What if we told you that any of the products from mySKINBAR is formulated to be as effective as a trip to the dermatologist? What if we also told you that each of them play well with each other as well as with products from other brands? What if we added the cherry to the top of this skincare sundae pie and told you that if you lurked long enough on the site, you’d find a wine opener for sale?
Ok fine, here, Eva Soh takes us through her line and most exactingly, what makes any of mySKINBAR products that damn fantastic to use.
Hello there, what I usually like to do when meeting someone for the first time would be to get them to pitch their business in less than 10 words so if you could humour me…
Everyday solutions that work for your skin, take a shot!
How has each mySKINBAR product been, you know, formulated to be as effective as a trip to the dermatologist?
We believe in going back to basics and that happiness forms the foundations of beauty. Indeed, scientific studies have proven that happiness speeds up skin rejuvenation and overall health. Our products are developed to ensure that the active ingredients are at the optimum level to support the skin’s happy index— pH 5.5.
This slightly acidic pH level keeps the microbiome living on the skin happy and in harmony and it is pH 5.5 that is most important in reaching perfectly balanced, healthy, glowing baby-like skin.
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Happy skin follows its own rhythm. By that we mean a process of shedding of dead skin and regrowth within a period of 48 to 60 days. This is how scars are lifted, skin heals and starts to glow. Your skin needs to shed off the old before the new can even begin to grow in. So when you’re feeling like your skin is dulling out, it really means that your skin’s natural rhythm is out of kilter.
This is where our products come in to aid with these different parts of the desquamation (in the dermatologist’s term) process to help you access good skin— much like a trip to the derm.
We also believe in the merit of age-old beauty secrets that lie within nature and our products combine all-natural ingredients with a reliance on science.
Our team of talented dermatologists, researchers and scientists from Switzerland, Germany, France and the USA, harness the origins of natural remedies that have been proven to work over the centuries and develop them into products that meet the demands of today’s skin care needs. It is this philosophy that has led to the development of our product range, including our latest addition ‘Early Addiction: Rose Edition’ that contains Bulgarian Rose, which has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties to help soothe the skin, minimise pores and reduce fine lines.
Thank you for using the Airless Pump Technology because that’s quite a gamechanger. How long did it take for you to get it right when formulating the products?
Yes, we believe that every bit of the product should be usable and kept in the most optimal environment before use. By choosing to use the airless pump technology we can be sure that oxidation is prevented and the product won’t deteriorate and its quality be compromised. Plus, every single bit of the product is used with minimal wastage. We’re breaking the box and challenging the conventional ways to care for our skin.
In terms of the length of time to formulate our products, mySKINBAR is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary and since its launch we have been honing and refining our products. For us to bring a new product to market, it is typically a three to four year process. However, we believe in embracing the latest knowledge and research to continually improve our offering to ensure maximum effectiveness to continually meet the skincare needs of our customers.
As such our team of dermatologists and scientists are continually working to uncover new or improved formulas for our range.
The ASAP Featured Solutions is pretty interesting because ASAP connotes immediacy but how immediate do these products work?
ASAP is actually the acronym for Acne, Sensitivity, Ageing and Pigmentation. It’s our unique mySKINBAR concept that enables and empowers customers to mix-and-match their own regime to fix or prevent their skin concerns, as soon as possible. We believe that immediacy or speed is tied to efficiency. Though really, depending on the case or severity of the skin condition, healing time varies, so we always remind our customers to be kind to themselves.
Depending on the desired effects, the time needed for recovery varies as well. For example, someone experiencing a pimple breakout who uses the ASAP Acne solutions can expect to see improvements in a few days, whereas someone wanting to reduce fine lines and wrinkles with the ASAP Ageing solutions will most likely see results in a few weeks.
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As we mentioned, ASAP is really the concept of mixing and matching so let me give you a scenario of how it would best work. Say you’re concerned with aging— fine lines, wrinkles, crow’s feet are something you’re fearing. You may start off your customised ASAP regime with the Citrus Maxima, a gentle exfoliating gel cleanser. It’s a multi-functioning product (you’ll see this in many of our formulations) that strips away your dead skin, lifts scars, brightens skin and cleanses impurities all away at once. What we like to call the process of washing away your worries (or at least the physical manifestations of it) so easily.
Citrus Maxima does step one of the job for you at first wash, but you’ve already started the work. Now, you should protect it. So adding to that to your anti-aging regime, we would recommend the Basic Sunrise sunblock. UV is one of the main culprits in speeding up ageing, so naturally you’d want to protect against it. Basic Sunrise grants you that double protection with both SPF and reflective Nano-Zinc Sphere Technology against the harmful rays.
