What Is Personalised Skincare?
Personalised skincare is specialised skincare that is designed for your unique skin. Typically, personalised skincare is made to order and formulated or customised to include the exact ingredients your skin needs.
Skincare is not a one-size-fits-all solution. A personalised approach helps you achieve the results you want without days of research, trial-and-error, and wasted products.
Personalised skincare varies from brand to brand so be sure to look out for how they 'personalise'.
How Does Personalised Skincare Work?
Most personalised skincare brands start with a questionnaire. You answer a series of questions about your skin type, skin concerns, preferences - some even include lifestyle factors.
The brand uses this information to either custom formulate your product, or to recommend a series of customisable or curated options.
Formulations are usually handled by a mix of experts - dermatologists, estheticians, pharmacists, cosmetic chemists.
In a way, you're getting access to your own personal expert formulator... Depending on what type of 'personalisation' the brand does.
Types of Personalised Skincare
Fully Personalised & Custom Made Skincare
Custom made personalised skincare uses the information you provide to make your unique formulation to order. It works much like a compounding pharmacy that prepares custom formulations for each customer and their needs.
This type of personalised skincare is the truly personalised approach - you're actually getting a bespoke formula, designed especially for you.
Customisable Skincare - Mix & Match
This type of customisable skincare is when a brand offers a 'base' cream or serum, and actives - sometimes called 'boosters' - sold separately.
Your answers to the questionnaire determine which pre-made base you are recommended, and which set of pre-made actives you should purchase as well.
You can then mix and match the products as needed when it comes to using them.
This approach is less about true personalisation as all of the components are already made - but it does give you the freedom to change up your actives on a daily basis.
It also doesn't really simplify your routine. It is just another form of a routine that includes multiple moisturisers and targeted serums.
Curated Skincare For Your Needs
Curated skincare starts with the same questionnaire, but instead of a custom formulated product, you are presented pre-made products that may suit your needs.
Some brands do claim to be personalised, but actually have pre-made products that they ship you depending on your answers.
Some brands are more transparent and let you select the curated products you wish to buy.
Curated skincare definitely takes some of the leg work out of research - especially if you find the world of skincare overwhelming, and don't want to jump into fully personalised skincare just yet.
Does Personalised Skincare Actually Work?
Personalised skincare absolutely does work - but it's important to note, standard skincare also works. Standard skincare just takes much more time to figure out the products and the actives that work for you.
Personalised skincare can be a much easier approach to finding a routine that works for you.
It takes the legwork out of the research you have to do as a consumer.
It reduces the amount of trial-and-error you have to go through.
It can cost less than buying and wasting a bunch of products that don't work.
If you're thinking of jumping into the world of personalised skincare - we absolutely recommend going with a brand that custom formulates, and makes your product to order.
