Your skincare routine probably changed during the pandemic, but the bigger story is which changes stuck. Sales data, search trends, and dermatology research point to a lasting shift toward barrier care, ingredient literacy, and fewer but more intentional steps.
- Prestige makeup sales fell 28% in 2020, while prestige skincare declined 11%, signaling a major routine shift away from color cosmetics and toward skin maintenance.
- Telehealth visits rose 154% in late March 2020 compared with the same period in 2019, accelerating comfort with virtual care that also applies to dermatology and skin concerns.
- A JAMA Dermatology study of frontline health care workers reported 97% experienced skin damage from personal protective equipment, amplifying mainstream focus on irritation and barrier repair.
- Google Trends shows “maskne” jumping from near-zero interest pre-2020 to a peak index of 100 during the pandemic mask era, reflecting a new, widely adopted problem frame.
Three signals make it hard to argue that women’s skincare habits simply “bounced back” after the pandemic. First, prestige makeup fell sharply in 2020 while prestige skincare proved comparatively resilient, indicating a routine shift rather than a total beauty pause. Second, skin problems tied to masks and intensified hygiene became common enough to reframe what “basic” skincare means, pushing gentle cleansing and barrier support from niche advice into everyday practice. Third, online search behavior shows entirely new vocabulary entering the mainstream, with terms like “maskne” spiking from near-zero awareness to peak interest during the mask era.
Put together, the evidence points to a permanent change: fewer steps done more consistently, more attention to irritation triggers, and more confidence reading labels and choosing actives with intent.
Finding 1: The “makeup drop” made skincare the default
One of the cleanest habit indicators is where money moved when daily life shifted. When commutes disappeared and faces were covered, makeup lost its everyday utility for a lot of women, while skincare kept its role because it supports comfort, confidence, and skin health regardless of location.
Prestige beauty sales data from 2020 shows makeup taking the biggest hit, with skincare declining far less. That gap matters because it suggests many women did not stop caring for their appearance, they redirected effort toward skin. In practice, this is where you see routines simplify into a reliable cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen, with a targeted active added only if it earns its spot.
What made this shift sticky is that skincare delivers results on a slower timeline. Once someone invests in a habit that gradually improves tone, breakouts, or sensitivity, it is easier to keep doing it than to return to “event-only” skin prep.
Finding 2: Masks and irritation kicked off the barrier-repair era
Masks created a new kind of skin environment: more heat, more friction, and more trapped moisture. For many women, that meant breakouts around the mouth and jaw, redness, and a sudden sensitivity to products that used to feel “fine.” Dermatology research on pandemic-era personal protective equipment also documented extremely high rates of skin damage in frontline settings, helping explain why the language of irritation and barrier function spread so quickly beyond clinics and into consumer routines.
Two lasting behavior changes came out of this:
- Gentle cleansing became non-negotiable. The habit shift is less about a specific cleanser and more about avoiding the “squeaky clean” feeling that can worsen tightness and reactivity.
- Moisturizing became functional, not cosmetic. Instead of using moisturizer only for dryness, more women started using it as a protective step, especially before long mask wear or after exfoliating products.
This is also where a lot of women quietly stopped tolerating products that “burn a little.” That single mindset change can permanently reduce over-exfoliation cycles that were common in the years leading up to 2020.
Finding 3: Hand hygiene turned body care into skincare
Facial routines get the spotlight, but pandemic hygiene rules made hands and elbows the new problem areas. With frequent washing and sanitizer use, many women experienced dryness, cracking, and flare-ups that forced a practical upgrade: keeping a hand cream near sinks, in bags, and at desks, and choosing formulas that prioritize barrier support over fragrance.
That “carry it and reapply it” behavior is a meaningful habit change because it is routine-based, not mood-based. Once something is tied to an existing cue, like washing hands, it tends to persist. The result is that body care, especially for hands, moved closer to the way women already treated facial skincare: preventive, consistent, and ingredient-aware.
Finding 4: Telehealth normalized expert-first skincare decisions
When in-person appointments were limited, virtual care became a necessity and then, for many, a preference. National public health data shows a sharp surge in telehealth early in the pandemic, and skincare is a natural fit for video-based triage because so many concerns are visible. Even as clinics reopened, the expectation of convenience stayed.
Two downstream effects show up in women’s habits:
- Earlier intervention. When it is easier to ask a question, people ask sooner, before a mild issue becomes a months-long cycle of trial and error.
- More adherence to simple plans. Virtual visits often produce fewer steps and clearer timelines, which tends to increase follow-through compared with complicated, self-built routines.
In other words, the pandemic did not just change where women bought skincare. It changed how many started validating choices, with more willingness to seek professional input instead of crowdsourcing everything.
