Dermatologist Talks: Science of Beauty

2023 saw TikTok skincare trends of skin flooding and later, skin streaming take centrestage. What is the science behind this? Now, if you are a skincare minimalist, the great news is that these two concepts are actually synergistic—here’s my take adapted for teen skin.

First, some quick definitions.

Skin flooding involves layering skincare i.e. serum, lotion, cream, ointment ala K-beauty multi-step skincare routine style whereas the concept of skin streaming refers to just sticking to a “streamlined” as-needed philosophy for your daily regimen.

Practically speaking, these trends make no material impact on what dermatologists actually recommend, based on the core principles of:

1. Choosing efficient skincare actives i.e. cosmeceuticals backed by evidence based medicine

2. Not exposing your skin to unnecessary, multiple irritating actives, applicable in the context of acids such as AHAs, BHAs, retinols, retinoids which can cause skin sensitisation

3. Respecting the skin barrier overall

How do you carry out skin streaming?

That being said, I feel the concept of skin streaming is most relevant for those who are relatively new to complex skincare regimens and may be confused about where to begin in the first place.

Here is my cheat sheet for the 3 skin types dermatologists generally encounter:

1. Acne-prone, oily skin

2. Normal/combination skin

3. Dry/sensitive skin

Skin streaming must be applied in the context of knowledge of basic skin types. Take our skin type test to find out if you aren’t sure and receive personalised recommendations. https://drtwlderma.com/what-is-my-skin-type/⁠

The main question to address in skin streaming is: how do you normalise the skin microenvironment? For purposes of this discussion, we will zoom in on the single most important product for each skin type.

For full guide head over to https://drtwlderma.com/skin-streaming-hacks-according-to-a-dermatologist/

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Skincare Bible: Strategic Blueprint for Resilient Skin ⁠https://a.co/d/dPq2kqB⁠

Asian Beauty Secrets ⁠https://a.co/d/gyqpCju⁠

NEW RELEASE

Skincare & Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary & Workbook ⁠https://a.co/d/fqr1qmZ⁠

Little Skincare Book for Women ⁠https://a.co/d/gBtR9Qm⁠

Vision Board Book Kit ⁠https://a.co/d/6gdHstr⁠

Skin Flooding ⁠https://drtwlderma.com/product/skin-flooding/

Miel honey cleanser for oily skin https://drtwlderma.com/product/miel-honeytm-cleanser/

Multi-tasking facial mist for normal/combination skin types https://drtwlderma.com/product/mineral-boostertm/

Ceramide dominant moisturiser for dry sensitive skin https://drtwlderma.com/product/multi-ceram-moisturiser/

5 Ways Using a Vision Board Can Improve Emotional Wellbeing

Vision boards are a visual compilation of images designed to help you manifest your goals. You may remember using corkboards as a student as a way to motivate yourself and keep track of your achievements. Turns out, the psychology behind this is backed by science—images help the brain recognise opportunities which primes one’s subconscious through a process known as “value-tagging.”

Creating a vision board can be a productive form of imagination therapy to heal the mind and soul. In this article I’ll take you through an exercise: how I use vision boards to create an oasis of wellbeing for myself—what I believe is the secret to inside-out beauty.

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NEW RELEASE

Little Skincare Book for Women ⁠https://a.co/d/gBtR9Qm⁠

Skincare & Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary & Workbook ⁠⁠https://a.co/d/fqr1qmZ⁠⁠

I am obsessed with sleeping 8-9 hours a day. This is it—the best skincare tip I have for you is to SLEEP. It’s essential to being alive, by the way. And I don’t meant to sleep at 2 am and wake up at 2 pm. To be beautiful (and healthy) you need to follow the circadian rhythm. Like the cicada...you know? Bugs?

1. Beauty Sleep

Is beauty sleep real? I guarantee it. During the sleep cycle, skin cells work to repair damaged DNA. We all know about the sunscreen doctrine—how it prevents UV rays from damaging skin cells by preventing oxidative stress. But did you know that skin does repair its own damaged DNA? This is why the older you get, the higher the risk of developing skin cancer. Biological and chronological aging slows down the DNA repair process. Sleep helps to rejuvenate cell mitochondria, which are the powerhouses of skin cells. There is scientific evidence that backs up skin dullness and lack of radiance in sleep-deprived skin—and it isn’t psychological.

How I wake up with good skin

• Sleep by 9 and wake by 6 am

Your biological clock follows the circadian rhythm—which is the sun rise and sun down pattern. Our body’s physiological processes follow that too. This ensures your cells are optimally rested and can focus on fighting the bad guys (pollution, stress, UV damage) in the daytime

• Choose cooling bedlinen

If you live in tropical humidity like I do (Singapore, land of crazy hot), you know your body heats up when you sleep. Pure cotton works well, choose higher thread counts which are gentler on skin. Your pillowcase makes a difference—use silk pillowcases or in my case I use one with copper silk which gives extra anti-aging skin benefits.

