People all over the world are now decluttering their lives, thanks to Netflix series "Tidying up with Marie Kondo." Marie, a bestselling author from Japan, helps to get different families to sort out and declutter. This includes clearing and sorting out their piles of clothing, books and even treasured items.

"Sparking Joy" is an often repeated term on the series, as Marie proclaims her mission using her konmari method to help spark joy in the world.

As we move from sorting out our homes, it is time to take a look at the mirror; have a close look at your face under bright light. Ask yourself, does your face spark joy? Are you trulysatisfied with your appearance? Or are there lines and blemishes that you can clear away instead? 

Let us help! In this article, we will share 7 methods to help you take great care of your skin, on a daily basis. It's time to spark joy with your face! ​
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1. Alway Take Specific Care for Each Skin Type
To take the best care for your skin, always make sure to choose products specially designed for your skin type. Dry skin requires different care from oily skin. A wrong match will cause either flaking (from over drying) or pimples (from oil build-up and thereafter bacterial infection).

So what are the best products for the various skin types? ​

Combination Skin - choose a gentle, balancing formula that prevents both irritating and dryness. Use a hydrating serum, and quench your skin with a lightweight liquid or gel lotion. ​

Oily Skin - choose a gentle and soft-free cleanser as harsh formulas can cause oil overproduction. An exfoliator helps dissolve pore-clogging sebum and wash away dead cells. We recommend our Retinol Serum in this case. Oily skin still needs to be hydrated, hence choose a lightweight, water-grabbing cream or gel. ​

Dry Skin - choose cleansing oils and lotsion which help to remove dirt and make up without stripping away moisture. Apply a hydrating serum or essence to quench skin with a boost of water. We recommend our Royal Jelly Essence in this case. For moisturising, a cream with protective ingredients like oils or shea butter will help to keep the water locked in. ​

Normal Skin - Remove dirt and makeup with a mild cleanser that will not disrupt the skin's pH balance. Exfoliate 2 or 3 times a week with a AHA, BHA or retinoid for a fresh, glowing complexion. We recommend our 100% concentrate of Retinol Serum. A light or medium weight lotion with emollients like almond oil will help to retain hydration. ​

A point to note is that the eye contour skin is about ten times finer and more fragile than the rest of the skin on the face. Hence, never over-exfoliate. When removing make-up, always choose a specific routine that will not damage this sensitive area. 

From your 30s onwards, you may begin to see some signs of aging around your eyes. This includes fine lines and textual changes. A retinol-based treatment will help to increase the cell-turnover adn resurface your skin overnight. ​
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Exfoliation is always recommended at least once (or twice) a week. This can be done via a facial scrub, though Wellaholic would recommend using both a Diamond Peel. This microdermabrasion procedure will help physically exfoliate the skin. This can be further augmented by a regular Retinol regime. The vitamin-A derivative can do wonders by chemically exofoliating the skin. This helps to keep the complexion clear. ​
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Keeping the skin moisturised and supple is also essential. This is because the dermis is 15% epidermis and 70% water. With the appropriate daily moisturing skin care, you can then balance the level of water within the skin. ​

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Make sure that the rest of your skincare routine is soothing and gentle. Use a gentle cleanser, and a hydrating toner (such as our W+ Tightening Toner, which contains Azeloglicinia®, Salicylic Acid Complex, Aloe Vera Extract and Hyaluronic Acid that clears and control sebum while hydrating the skin), a day dream with SPF 50++ during the day, and add on a face serum in the evening and a night cream before going to bed.
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While retinoids might cause dryness or redness, you can help by easing in. Try applying it every other night to allow your skin to adjust to the effects of the retinoid. It is exactly why Wellaholic uses retinyl palmitate instead of retinol, as retinyl palmitate is relatively gentler and does the same effects and retinol (i.e. breaking down into retinoic acid) but without the irritation.
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We did a quick scout of retinol-based creams in the market and found these:
a.     Youth Corridor by Dr Gerald Imber (50ml) at $854
b.    Perricone MD OVM Serum (30ml) at $217
c.     NaturaBisse Intense Retinol Fluid (30ml) at $147
d.    Redermic R Anti-Ageing Dermatological Corrector Intensive at (30ml) $79.90
e.     SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 (30ml) at $99
f.     W+ Flawless Face Serum (30ml) at $79
g.    W+ Rejuvenating Night Cream (50ml) at $79

Hence you will realise that while there is a wide range of retinoids in the market, they all work the same, i.e. they require retinoids to break down to retinoic acid to do the work. At Wellaholic, we believe in a two-step treatment. Step 1 is the application of the face serum. Face Serums leave out occlusive, or airtight, moisturising ingredients that keep water from evaporating. Serums are made of very small molecules, so the skin absorbs them quickly and deeply. As most of the fluid is eliminated, what you are left with is a high concentration of active ingredients. However, this leaves the face dry and in need of hydration. This is also why we have recommended Step 2, which is the application of a Night Cream before going to bed. The night cream also contains retinyl palmitate as well as moisturising ingredients so as to keep your face moist and hydrated throughout the night while letting the retinoid do its magic.

​​Retinoids actually work very well with IPL and Elight treatments. While Elight treatments help boost the skins’ collagen beneath the skin’s surface, retinoids will help the exfoliating process, working in tandem with the Elight treatment for a more radiant skin with less lines and spots. A 2006 study (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17177 749) investigated the combined use of IPL and a retinyl-based cream and discovered an improvement in skin smoothness and the skin ultrasounds confirmed an increase in the deposition of collagen. During an 8-month follow-up, 67% responded having the same or improved results.