Choosing the right skincare products can be like shopping for jeans and swimwear: time-consuming, overwhelming, expensive and a little soul-crushing. Just like those hopeful denim, and lycra purchases that held so much promise but ended up forgotten at the back of the wardrobe, so too those misleading jars and bottles are sometimes left to languish under the bathroom sink when we don’t see results. Well, that’s all set to change. The era of customised skincare is here. Revolutionary products are set to change the way we approach beauty and the health of our skin.
It’s remarkable really, that it’s taken so long for the world to adapt to the needs of billions of different faces. Defining skin through broad categories like dry, dehydrated, combination and oily doesn’t do enough to cater for the variety of complexions out there. Your skin condition is a unique combination of genetics and environmental factors. So, treating them effectively requires a unique approach. Luckily for us, some trailblazing skincare brands are developing ranges that do away with pigeonholing us by general skin type, to deliver customised skincare solutions that treat your specific skin conditions.
Why is skincare better?
Have you ever admired someone’s skin and asked them what their secret is? Has anyone recommended you a product they swear by? Do you take note of those magazine pages where celebrities share their skincare tips and favourite products? It feels safe to buy stuff that works for other people. But the problem is that it probably won’t work for you. For the very simple reason that your skin is different to theirs. That’s not to say that there aren’t good over-the-counter products out there. It’s just that there’s a big difference between a product that works and a product that works for you. And without a decent skin diagnosis, it’s difficult to sort out which one’s work and which one’s don’t.
How does skincare actually work?
Skincare created to match the exact specifications of your skin sounds like science fiction. But it’s not. It’s science. In fact, skincare puts skincare back in the hands of doctors, dermatologists, chemists and professionals with the knowledge to create effective solutions. To come up with your unique formulation each skincare brand specialising in personalised skincare will have their own process. Some involve facial recognition technology that uses algorithms to detect features and conditions like pigmentation, wrinkles, laxity and redness. While others use a human-led approach based on consultation. The approach places emphasis on the doctor-client relationship so your prescription can continue to be adjusted as your skin changes after use.