Why Customisable Beauty Could Lead To Your Best Skin Yet

Beauty on your own terms.

Customisable moisturisers, lipstick shades, supplements and perfumes—never before has the beauty world so openly embraced bespoke beauty, a movement that seeks to challenge a mass, one-size-fits-all approach and instead place the focus on the specific needs of the individual.

This mentality has been particularly present in the skincare industry of late, from skin technicians and brands alike. While an off-the-shelf product can work wonders for some, those with complex and often competing conditions have had to compromise—focussing on one concern while forgoing attention on another—usually to the detriment of their overall skin health. To counteract this, a number of small skincare companies and practitioners have developed fully customisable products and treatments that are tailored to help consumers streamline their routine and find clear-cut, results-driven solutions.

We spoke to local beauty entrepreneurs as to why a customised regimen could be one of the best things you’ll ever do for your complexion health. Consider this your skin-tervention.

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Model wears hat by Sarah J Curtis.

“It sounds obvious but our skin is so unique and our needs are so varied,” says Natalie Sellars of Kindred Toxin Free Facials. “From one week to the next, your skin could be drier, more congested or inflamed depending on a range of factors; where you are in your [menstrual] cycle, stress levels, diet and sleep patterns, and I adjust treatments accordingly.”

Jasmine Garnsworthy of skincare brand The Buff has long agreed with this sentiment, which led her to launch her range of bespoke facial oils in 2017. “Not only is your skin different to the woman next to you but your skin and the ingredients it needs will also change over time,” says Garnsworthy. “Customised products make responding to your specific skin needs at any point in time so much easier—and makes the brand do most of the hard work for you.”

Along with the developments in technology that have allowed companies to create accessible customised offerings, Belinda Hughes of Belinda Hughes Skin Clinics also attributes the rise of bespoke beauty to a highly educated and invested consumer base, who can obtain detailed research and advice on ingredients and formulations through a simple Google search. “Consumers are now so savvy,” says Hughes. “They are seeking out ingredients and treatments that they know are proven to work to correct conditions that are unique to them.”

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Put simply, bespoke skin treatments and products take the guesswork out of the ingredients and formulations that will sufficiently address specific concerns. “The key reason to ‘go custom’ is so we can help each individual understand what is happening with their skin, explain a treatment approach, and then carefully design and formulate products specifically suited for them— with zero compromise,” says Ee Ting Ng of Australian skincare brand hop & cotton. “Looking at a mass-market product, depending on which specific group of consumers it is aimed at, can be too astringent, not emollient enough or contain irritants and allergens that are a further detriment to an individual’s skin condition.”

The ability to customise also means that ingredients vital to treating specific skin types can be delivered in a more efficacious potency. “Not only do we offer different ingredients, it’s also about the concentration of each ingredient,” says Garnsworthy. “For example, if a customer has only a mild sensitivity, then there may be some essential oils that are helpful in diluted quantities, whereas a customer without sensitivity could benefit from a deeper concentration of those same active oils.”

The increasing need for bespoke treatments is also being felt from aestheticians and facialists alike, with clients visiting clinics after failing to find off-the-shelf regimes that work for them. “A lot of clients purchase natural skincare products online and aren’t seeing the results that they want,” says Hughes. “Just because a product is natural or organic, it isn’t necessarily the magic bullet to healing skin conditions—a lot of these products are not formulated with the strength of ingredients needed to adequately address skin needs.”

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So, are bespoke skin treatments the best way forward for your complexion? In short, yes. “Getting a personalised service or product will generally deliver results faster and give your skin exactly what it needs at a certain moment in time,” says Sellars. Hughes agrees that customisable beauty will allow for more noticeable results in a shorter period of time: “That being said, not everyone is the same and I see some clients who use basic skincare who have beautiful, glowing skin—it all depends on your personal needs.”

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Tell us, what do you think of bespoke beauty treatments and products?

Would you consider using a customisable service?