by Alexandra Nicole Nuralam

Dr.TWL Shares Her Morning Skincare Routine

Between the 10-step Korean skincare routine and countless new beauty products and treatments popping up daily, it’s easy to get carried away with skincare. Which ones are worth trying to achieve the skin of our dreams? Can you overdo it or does an extensive routine really yield better results?

We asked board-certified dermatologist and founder of Dr.TWL Dermaceuticals, Dr Teo Wan Lin (@drteowanlin), to provide a step-by-step breakdown of the products and treatments she uses to keep her skin in prime condition.

Dr Teo’s Guide to Beauty in the Morning

Step 1. Gently cleanse the face with a cleansing milk, to remove debris, oil and residual skincare products that settled over the skin overnight. Wash off or wipe off with a moist cotton pad.

“The key thing about cleansing in the morning is that while you want to feel fresh, you do not want to dehydrate the skin,” says Dr Teo. “If your skin is cleansed too ‘squeaky clean’, it could result in reactive seborrhea, where your T-zone produces even more oil to combat the dryness.”

Step 2. Next, move on to serums. Dr Teo uses two of her favourites: the Acne Solution and Skin Brightening Solution.

Step 3. She goes in with the SilkPeel (SGD481.50), an at-home microdermabrasion tool that helps brighten the skin and help increase the absorption of the skincare applied.

“You may experience some redness, which is normal. My recommendation is to move quickly over the face and don’t skip the antioxidant serum step,” suggests Dr Teo. “These devices are also not for removing blackheads and whiteheads.”

Step 4. For masking, Dr Teo prefers to apply a gel-based mask and layer on a polysaccharide facial mask. “Polysaccharides increase the absorption of cosmeceuticals when applied to the skin,” says Dr Teo.

Her choice of mask? The Amino Acid 360° Masque (SGD220), which contains a potent concoction of vitamin C, Brassica oleracea and amino acids. Leave on for 15 minutes before rinsing off.

Step 5. Pat the skin dry with a cotton pad or a soft microfibre towel, to reduce friction between the material and the skin.

Step 6. For serums, Dr Teo goes in with Hyaluronic Acid Serum (SGD117) and the Vitá C Gold Serum (SGD139).

Step 7. Use emulsion formulas as your moisturizer for the daytime. “In humid, tropical climates like Singapore, it could get quite uncomfortable on the skin [for heavier formulas], especially if you’re wearing a mask,” says Dr Teo.

Step 8. Don’t forget the eye area! “It is still critical to treat the eye area in the daytime because that is when most of the fatigue sets in — long hours, exposure to the environment or pollution, and straining your eyes when looking at the computer screen,” explains Dr Teo.

Step 9. Next, spray the face with a facial mist. This is to hydrate the skin and reduce transepidermal water loss, which is responsible for dehydration of the skin. You can keep a facial mist in your bag to spray the face throughout the day to maintain moisture levels of the skin.

Step 10. Last but definitely not least, put on sunscreen! And remember to apply liberally.

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