Most trending skincare hashtag on TikTok 2023, by number of views

In 2023, retinol was the most popular skincare trend on TikTok, based on the highest number of hashtag views. That year, the retinoid hashtag attracted over 4.8 billion views. This was followed by glass skin, which garnered 2.6 billion hashtag views, and niacinamide with 2.3 billion views.

Pimple patches are trending among young people

Fourth on the list is pimple patches, one of the hottest skincare items among young people, the demographic most likely to be dealing with skin breakouts. In a 2023 survey that explored the popularity of different skin care patch products, two in three Gen Z consumers in the United States stated that they purchased acne/pimple patches. The leading seller of pimple/acne patches in the United States in 2022 was Starface, which generated about 21 million U.S. dollars in sales. 

Beauty brands are getting on TikTok

Beauty brands are amassing millions of followers on TikTok. In 2023, Huda Beauty was the leading cosmetics brand with over 8.7 million followers on the social media platform, which hosts short-form videos under 10 minutes. Brands advertise themselves on TikTok through promotional videos, influencer reviews, and organically created content from their customers. TikTok also allows businesses to integrate their storefront and sell their products directly from within the app. In January, beauty and personal care businesses which utilized this e-commerce feature on TikTok made 89 percent of sales from live sales, while the rest came from video sales.