November is National Healthy Skin Month. Let's celebrate by taking a look at the ins and outs of 80's skincare.
The 1980s were a bold, vibrant era of neon colors, big hair, aerobics videos, and breakthrough pop culture. But beyond the epic fashion, the decade also marked a pivotal shift in skincare awareness and routines. We started the decade slathering ourselves with baby oil and worshipping the sun and ended it by learning about SPFs. While today’s wellness-heavy, ingredient-savvy skincare landscape is very different, many of the trends we embrace now, like exfoliation, sunscreen, and anti-aging care, actually took root during the 80s.
Let’s rewind and explore the healthy skin trends of the 1980s, the products people couldn’t live without, and the techniques that shaped the beauty standards of the time.
The Rise of Dermatologist-Backed Skincare
By the early 80s, dermatology was becoming more accessible, and major brands began marketing items with a “doctor recommended” stamp. This new association between science and beauty boosted consumer trust and shifted skincare from a simple cleanse-and-moisturize routine to something more active and intentional. Clinique, Neutrogena, and Olay (then known as Oil of Olay) became household staples. Clinique's 3-Step System, cleanse, exfoliate, moisturize, was a big hit and encouraged women to commit to consistent daily routines.
Key trend: Scientific credibility became a selling point, a precursor to today’s dermatologist-developed brands.
Exfoliation Takes Center Stage
One of the biggest skincare changes of the 80s was the explosion of exfoliating products. Dermatologists and magazines alike promoted exfoliation as the key to glowing, youthful skin.
What we used: Apricot scrubs (most famously St. Ives Apricot Scrub) known for their gritty walnut-shell particles. We had to use this product sparingly lest we look like we took a belt sander to our face!
Grainy microbead scrubs, toner exfoliants, often with high alcohol content, loofahs and face mitts, popularized through department stores and Avon catalogs were also popular products that we used.
While some of these products were harsh by today’s standards, exfoliation became mainstream in a way that hadn’t been seen before. The idea that brighter skin could be “revealed” through scrubbing entirely changed skincare habits.
Key trend: Deep exfoliation was a weekly chore and far more aggressive than dermatologists would recommend today.
The Clean-and-Fresh Obsession
The 80s embraced a “squeaky clean” skincare mentality. If your face felt tight after washing, that was considered a good thing. Products to achieve this feeling included:
- Oil-free cleansers like Neutrogena's amber facial bar
- Astringent-heavy toners, especially those with high alcohol levels like Sea Breeze
- Oil-control powders and lotions
- Frequent face washing, especially for teens dealing with breakouts
This approach was largely driven by the decade's rise in teen-focused skincare marketing, fueled by Seventeen magazine and TV commercials that promoted clear, matte, blemish-free skin.
Key trend: Oil was seen as the enemy, leading many to strip their skin barrier daily.
Early Anti-Aging Goes Mainstream
In the 1980s, anti-aging skincare became a booming category. Wrinkle creams, "lifting" products, and collagen formulas filled cosmetics aisles. While these products weren’t as potent or scientifically grounded as what we have today, they introduced the public to the idea of preventive skincare.
Popular anti-aging products included Oil of Olay Beauty Fluid, Pond’s Cold Cream (still widely used for cleansing and moisturizing), Retin-A (tretinoin), initially a prescription acne treatment, which soon gained attention for smoothing wrinkles and Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) creams, which began appearing toward the late 80s. Retin-A’s popularity was revolutionary. Dermatologists noticed that acne patients using tretinoin developed smoother, fresher-looking skin, and the rumor spread fast. This helped spark the modern anti-aging industry.
Key trend: Early adoption of retinoids and AHAs—ingredients that define anti-aging skincare today.
Sun Protection Became A Growing Awareness
While tanning was still wildly popular—thanks to beach culture, tanning beds, and bronzed celebrity icons—awareness of sun damage began growing in the 80s. This decade marked a turning point as popular SPF products were warmly embraced. W Our favorites included Coppertone Water Babies,
Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat sunscreens and zinc oxide nose stripes (especially for outdoor athletes). SPF numbers started rising, and the term “broad-spectrum” entered the skincare conversation. Magazines began warning readers about premature wrinkles and sunspots, though full adoption of daily SPF would not become widespread until the 90s and 2000s.
Key trend: Sunscreen awareness rose, even as tanning remained fashionable.
The Aerobics + Wellness Boom
If there’s one trend that shaped the 80s beyond beauty products, it was fitness culture. With the release of Jane Fonda’s Workout (1982), Richard Simmons’ Sweatin’ to the Oldies (1988) and countless more aerobic classes and home VHS tapes. Americans embraced exercise as a lifestyle and it impacted skincare trends in a number of ways, including sweating was seen as purifying for the skin, we began to choose gym-friendly skincare, like face wipes and oil-control cleansers, hydration became more emphasized and the “healthy glow” was tied to movement. Even though many cleansers were harsh, the idea that exercise contributed to clear skin became huge.
Key trend: Fitness was marketed as part of healthy skin maintenance.
At-Home Spa Kits and DIY Beauty
The 80s loved anything that felt like “luxury at home,” leading to the popularity of DIY facial kits and beauty gadgets. Common at-home items included: Steam facialers, mud masks and peel-off masks (especially cucumber or charcoal versions), Avon skincare gift sets and clay masks designed to “tighten pores”. People often had spa nights with friends, complete with rollers in their hair, masks on their faces, and a movie playing in the background.
Key trend: Affordable, at-home spa treatments became a cornerstone of 80s self-care.
Fragrance-Forward Skincare
Scented skincare dominated the decade. From floral moisturizers to heavily perfumed toners, fragrance was considered luxurious and feminine. Some of the more popular scents included: powdery roses, fresh cucumber, ocean-inspired scents and soft vanilla notes. Brands like Bath & Body Works came later, but their rise was influenced by 80s consumers’ love of rich, fragrant lotions and body sprays.
Key trend: Scent was integral to the skincare experience.
The grainy scrubs, alcohol-heavy toners, oil-free everything healthy skin trends of the 1980s may seem oh so retro now, but they shaped the skincare industry we know today. The decade introduced us to consistent routines, exfoliation as a beauty essential, the beginning of anti-aging science, sunscreen awareness, fitness-driven wellness and at-home spa culture.
While many 80s products wouldn’t meet today’s gentler, barrier-friendly standards, the enthusiasm and curiosity of the decade set the stage for modern skincare innovation. The 80s were bold, experimental, and influential, much like their beauty trends. And many of the rituals born during that neon era still echo in skincare routines around the world today.
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