“You miss 100% of the shots you do not take” – or so goes the famous saying coined by hockey player Wayne Gretzky goes – however, there are some shots taken in the beauty world in 2025 that certainly missed the mark.
Going into 2026, the Cosmetics Business team thinks there are a number of trends that need to be benched for good.
From dangerous sun burn tanning habits and insincere advertising, to awkward product placements, the team share their views on the 2025 beauty moments that are best left behind.
Beauty fail one: sunburning and tan lines
Tanned and burned back with words in skin tone that say protect your skin
Jo Allen, Editor, Cosmetics Business magazine and Cosmetics Business Trend Report
“Dumb and dangerous trends are always doing the rounds on social media, but one of the worst within our industry has to be the sunburning and tan lines trend.
The trend, which sees young people sunburning tan lines onto their body as a ‘desirable’ accessory – or intentionally seeking sunburns to give skin a ‘healthy’ glow – has continued through 2025.
Do not get me started on the anti-sunscreen influencers adding fuel to fire, spreading misinformation around the use of sun care products.
Fortunately we have seen epidemiologists, dermatologists and brands warn of the dangerous link between excessive sun exposure and skin cancer.
The science needs to be trusted.
We can only hope that the message gets through, and that this trend burns out in 2026.”
Beauty fail two: skin care for young kids needs to go
Young child wearing a clear skin care mask
Alessandro Carrara, News Editor, CosmeticsBusiness.com and Pure Beauty
“Skin care for kids was one the most depressing and dystopian trends to crawl out of the beauty industry in 2025.
As if the ‘#Sephora Kids’ scandal – the trend which saw tweens rampaging in Sephora stores and using skin care products not suitable for them – could get any worse.
The tipping point came with the launch of actress Shay Mitchell’s K-beauty-inspired skin care line rini this year – a new brand for children as young as three.
The five-piece range, inspired by motherhood and Korean beauty traditions, comprises Hydrating Hydrogel Facial Masks for children in two proprietary formulas, Hydrating and After-Sun, alongside Everyday Facial Sheet Masks in puppy, unicorn and panda designs.
And while some argue that products are designed for children’s skin, something does not sit quite right with me.
In what world does a child that young need a skin care routine? Or exposure to a beauty industry already guilty of placing unreasonable beauty standards for millions across the planet?
The pressures of looking a certain way is rife on social media, and the psychological impact this can
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