Sabrina Tan of Skin Inc. Shares Her Beauty File

My Beauty File is an on-going series where we figure out what the most timeless, put-together and coolest ladies are doing—what their days look like, what they can't live without—in hopes that we might learn a thing or two. Beauty Files is a quick  and easy cheat sheet on how these incredible ladies are becoming their best selves. Sabrina Tan wanted to find a solution to her eczema-prone skin: everything she used caused her major skin distress. After 11 years of a successful corporate background, Sabrina invested $1 million of her own money in 2007 to launch her own skincare line, Skin Inc. Since it was founded in 2007, the business has grown from one store in Singapore to retailing in 100 cities and 10 countries. The line is distributed by Sephora in Asia, Europe and the United States as well as through Skin Inc.'s website. Skin Inc. products are unique in that each active ingredient is individually encapsulated so they remain pure and fresh until application on the skin. This also allows you to customize your approach through the various active ingredients available (Vitamin B3+, Collagen, Vitamin A, French Pine Bark, Licorice, COQ10, Hyaluronic Acid, Ceramide, Chlorella, Vitamin C). Sabrina had the idea while visiting formulators in Japan. While in discussions with a chemist, she left the meeting for a quick toilet break, and en route she passed a wall of vials and jars housing different ingredients. Rather than formulate in the lab, why not source pure ingredients and let the customer customize the product for the skin needs?

Morning Skincare:  

I enjoy the few minutes that I spend on hydrating and prepping my skin everyday.  In the morning I apply my Daily Dose. I truly can feel the nourishment and indulgence on my skin.  Currently my dose is Ceramide, Collagen, and vitamin A. I could not leave home without it as the Ceramide helps to strengthen my skin, collagen improves my elasticity and suppleness, and vitamin A tackles the uneven tone and dark circles which are a concern for me. My face is ultra-sensitive. I also use body oil from Mmerci Encore.

Morning Breakfast:

Anything Asian. Noodle soups, Roti Prata (Indian Bread Dough) .

Night Skincare:

At night I exfoliate. It's an important step to gently prep for nighttime skincare. I use our Pure Revival Peel. Again, I have extremely sensitive skin, so I formulated our peel for those with super sensitive skin. Often I would have hives or rashes using certain products. I love exfoliating at night. There is nothing more satisfying than having the dead skin roll off and create a smooth canvas. After I exfoliate, I use my my Daily Dose serum again and will seal it in with our overnight hydrating mask, which consists rich minerals from deep sea water, soy and hyaluronic.

Supplements:

We need to fight against free radicals everyday. I take French Pine Bark Extracts.

Fitness:

I take a brisk walk for 30 minutes each evening.

Tech:

I can't live without my mobile device (an i-phone 6 PLUS) that I read my emails on and my digital creative approvals. And in beauty tech it would be the Skin Inc. Tri-Light Optimiser that I use once or twice a week.

Hair:

I actually love to use our Pure Serum Mist to hydrate my hair. I also love Living Proof Satin Hair serum.

Dermatologist Or Facialist:

I do oxygen infusion treatments - they include with doses of oxygen with hot spring onsen water and my customized serum. It's offered at Skin Inc. flagship stores and since I am lucky enough to have one in Singapore, that's my go to.

Wellness:

I get monthly body balinese massages at the garden spa in Singapore.

My Best Piece of Beauty Advice:

I believe one size fits one: everyone is unique. With technology, truly bespoke solutions are accessible and should be embraced. The other is beauty tools. Technology has allowed us to bring the dermatologist home with you!  Also, as a sensitive skin sufferer myself, I can definitely say, be a label junkie! Avoid products with alcohol and harsh retinol products which can weaken your skin. And avoid irritating scents and even preservatives like parabens.

My Best Piece of Life Advice:

Something that my mom instilled in me since I was very young was to be confident, self assured and comfortable in my own skin. I have a strong sense of self and am not afraid to go against the status quo. This is not to say that I don’t have moments of disquiet or nerves, but when I do, I think back to my purpose, beliefs and mission and that gives me the courage to keep moving ahead.

Biggest Beauty Myth:

It might be unusual to hear this from an Asian self-professed skincare junkie, but I personally feel that the trend around adding more and more products to your daily regimen can in fact be avoided. The reality is that less is more EVEN in skincare, as long as you are taking care to use effective, performance oriented products that are right for your skin. As a working mom, I feel like women should be empowered to do the best for their skin in a few simple effective steps rather than feeling “guilted” into adding more and more steps. It is indeed possible to get awesome results without the fuss.

My Charlotte:

If to name someone? Michelle Obama! Of course! Image via Skin Inc. Originally published August 23, 2016. 

READ MORE

April Gargiulo of Vintner's Daughter gave us her Beauty File—check it out. Entrepreneurs are badass, but they also can lose sight of what's important. Lavinia Errico of Equinox shares her story of when she realized self care is paramount to everything else.

FIND BEAUTY AND WELLNESS EXPERTS

 Read client reviews, book appointments, and get expert advice. Only the best cosmetic doctors, skincare gurus, nutritionists, fitness and wellness professionals make it into our book.