This is an example of how we wanted to break the existing concept of going through a multi-step regime. Through both multi-functioning products and catered skincare regimens we want to help you achieve it.
I remember a funny incident that reassured us of the efficacy of our products. We had advised a client to use The Crux on her big pimple for a week to see results. Just three days later, she called us frantically to say we lied — the pimple had gone down in just three days!
What products from MySKINBAR would you recommend as a basic four-step routine then? Like, the bare minimum a man should use?
What we’ve been trying to do is to break the box and challenge the age-old skincare convention that requires a certain fixed number of steps for a regime to be effective. We believe in a customised solution for your skin type. For example, if you have good skin, maintain it— a good cleanser would do the job. If you have areas that require treatment like acne or sensitivity then add on products necessary in your routine to treat it. If it’s no longer an issue, then you can take it out. Skincare should be flexible to cater to your needs. You decide how many steps you’d want in a routine.
However, if we were to structure a basic four-step routine or four products that you should have— always remember to cleanse, tone, treat and protect.
We’ll start off with the standard cleanser. We recommend our signature Inception Sling. It’s the universal gel cleanser that strips away excess sebum and restores moisture into your skin. Anti-aging starts from the first step so that you’re always doing it unthinkingly— easy right? To make your life even easier, Inception Sling also doubles up as a shaving gel for men too, for all you time shavers out there.
Next, remember to lock in that hydration and use a toner. We’ll recommend our latest Early Addiction: Rose Edition. Its new formulation is deeply hydrating and anti-aging. It is also a multi-purpose product that can be used as a toner, moisturiser, mist and mask. The secret to this product? Probiotics. Yes, much like kombucha it contains such goodness to improve the health of your skin and it’s protection against environmental stressors.
To follow, here you can treat yourself. By that we mean with whatever skin care concern you have, here’s the time to fit in that one product to help it. If you have acne, we’d recommend our pimple-busting solution, The Crux.
If you have sensitivity, we’d suggest our calming moisturiser The Pacifier. If you are hitting your 40s and are concerned with ageing, we’d definitely tell you to go with It Gets Better with Ageing, our ultimate age reversal cream.
Lastly, always protect. You’ve done a good job in taking care of your skin, remember to maintain it. Just use a simple sun protectant. As we mentioned above, Basic Sunrise is a good and versatile option we think guys would love. Okay, maybe girls too. All our products are unisex— it works for all regardless of gender, it’s just what fits your concerns best.
Don’t fear like you’re missing out with less steps in a routine. Less is really more. Really, you are missing out on nothing because our formulations are all multi-purpose. For instance our toner can work as a serum, moisturiser, essence or after-shave just in one step. No frills, just good skin.
Another interesting though I noticed were the naming of the products. Most of them kind of sound like alcoholic drinks so was that intentional?
You’re right, they were meant to sound like alcoholic drinks, even our packaging looks like they’re shot glasses or wine glasses. The idea behind the brand is simple. We do the science, you stay happy.
Again, we’re breaking the boxes. We wanted each name to evoke a feeling related to the function of our product. I’m sure for guys too, it’s easier to remember your favourite drink than the complicated ingredient-based names of products.
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For instance, Inception Sling— the cleanser that works for everyone. With mySKINBAR, we wanted to take your concerns to the bar and find the perfect blend just for you. It’s a straightforward concept behind the brand – pick your shots for your everyday skincare to prime, treat and protect your skin. Fuss-free and relaxed. Just like how over drinks you connect with people, we want to help you build an easier and better relationship with your skin, your ultimate friend for life.
Regarding the accessories section, do you see yourself branching into merchandise soon?
We will always put skincare first. Our accessories section is there to help us add those little extras that help make your skincare routine easier. As long as there’s an opportunity for a complementary item that will boost your happiness process, we’re doing it.
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Although you might be surprised to see a wine opener in our accessories section. We added this to celebrate the recent launch of our ‘Early Addiction: Rose Edition; as we wanted to bring our customers a whole suite of enjoyment. We envisioned our customers enjoying a relaxing evening with a glass of red wine in their hand and a sheet mask on their face. You see, red wine contains polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that helps with cell regeneration, and a sheet mask soaked with Early Addiction helps to rejuvenate your skin, on a deeper level. So together they make the perfect pair.
Out of curiosity, what’s the #1 song on your Spotify this year?
Honestly, I’ve been quite the “Piano Walk” playlist type of person on Spotify this year so if you asked me I didn’t know what my top song was. So I had to consult Spotify Wrapped and apparently it was “Yeah!” by Usher, something that I had danced to in a hip-hop dance class before. I guess it topped with all that listening as prep work for it.
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