IN a perfect world, all our skin care will be personalized for us, with every product tailored for our every need and concern. But it’s not a perfect world, so we can only dream for now.
Nevertheless, here is a rundown of the brands that are at the forefront of one of the year’s biggest beauty trends—personalized skin care.
It’s really like going to a dermatologist. You fill up a form, answer questions and then tell the doctor what your concerns are. Then, the doctor will look at your skin, maybe prick some of your pimples and send you home with a bunch of products.
But since going to the dermatologist is out of the question right now, personalized skin care is a very good option.
When you say the words “personalized skin care,” the first brand you’d think of is Curology, an American company that focuses on acne treatments.
You fill out a questionnaire on their web site (www.curology.com) and consumers start by filling out a questionnaire to describe their skin concerns, general physical health, their needs, concerns and skin-care routines. You may also upload pictures of your skin. After that, Curology will recommend products that you can use. Curology will give you a free 30-day trial if you live in the US, although you’d need to pay for shipping. After your free trial, you’d need to subscribe to continue using the products. The monthly cost comes up to about $20 to $30, including shipping within the United States.
Atolla is an MIT-born (MIT being Massachusetts Institute of Technology) brand that uses algorithms to customize its products. With Atolla (www.atolla.com), you need to answer a quiz that asks you about many things, including your lifestyle, allergies and current skin-care regimen. Your account will have a “skin-care manager” to assist you with your routine and help with any new products that will be added to what you already have.
Every three weeks, you get a prompt that asks you to take tests that measure your oil, hydration and skin’s pH levels. The data and feedback you provide is used for Atolla to recommend the formulas and products for your succeeding orders.
Atolla uses ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid, ascorbic acid, squalane, salicylic acid, vitamin E, avocado oil, coconut extract, argan nut oil, olive fruit oil, rosehip seed oil and pumpkin seed oil in its products. The cost is about $45 per month, including shipping within the US.
Function of Beauty (www.functionofbeauty.com) launched its personalized skin-care line last year. Here, you’re asked to take an online survey that includes questions about your skin type, sensitivity and concerns. The Function of Beauty routine is based on three goals—cleanse, boost and hydrate.
Function of Beauty curates your skin-care routine based on data you’ve provided. What I like about Function of Beauty, which also has haircare and bodycare lines, is that you can swap or stop using products and not have to buy them every month. All products are cruelty-free, vegan, sulfate-free, sustainable and customized in the US. The product prices range from $39 to $79.
In these times, Apostrophe could be a good option for those with more serious skin concerns. What Apostrophe does is to connect patients with dermatologists who can give them the appropriate prescriptions. The products are delivered straight to the patient’s home. Basically, Apostrophe (www.apostrophe.com) is an online consultation service.
Apostrophe recently launched a 6 percent hydroquinone lotion for lightening acne hyperpigmentation and melasma and not skin whitening. In an earlier interview, Apostrophe’s CEO Ben Holber said their products were made “in a lab and not in a garden, and we believe in the power of chemicals and the credibility of these medications that have been around for years.”
Apostrophe also has a digital publication called Slather that takes a science-focused approach to skin care. One personalized skin-care product I have tried is Clinique ID. It is not as personalized as, say, Curology, which will create formulations for you, but if you have relatively normal skin without any major issues, Clinique ID would be a good choice.
You basically pick your hydration base and insert your cartridge to treat your main skin concern. Hydration bases include Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, Clinique Dramatically Different Oil Control Gel, Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly and Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Bb-gel (not sure if this is available in the Philippines).
There are five cartridges which address different skin concerns, including irritation, pores and uneven texture, uneven skin tone, fatigue, and lines and wrinkles.
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