Personalised skincare in Singapore: Where to get bespoke beauty out of the box

It’s no secret that skincare isn’t a one-size-fits-all affair – just look at the mind-boggling maze of beauty picks on the market. We all have different skin types and concerns to tackle, which means that finding your personal holy grail takes massive amounts of research and effort, not to mention a crippling dose of decision fatigue.

Luckily, a new age of personalised skincare is dawning – one which blends beauty and tech into formulas fine-tuned just for your skin.

How does personalised skincare work?

You likely already know how to hunt down products based on your skin needs, but customised skincare takes the guess work out of building your routine. A handful of brands are crafting online tests to get a snapshot of your skin type, habits, and goals.

Everything from your stress levels to the climate you live in can be factored into their algorithms – some brands even offer selfie analysis. Based on your responses, you’ll then be given recommendations on bespoke products, made with blends tailored to your skin issues and sensitivities. It’s as fuss-free as it gets.

One major perk of getting personal is streamlining: Rather than, say, buying different serums to achieve the combo of ingredients you need, you can get ’em all in one bottle. While the bespoke blends you get aren’t going to be magic bullets, they’re more likely to play well with your skin than something off the shelf – which means a lot  less trial-and-error.

Where to get personalised skincare in Singapore

IRÉN Skin

A clean beauty brand from Japan, IRÉN Skin blends the best of traditional Japanese skincare with scientific know-how. They’ve patented a technique for compacting active ingredients into nano-particles, so your skin can soak up all that nourishment more easily.

Get started with an in-depth skin check on their website – we like how intuitive the questions are, from how your skin feels after washing to the amount of sun exposure you normally get. You’ll then be offered serums customised to your skin condition, each packed with super fruits like goji berries and yuzu extract.

Check out IRÉN Skin here.

Function of Beauty

If you’re looking to build a full beauty routine from scratch – cleanser, moisturiser, serums – you’ve come to the right place. A US-based label founded by MIT-trained engineers, Function of Beauty puts the science in skincare with a library of over 60 sulfate-free, natural ingredients.

Their skin quiz helps you pinpoint your skin type, along with what goals you’re striving for – everything from soothing redness to reducing shine. Their algorithm will then deliver the bespoke products of your dreams, complete with 10 per cent off for recurring subscriptions.

Check out Function of Beauty here.

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The Buff

Want to dabble in face oils but spooked by fears of clogged pores? Go bespoke with The Buff’s beauty oils, crafted with an array of cold-pressed, paraben-free botanicals. Run by beauty editor Jasmine Garnsworthy, her natural beauty line revolves around a short quiz on your top skin concerns, producing the ultimate custom concoction to pamper your skin.

With dozens of oils in her arsenal, you can expect a balm for all woes – broccoli seed oil for intense hydrating, wild carrot seed oil for skin renewal, tamanu oil for acne, and much more.

Check out The Buff here.

Geologie

This one’s for the well-groomed gents. Launched by men for men, New York-based brand Geologie takes the mystery out of men’s skincare with a speedy 30-second diagnostic quiz, followed by a complete personalized regimen for you.

Whereas most other quizzes focus on skin woes, this one makes room for practicalities too – you can choose goals like affordable pricing, simplicity, or even ‘not sure’. What’s more, you can tweak the complexity of your routine – the ‘Essential’ plan strips skincare down to two-step basics, while the ‘Complete’ plan fine tunes things with morning and night creams.

Check out Geologie here.

Sugar & Spice

A Singapore-based soap maker, Sugar & Spice also crafts skincare that you can customise in every detail. Whether it’s facial moisturizer ($39++) or body lotion ($19++) you’re after, you can tweak the formula based on your preferred texture, oils, active ingredients, and scents.

While the sheer range of choices can be baffling, they’ve got handy guides on the properties of each natural extract, from skin renewal to anti-pigmentation. With free delivery within Singapore, this is certainly one of the more pocket-friendly options out there.

Check out Sugar & Spice here.

Skin Inc

One of the earliest pioneers of personalised skincare, homegrown brand Skin Inc has made its mark on the international beauty map.

To build you a bespoke serum, their proprietary algorithm taps into a database of over a million skin profiles, cross-referencing them with your responses on genetics, skin sensitivity, lifestyle habits, and more. The result? Custom-blended cocktails of up to ten active ingredients, formulated for day and night use.

Check out Skin Inc here.

ALSO READ: These foundations come with skincare benefits

This article was first published in City Nomads.