• Consider sleeping without A/C

This may be heretical for some—I used to be an aircon worshipper too. But it’s also true that A/C is bad for those with allergies, asthma and eczema. It dries out the skin barrier and it’s no different when you sleep. Sleep with a fan—that’s better for your skin and healthier for the environment too. Your skin will wake up feeling more moisturised (without sleeping masks, it’s free!)

• Have a sleep ritual

Sleep hygiene essentially means having a bedtime ritual. I highly recommend

1. Skincare routine

2. Incorporate massage i.e. jade roller to relax facial muscles, increase blood circulation, tone the face

3. Wearing comfortable sleepwear, include sleeping eye masks which can further help you get a good night’s rest

4. Aromatherapy (if you enjoy essential oils) can improve overall wellbeing and aid relaxation

5. Bedtime relaxing activity: for 15-20 minutes journal, practise gratitude, coloring etc

6. Avoid tea/caffeine 6 hours before bedtime, have dinner at least 4 hours before

Bedtime ritual bundle ⁠https://drtwlderma.com/product/bedtime-ritual-bundle/⁠

Secrets to sleeping better ⁠https://drtwlderma.com/bedtime-ritual/⁠

Skincare Bible ⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JQH1SZ7⁠

Sleeping Beauty Mindful Compassion Workbook ⁠https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BHMV2YRS

Flash Skin Tips #1 : A Dermatologist's Guide, Use This Test To Tell Your Skin Type

•CLEANSING BEGINS WITH UNDERSTANDING SKIN TYPES•

Choosing the right cleansing regimen is the most important part of any skincare routine, do you agree?

I’m Dr Teo Wan Lin, board-certified dermatologist, founder of clinical skincare brand Dr.TWL Dermaceuticals and international beauty KOL. In this sharing, I highlight why the first step to a solid skincare regimen is knowing your skin type. I teach you how to quickly tell, with a quick test you can do at home.

What Is My Skin Type?

Dry: skin that produces less sebum than normal skin, individuals with inherited DNA defects in filaggrin gene causing eczema, previous skin irritation with cleansers/skincare

Oily: skin that produces more sebum than normal skin (an overproduction of sebum is known as seborrhea)

Normal (scientifically known as ‘eudermic’): well-balanced and healthy skin, with good production of ceramide as part of the skin barrier

Combination: a mix of skin types in the T-zone and cheeks

How Do You Determine Your Skin Type?

The best way to do this is simple and you can even do it at home with the following steps:

Wash your face and let dry for 30 to 60 minutes.

Dab a tissue on the T-zone (nose, forehead) and cheeks.

If you feel that only your nose is oily, that means you have combination skin. If you are oily on your nose and cheeks, you have oily skin. If both your T-zone and cheeks are dry, it means you have dry skin.

To check if you have dry skin, you may use the following checklist as well.

Do you have:

Dry itchy skin which may be worsened by exposure to strong soaps, sweat, dusty environments, pet fur, pollen mould and carpets

A personal history of atopy, which encompasses hay fever, sensitive nose (allergic rhinitis) asthma and eczema

Family members with atopy

Skin redness, flaking, itchiness, stinging whenever exposed to a new environment or to certain skincare or makeup products

If your answer to any of these questions is yes, you have dry (type 1) skin.

For dry skin types, it is recommended that you moisturise frequently with products that have moisturising ingredients such as ceramide, glycerin and squalane.

For oily skin types, you will still require a moisturiser but perhaps look for hyaluronic acid-based ones. You will also be able to tolerate more drying ingredients such as glycolic, lactic and salicylic acids. For normal skin types, it is advised for you to change your routine up based on the weather. In warmer months, you may add dryer skincare products and in the colder months, you would need extra moisturisation.

While your skin type is determined by your genetics, your skin may be affected by other variables such as environmental factors and age. Now that you know your skin type, you can incorporate skincare products which are suited to your skin to achieve the best results for your skin.

The above is excerpted from my book—Skincare Bible: Dermatologist’s Tips on Cosmeceutical Skincare.

Skincare Bible Amazon Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/9811423717?ref_=ast_author_ofdp

Asian Beauty Secrets Amazon Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Cycling-Plant-based-Natural-Ingredients/dp/B0BLB35WMM/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

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Today’s masterclass focuses on Vitamin C. We’re going to cover the following topics:

Why my essential serums include Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid

The science of different types of Vitamin C compounds

Sensitive skin types and VitaminC tolerability

Is L-Ascorbic Acid the gold standard in anti-ageing and antioxidants?

Maximize Your Skincare Masterclass Experience: ONE-TIME SIGN UP: FREE DOWNLOAD https://drtwlderma.com/skincare-builder-checklist/

EXCLUSIVE Audio Guide/Lecture Notes/Checklists Per Masterclass

NOTE-TAKING dotted journal paper included under each section

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Vitamin C Serum https://drtwlderma.com/product/vita-c-goldtm-serum/

Amino Acid 360° Masque https://drtwlderma.com/product/amino-acid-360-masque/