Finding 5: Ingredient literacy went mainstream
Once routines shifted from “get ready for the world” to “manage my skin day after day,” women started paying closer attention to what products actually do. This is the era where actives became part of everyday vocabulary, and where a growing number of consumers learned to match ingredients to goals: niacinamide for oil and visible pores, retinoids for acne and texture, azelaic acid for redness and breakouts, and sunscreen as a daily baseline rather than a beach-only item.
The lasting change is not that everyone uses strong actives now. The lasting change is that more women think in terms of trade-offs: strength versus tolerance, results versus irritation, and the cumulative impact of stacking multiple actives. That mindset tends to reduce impulsive product hopping and increases patch testing, slower introductions, and more strategic routines.
Finding 6: “Quiet routines” replaced complicated, performative skincare
Before 2020, skincare content often rewarded complexity: long routines, many steps, and constant newness. The pandemic years changed the incentive structure. Women needed routines that worked under stress, during disrupted schedules, and in smaller spaces, and they learned which steps delivered the most noticeable payoff.
Across many households, the enduring pattern looks like this:
| Habit area | Pre-pandemic trend | Post-pandemic “sticky” shift |
|---|---|---|
| Routine size | More steps, more new launches | Fewer steps, more consistency |
| Skin goal | Glow and instant results | Comfort, barrier, long-term clarity |
| Product selection | Trend-driven, influencer-led | Ingredient-led, tolerance-led |
| Problem solving | DIY fixes, frequent switching | Simple plans, earlier expert input |
This “quiet routine” style is especially durable for women balancing work, caregiving, and unpredictable days because it is designed to survive real life. It also pairs well with the barrier-repair mindset: when your focus is calm, comfortable skin, you are less likely to overdo it.
What looks permanent (and what is fading)
Not every pandemic behavior is here to stay. Some were temporary reactions to uncertainty. Others rewired routines because they solved a real, recurring problem.
- Likely permanent: barrier-first product choices, simpler routines, more daily sunscreen adherence, and a higher baseline of ingredient literacy.
- Likely semi-permanent: periodic “reset” phases, like pulling back to basics after irritation, then reintroducing actives more carefully.
- Fading: panic buying, extreme DIY experimentation, and the assumption that stronger always means better.
For women, the throughline is practical: comfort and consistency beat novelty when life feels unpredictable. Once that lesson is learned, it tends to stay learned.
Methodology: how this report was built
This article uses a triangulation approach we label the Pandemic Skincare Shift Index (PSSI): (1) publicly available market reporting on prestige beauty category performance, (2) public health data on telehealth utilization during the early pandemic surge, (3) peer-reviewed dermatology research on skin damage related to masks and personal protective equipment, and (4) public search-interest patterns from Google Trends for pandemic-linked skincare terms. The goal is not to claim a single perfect measure of “habit,” but to align independent signals that move together when routines change.
Buying Guides Based on This Data
If your routine got simpler but you want it to look more intentional, start with this morning routine for radiant skin to lock in the high-impact basics. To make smarter purchases without adding clutter, use this 3-step guide to reading skincare ingredient lists so your products match your actual skin needs. And if you are trying to keep consistency without burnout, our simple night routine guide helps you build a plan that holds up on tired evenings.
Frequently Asked Questions ▾
Did women really switch from makeup to skincare, or did they just buy less overall?
Both happened, but the key detail is the gap between categories. In 2020, makeup fell much more than skincare in prestige market reporting, which is consistent with women shifting daily effort toward skin and away from color cosmetics during mask-heavy periods.
Is “maskne” still relevant now that masks are less common?
The peak behavior was tied to sustained mask wearing, but the lasting impact is education. Many women learned to connect friction, occlusion, and product heaviness with breakouts, and they still apply that logic to workouts, commuting, and any situation that traps sweat.
Does a simpler routine actually improve skin, or is it just easier?
It can do both. Fewer steps can reduce irritation and make consistency more realistic, especially if the basics are covered: gentle cleanse, moisturize, and daily sunscreen, with one active introduced slowly when needed.
What is the most “pandemic-proof” skincare habit to keep long-term?
Barrier support. Even if your goals change, maintaining a routine that protects the skin barrier makes nearly every other step more tolerable and effective, from acne treatment to anti-aging.
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Sources & Notes ▾
- NPD: U.S. Prestige Beauty Sales Decline in 2020 as Makeup Drops
- CDC MMWR: Trends in the Use of Telehealth During the Emergence of the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology: Skin damage among health care workers managing COVID-19
- Google Trends: Search interest for “maskne” (US, 2019 to present)