4. Consistency is Key

A scientist working for a luxury beauty brand once told me that it’s not about how expensive your skincare products are, it is about how consistent you are with your routine. That is the most basic and vital rule when it comes to caring for your skin. Follow through your skincare routine without fail and your skin will prevail.

5. Context is Also Key

When you read about beauty tips from websites based elsewhere in the world, you need to take into context the climate in those countries. We live in a humid climate all year round. We get greasy even if we have dry skin. Many times, we start sweating right after a shower.

Here are two examples of beauty advice not meant for tropical climates: The 10-step skincare routine that is said to be favoured by South Koreans. That does not work for us. It’s too heavy for our skin and you can break out from using too much moisturiser.

Another beauty tip that keeps coming up is the one that tells you to not shampoo your hair daily, and to wash it once every few days; some even recommend that you wash your hair once a week.

We definitely need to wash our hair twice a day, or at least once every day. Here’s why: unlike the skin on your face, the scalp is thicker and has more sebaceous glands in order to produce sebum to protect hair.

When excess sebum builds up, on top of dead skin cells, dirt and product residue, hair follicles become clogged and is very likely to lead to thinning hair, hair loss and dandruff. If you have eczema, this buildup of debris can further irritate your scalp.

Do you want to leave all that gunk on your scalp for a few days? Let’s say you don’t mind that. (Out of sight, out of mind, right?) Now, imagine you leaving all that gunk on your face. How do you feel about that now?

Photo: Larry Yeo for M.A.C Singapore/Backstage at Preen by Thornton Bregazzi SS2018