Before the emergence of skin trends like glass skin and honey skin, people wanted to achieve the timeless "porcelain skin." Having smooth and blemish-free skin never goes out of style because it also connotes good health.
According to Porcelain Founder and Managing Director Pauline Ng, each person's skin is unique. Therefore, treating blemishes and other skin problems requires a customized and health-based approach. While it's easy to turn to makeup to achieve porcelain skin, it's better for long-term skin health to shift the focus to caring for the skin. Regaining foundation-free confidence starts with incorporating a customized skincare regimen that targets specific skin issues.
"No two skins are the same, which means that even if your skin is generally oily on most days and certain products work for you, there could be days when your skin is dry and flaky and the same products wouldn't have the same positive effects. We need to understand what our skin needs," Ng said.
Bespoke, premium skincare borne of conversations with clients
Curated and bespoke treatment plans are at the core of Porcelain's success in Singapore. The company believes that skin woes such as acne or excess oil should be treated at the root rather than symptomatically. And achieving this goal requires designing treatments, products, and holistic, personalized skincare regimens around every single client's skin.
Since its establishment in 2009, Porcelain has gotten to the bottom of their clients' skin issues through craftsmanship combined with state-of-the-art equipment. All their therapists undergo a minimum of 500 hours of intensive training and examinations before being able to serve clients. Also, each equipment is acquired only after careful study and stringent testing to assess its impact on the wellbeing of Porcelain clients.
"I often tell my staff that when clients come in and lie on our beds, they're implicitly placing their trust, stories, and hopes in our therapists' hands. We cannot betray that trust, and we must do all we can to help them achieve healthy skin. This conviction motivates us to develop products and treatments that are based on our clients' needs and our active feedback loop with them," Ng said.
And to complement this comprehensive in-spa approach, Porcelain puts a premium on every skincare product they sell and use in the spa. Every cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer, and the mask is formulated in-house and backed by years of research and development.
"One question we constantly ask at Porcelain is, 'Does the product deserve a space on your shelf?' This helps us streamline and continually develop or refine products and treatments to make them better, effective, and relevant to our clients. There was once I flushed a whole shipment of products down the drain — not literally, of course — because the formulation was not quite right. It was an extremely painful and expensive decision, but the right thing to do. We'd never sell something we couldn't use ourselves," she said.
pH Balance = Clear, radiant skin
The key is to achieve pH balance — a core, crucial element of Porcelain’s curated offerings, including their skincare line, Porcelain Skincare. pH is a measurement from 0 to 14 that shows whether something is acidic or alkaline. Anything below seven is acidic, making the skin prone to inflammation and bacterial infection, which manifests in enlarged pores, blackheads, and acne. And anything above is alkaline, which makes the skin susceptible to becoming dry and sensitive, resulting in premature aging and eczema, among others.
Seven is considered to be a neutral number. However, the ideal skin pH is 5.5, which is slightly acidic. In this state, the skin is said to be working to its optimum, strengthening the skin barrier to keep moisture in and germs and toxins out.
Our skin’s pH balance can easily be thrown out of whack by using the wrong skincare products or eating the wrong types of food. When this happens, the skin suffers from acne, inflammation, sensitivity, and wrinkles. In other words, pH imbalance is often the underlying root of the most skincare woes.
Porcelain Skincare seeks to help clients regain this balance to keep skin clear and radiant from within. It currently houses a suite of 14 products that are designed for all skin types. They are also non-comedogenic and especially suitable for humid climates like the Philippines, where the most common skin issue is congested or clogged skin, which results in blackheads, acne, and enlarged pores.
"Acneic skin is our niche, and we're best known for helping clients regain balanced, clearer, and healthier skin, including those with severe acne conditions, scars, and marks," she said.
All products are available for purchase on PorcelainSkin.com/Shop, and they ship to over 220 countries including the Philippines.
Visit Porcelain in Manila
If you're not sure about investing in skincare without trying it first-hand, then head over to Singaporium, a pop-up event that celebrates 50 years of diplomatic relations between Singapore and the Philippines, at The Podium, Ortigas Center from September 6-15, 2019.
There, you can get your skin analyzed with a complimentary Skin DiscoveryTM (valued at SGD 65) and a following Smart Consultation. Skin DiscoveryTM is an in-depth skin analysis that measures vital areas of concern, including moisture vs. sebum levels, acne, skin age, and more. Going through the detailed skin analysis can help you understand your skin better and make an informed choice about the right skincare regimen that addresses your skin concerns.
Also explore the Product Discovery Bar, a mini-replica of the one in Porcelain’s first smart spa (Porcelain Origins) in Singapore. Learn more about Porcelain's products the smart, digital way — and try them too!
You can purchase their Radiance #FromWithin kit, a fuss-free, four-piece skin care kit that includes the Soothe – Hydro Cleanser, Revive – Natural Skin Refiner, Soothe – Deep Hydrating Lotion, and Balance – Hydraclear Gel. However, depending on your skin condition, the products in the kit can be swapped out for other variants to suit your skin's needs. This kit is available exclusively at Singaporium and comes with three complimentary pieces of Hydrocare – Bio-Cellulose Masks. The entire kit and complimentary masks are valued at Php 14,190 but will be available at Singaporium for only Php 8,800.
