With the pandemic and frequent bouts of being required to isolate, getting to the spa or the salon has been a tricky proposition over the last eighteen months or so. One of the unexpected side-effects of Covid-19 was the surge in popularity of DIY or at-home beauty products, ranges, and treatments. Here are the pandemic beauty all-stars that kept us looking lovely in lockdown!
- Laser Hair Removal Treatments
- Teeth Whitening Kits
- High-End Moisturizing
- Eco-Friendly Ranges
- Online Meeting Makeup
- At-Home Hair Dos
Laser Hair Removal Treatments
We were faced with two options when the extended closure of our regular beauty parlor became a reality. We could go au naturel for the duration of the pandemic, or we could take matters into our own hands. For those choosing the latter course of action, at-home laser hair removal kits were one of the most popular options to remove unwanted hair.
Fans of laser hair removal love the treatment’s longevity: hair can take weeks to grow back; while, before the pandemic, the majority of people wanting this treatment visited a professional, at-home alternatives became necessary for those wishing to continue with treatment during the lockdown. Laser treatment can target either small areas requiring treatment, such as the upper lip or chin, or larger areas, like the legs or under-arms.
Research your options carefully before making a purchase, as different laser hair removers offer different advantages; some models are considered better than others when it comes to efficacy, while some are deemed to be most suitable for sensitive skin, while some options are not suitable for use around the lips. Have a look at plenty of online reviews to read the experiences that other users have had with the model you’re considering.
Teeth Whitening Kits
Whereas formerly you had to visit your dentist for teeth whitening treatment, now there is a wide range of affordable whitening products designed for use at home on the market, and the pandemic saw a huge spike in demand for these kits.
New innovations in the industry have meant that teeth whitening can now be easily achieved using kits that combine a whitening serum and LED lighting technology. Have a look at this review for more information on this option, including the price you can expect to pay for a home kit and subscription options. Treatment usually consists of adding the special serum to a mouthpiece; the LED light is attached to the front of the tray, which is then gently inserted into the mouth. The light works to activate the serum, which, with proper and regular use, results in visibly whiter teeth.
It’s important to note that at-home teeth whitening is not usually a permanent option, although results can last for up to six months; touch-ups may be required during this time to resolve staining.
High-End Moisturizing
One of the interesting by-products of the pandemic, in terms of our beauty buying habits, was the noticeable shift in how we prioritized our spending. Department stores and other online retailers reported a sharp spike in the amount of high-end, top-price moisturizers and serums that were shifted during this time.
This was partly the result of lockdown’s no partying or socializing rule; we didn’t need to trouble ourselves applying intricate make-up for a big Friday night out, and so turned our attention to making ourselves look – and feel – good in other ways. Namely by pampering our skin with the best moisturizers on the market, rather than viewing moisturizer as a beauty bag basic that only required a few dollars investment every few weeks. Luxury, iconic cosmetic and skin-care brands were one of the big winners of the last eighteen months.
Eco-Friendly Ranges
The period of the pandemic coincided with a growing public awareness of environmental issues and an ever-strengthening concern to actually put our money where our mouths are and make buying choices that reflect our convictions when it comes to sustainability.
Many of us found ourselves with extra time on our hands during the lockdown, and a significant number of us began to make our own skin and hair care products. Homemade hair masks and skin lotions became popular, being both super easy to make and, for many, proving to be just as effective as market-leading brands. For those concerned about environmental issues, this was also a way of endorsing eco-awareness, as it avoids both all the artificial ingredients and the plastic packaging of store-bought alternatives.
Eco-friendly beauty ranges exploded during the lockdown, with consumers now asking questions as standard about how a product has been manufactured and its sustainability in terms of its ingredients. Look out for vegan, organic, cruelty-free, and locally-made options to tick all of the boxes concerning sustainability. When it comes to ingredients, steering clear of any products that contain palm oil is a good choice, and look out for packaging that is 100% recyclable or that is refillable.
Online Meeting Makeup
For those of us that were required to work from home for an extended period as a result of Covid-19, we got very good very quickly at putting together our ‘online meeting face.’ Suddenly, we weren’t focused on makeup that could last all day, but on a look that worked for us on camera for an hour maximum. This totally changed how we went about our makeup routine; the emphasis of the camera on the face meant that many of us (after some trial and error) perfected the smoky eye and subtle flush combo and quickly learned what lipstick made us look professional and what…was not so successful on-screen.
Precision liquid eyeliners were the pandemic’s big sellers, as were eyeshadow pallets and moisturizing products designed to give a natural glow to the skin.
At-Home Hair Dos
One of the more unfortunate elements of lockdown was how it encouraged a significant number of us to have a go at cutting our hair…and then realizing that there were, of course, no hairdressers able to sort it out for us. This probably also explains the high sales of hair scarves and bandInnovationsanas during this period.
Home hair dye kits sold in vast numbers throughout the pandemic – what was the biggest selling color of lockdown? Black, followed closely by burgundy. In general, these kits are relatively easy to use, and many people subsequently decided to stick with home hair coloring, even as lockdown restrictions eased, to save money and for the added convenience of this option. For hairdressers, now able to return to sort out the various botched hairdos we’ve inflicted upon ourselves, the biggest crimes involved DIY fringe-cutting. And, I’m ashamed to say, I am guilty as charged on this score.
