Be mindful of chemicals that you are allergic to.
You are intrigued by claims made by manufacturers of skincare products but reading the product labels can be baffling.
Ms May Cheah, Principal Pharmacist, Pharmacy Department, Singapore General Hospital (SGH), a member of the SingHealth group, decodes the ingredients used in skincare products and tells you the allergy side-effects of some chemicals.
List of ingredients
Some chemicals, though necessary additions, may cause irritation or allergy
These include:
The right skincare sequence
Something that is not often found on labels is the sequence in which skincare products should be used. Ms Cheah advises starting your routine with a cleanser. Once a week, This may be followed by a mask or scrub to exfoliate dead skin (once a week). Then, apply toner to restore the pH balance and remove residue from the cleanser.
Prescription creams should be applied at this point, as the skin will be more receptive to absorbing the product. Beauty serums and eye creams can be applied after this, followed by a moisturiser to lock in the active ingredients. Finally, protect your skin from damaging UV light with a sunscreen or sunblock.
Ref: U11
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