There used to be two types of products in your beauty bag: skincare that treated your face, and makeup that covered it. These days, the wall between the two has crumbled faster than a TikTok contour hack. Welcome to the world of skincare as makeup, where your foundation doubles as a serum and your concealer hydrates while it hides.
How Did We Get Here?
The idea isn’t brand new. Elizabeth Arden was already infusing skincare benefits into cosmetics in the 1920s, and Clinique made its name in 1968 as “skincare for the face.” In the last few years, skincare-infused makeup has gone from niche to mainstream.
Why? Because consumers are done choosing between glow and care. As Vogue puts it, today’s hybrid products are “bridging the gap between self-care and self-expression.” People want multitasking formulas that keep skin healthy without sacrificing performance. And if those formulas save time and counterspace, even better.
Gen Z is more skincare-obsessed than any generation before. Studies found that 63% of Gen Z say skincare trends on social media have boosted their confidence. Even Gen Alpha, the under-12 crowd, is joining in early. 46% report feeling more confident because of skincare content online, and nearly a third of their parents admit their kids know more about skincare than they do. [1]
It's safe to say the skincare-as-makeup movement is being driven by younger generations who don’t just want makeup that looks good, but products that do good for their skin.
The Brands Blurring Lines
Beauty shelves are filling up with hybrids that treat while they tint. Some of the most buzzed-about examples include:
- Glossier: The original “skin first, makeup second” brand that made dewy skin cool again.
- ILIA: A skin tint that fuses SPF, niacinamide, and squalene in one breathable layer.
- Kosas: Concealers packed with caffeine and hyaluronic acid to brighten and hydrate.
- Westman Atelier: Luxurious complexion drops that act like skincare in disguise.
- Haus Labs: Lady Gaga’s foundation powered by fermented arnica and what they call “skin tech” ingredients.
- RMS Beauty: Clean color combined with raw botanicals that deliver payoff and nourishment.
- Rose Inc: Tinted serums boosted with squalene and peptides for luminosity and barrier support.
- Charlotte Tilbury: The Unreal Skin Glow Tint uses hyaluronic acid and vitamin E for hydration.
- Summer Fridays: A sheer skin tint with hyaluronic acid and squalene, recently highlighted in Allure’s Readers’ Choice Awards. [2]
According to Who What Wear, hybrid heroes are dominating shopping carts in 2025. Tinted serums, glow balms, and SPF-loaded foundations are the top of “best of” lists because they do more than one job.
Star Ingredients Doing the Heavy Lifting
The secret behind these hybrid products is skincare active ingredients. The same ingredients you might slather on at night are now working overtime in your daily makeup:
- Hyaluronic Acid: The hydration hero. Pulls water into the skin, plumps fine lines, and shows up everywhere from foundation to tinted moisturizers.
- Squalene: Lightweight, non-greasy moisture. Often in lip oils and primers to keep skin bouncy, not sticky.
- Niacinamide: A redness reducer and pore-minimizer, frequently found in skin tints or setting sprays.
- Vitamin C: The brightener. Adds radiance while defending against free radicals. Hello, illuminating primers!
- Green Tea Extract: Calming and antioxidant-rich, perfect in powders or BB creams to soothe while you wear.
- Watermelon Seed Extract: Hydrating, lightweight, and trendy. Found in dewy skin tints and balms.
- Rosehip Oil: Rich in fatty acids and vitamin A, often infused in lip colors and cream blushes for a natural glow.
- Vitamin E: The classic protector, keeping formulas stable while nourishing skin in foundations and lipsticks.
- Sea Daffodil Extract: a newer star, said to help with dark spots. Think brightening concealers and primers.
The goal is not just to mask flaws, it’s to enhance the skin’s natural texture while improving it over time.
Why This Trend Sticks
Beauty shoppers are savvier than ever, and they want products that multitask. It’s not enough for a foundation to cover imperfections. It should hydrate, brighten, protect, and treat. The Allure Readers’ Choice winners show that brands who deliver these benefits are the ones earning loyalty.
Younger generations are leading the shift, with Vagaro’s Vantage Report showing that skincare is one of the top spending categories for teens and young adults. But the trend is not limited to Gen Z. Anyone who wants healthy, glowing skin is looking for makeup that works harder.
The Future of Beauty
So, what’s next? Expect the lines between skincare and makeup to blur even more. SPF-infused powders? Concealers that double as eye creams? Lipsticks with peptide complexes? Already happening. The next era of beauty isn’t about covering up—it’s about leveling up your skin while you play with color.
So the next time you reach for a new foundation, remember you’re not just doing your makeup. You’re choosing to nourish your skin with tinted skincare. And with Gen Z and Gen Alpha leading the charge, it’s clear that skincare as makeup isn’t just a passing trend. It’s the future of beauty.
Resources:
- https://mysite.vagaro.com/annualvantagereport2025/
- https://www.allure.com/readers-choice-winners-2025
- https://www.whowhatwear.com/skincare-makeup-hybrid-products
- https://www.vogue.com/article/skin-care-makeup-hybrids