 1,002 per cent from a year ago.

Here, we look at some of the top skinfluencers on TikTok. We gathered information on TikTok followers, likes, and engagement to find 5 of the top skinfluencers of 2020.

@yayayayoung

Skincare101 Part 1! #skincare101 #myroutine #eduskincare

♬ original sound - yayayayoung Skincare Egg Head

@yayayayoung has 1.3 million followers, 43 million total likes, and a 13 per cent engagement rate. These figures are impressive considering this account was created in March.

Young Yuh offers knowledgeable advice about K-beauty and Korean skincare, including the culture’s famed 10-step routine. K-beauty is becoming more popular in the West due to its incredible, innovative products. According to Marie Claire’s Digital Beauty Editor, Katie Thomas, South Korea’s beauty industry is around 10 to 12 years ahead of the rest of the world. And you can access fantastic guidance at your fingertips on TikTok with @yayayayoung.

This skinfluencer isn’t afraid to test skincare routines to show users what will happen. He commented: “I’m willing to do things that other people won’t like. For instance, I’m willing to purposely put retinoids on my face for a week straight, twice a day, just to see what will happen with my face.”

@hyram

Rating Celebrity Skin Care Brands 😬 LINK IN BIO 👆 #skincarebyhyram #celebrity #rating

♬ original sound - Hyram

@skincarebyhyram has 6.7 million TikTok followers, 249.6 million total likes, and an 11 per cent engagement rate. Yarbro began making beauty videos on YouTube in 2017, although his figures rose on TikTok following the pandemic.

Dubbed the “Gen Z whisperer” by The New York Times, Yarbro is a Hawaiian skinfluencer who turned to TikTok, captivating teenagers around the world with product reviews and tutorials. He has been instrumental in driving youngsters away from harsh exfoliants that include walnut shell—like St Ives and Kylie Skin scrubs—which he claims cause inflammation, redness, and sensitivity. He encourages gentle chemical exfoliants like glycolic acid and peels, becoming a trusted source of information for younger people who may not understand skincare ingredients.

TikTok users are so influenced by Yarbro that he essentially made CeraVe’s salicylic acid-based cleanser a cult classic, as users rushed out to purchase the face wash. This is particularly interesting as CeraVe is an unlikely fan favourite, with consumers usually favouring newer brands with pretty packaging like Glossier. CeraVe, on the other hand, is sold in most pharmacies and supermarket aisles. Accounts like this are changing the entire skincare game for luxury brands, who are relying more on effective products rather than branding.

Yarbro told The Guardian: “Traditional marketing fails to establish trust. People gravitate towards online creators who have real, honest opinions. When a creator establishes trust with their audience, their reach exceeds any marketing budget or exposure strategy. People are drawn to people.”

@skinbyliss

My affordable go to oily acne prone routine! :)) @theinkeylist #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #TheINKEYList #SPOTlightIngredients #ad #theinkeylistpartner

♬ original sound - Liss

@skinbyliss has 213,000 followers on TikTok, 2.3 million total likes, and a 7.4 per cent engagement rate. Striebel is a licensed esthetician, meaning she’s a qualified skincare professional. Her videos help answer the questions that are on most of our lips—how to battle acne, what’s the difference between blackheads and sebaceous filaments, what ingredients mean and do, as well as skincare dos and don’ts.

The TikToker started posting skincare content around the summer of 2020, attracting a lot of attention from users looking to improve their skin.

@jc.dombrowski

if you see someone saying this, RUN. #fyp #edutok #skincare #science #skincaretips #myskincareroutine

♬ original sound - J.C. Dombrowski

With 2.8 million TikTok followers, 190.9 million total likes, and a 5.1 per cent engagement rate, Marine Biology student @jc.dombrowski doesn’t focus only on skincare. Dombrowski teaches his followers about everything from newly-discovered sea animals to how our skin ages, and dedicates his platform to fighting fake news. This user posted his first video in September 2019 and has amassed many followers through his skincare wisdom—earning more than 1.1 million followers in only five months.

@skinbydrazi

Underrated Skincare Active✨ Azelaic10 Serum #azelaicacid #azimdskincare #skincare #skincareproducts #acne #hyperpigmentation #acneskincare #fyp

♬ Soul Catcher - MikhailovMusic

@skinbydrazi has around 6 million TikTok followers, 12.9 million total likes, and a 4.5 per cent engagement rate.

Doctor Azadeh Shirazi is a licensed dermatologist specialising in medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology. Her educational and insightful videos feature procedures such as laser mole removal, advice on ingredients you shouldn’t mix when layering products, different types of acne and treatments, routines, tutorials, and product reviews. This user is perfect for those seeking a professional opinion on skincare.

TikTok skinfluencers are changing the skincare marketing game, breaking the internet with cult products as well as techniques to keep us looking youthful and healthy. It’s encouraging to see that each skinfluencer in this list is different, appealing to different demographics and skincare queries. A diverse pool of influencers is what we need in this industry to keep things exciting and inclusive.