These were the top beauty Google searches in 2020

The year of self-care

BEAUTYcrew Beauty Editor / January 14 2021

Google has finally released their annual ‘Year in Search’ report and in news unsurprising to anyone, the current social climate has had an impact on the kind of beauty content we were all searching for in 2020.. 

Compared to last year, which was all about the top false lashes, foundations and of course, YouTube drama surrounding the infamous James Charles,  the beauty-related searches for 2020 reflect a more pared back attitude, with a focus on at-home skin care routines and how-to’s. 

Questions pertaining to skin care increased drastically, with Google users assaulting the search engine with a litany of enquiries that ranged from “How to build a skin care routine” to “What does hyaluronic acid do”, it seems people have taken the time at home as the perfect opportunity to finally nail the perfect skin care routine:

Most Googled questions on skin care

What is the best skin-care line

What are the best skin-care products

How to build a skin-care routine

What order to do skin care

What is AHA in skin care

How to get rid of acne

What does vitamin C do for your skin

What does hyaluronic acid do

What does toner do for your face

What is combination skin

And searchers made sure to do their due diligence as well, with ‘What does…’ searches pertaining to specific ingredients and products also on the rise in 2020:

Most Googled “What does…” on skin care

What does vitamin C do for your skin

What does hyaluronic acid do

What does retinol do

What does toner do

What does niacinamide do

What does lactic acid do

What does “clean skin care” mean

What does glycolic acid do

What does micellar water do

What does serum do

The DIY spirit of 2020 seems to have transferred over to our beauty routines too, and unsatisfied with the crafting propaganda that has been circulating ever since quarantine, searches for beauty how-to’s have been on the ups. With at-home hairdressing pointers like ‘how to cut men’s hair at home’ and how to colour your hair at home’ taking out some of the top spots:

Most Googled beauty how-to’s

How to cut men’s hair at home

How to plop hair

How to color your hair at home

How to wash your hands

How to style curtain bangs

How to cut women’s hair

How to do knotless braid

How to fade hair

How to trim your own hair

How to dermaplane

Want to take a browse through your search history? These were the most Googled beauty questions and trends of 2019.

 

Main image credit: @haileybieber

Briar is the Beauty Editor at BEAUTYcrew. Her 'down for anything' attitude has resulted in more than a handful of hair transformations, and she doesn't mind being used as a guinea pig for the industry's most unusual products and treatments. Her work has also appeared on Refinery29, Girlfriend and beautyheaven.