The Best Anti-Ageing Serum Unveiled- Dermatologist-Recommended but worth the Price Tag?

By Stephanie S

data-srcset= I can’t say I was all that surprised when I saw Dr. TWL’s However through globalisation the insurgence of new market players in the beauty community meant that a myriad of Korean, Japanese, European beauty products are made readily available waiting to be cashed them out of their virtual shopping carts or your nearest Guardian or Watsons. The onslaught of choices, exotic new products, alluring promises and their sometimes dramatically varying price points are like neon lights in the heart of New York City’s times square, overwhelming, bewitching, distracting and even a tad confusing. Relating these emotions to an enthusiastic beauty-junkie: it becomes increasingly hard to practice discernment these days.

However, it is 2017 and i’d like to believe that the 21st century consumers are not unsuspecting fishes eager to bite bait. Yes, the dizzying amount of choices in the beauty market does make finding the right beauty product for your skincare needs as arduous as attempting to find a needle in a haystack but it is important to remember that education is no longer a restricted commodity, information is available when we know where to seek and discernment is acquired when we know to extend our pool of knowledge. If a consumer wants to practice discernment i then he or she needs to know what he or she is buying into and asking good questions is the start of their “beauty education.”

Turning our lenses back to Dr. TWL’s Elixir-V™ Total Recovery Serum. Firsts things first: what is a serum?

Define Serum:

Serums are made up of high concentrations of active ingredients that usually contain high doses of anti ageing, skin brightening and hydrating properties that are small enough to penetrate deep into the skin quickly without leaving a greasy finish. A moisturiser unlike serums contains heavier and thicker ingredients to create emollience making it easier to spread and layer on the skin.

If a serum is the beauty product that best provides deep hydration, the moisturiser could be seen as the product that retains moisture on the epidermis (outermost layer of skin). They are essentially different products for different purposes but yields great results when paired together accurately to one’s skincare needs.

What is a serum?

According to Dr. Teo Wan Lin,an accredited dermatologist, the differences between serum, cream/ointment or lotion is the carrier vehicle in these.

“Creams and ointments contain oil or fat derivatives, which increase the stability and potency of certain compounds and also prevents moisture and water from evaporating, keeping the skin’s moisture. Dermatologists typically prescribe creams/ointments over lotions as the former is a more effective vehicle for most prescription medications. Lotions have much more water content and hence even in terms of moisturising capacity, are inferior to creams” says Dr.Teo.

However, one also has to bear in mind the cosmetic acceptability of anti-ageing creams, as these are heavy on skin and uncomfortable to wear in the daytime. Personally speaking, I used to skip all moisturisers since I felt they caused me to break out. Turns out, this was a bad practice and we got this myth debunked when we spoke to the dermatologist.

“In a humid country like Singapore, it’s quite unacceptable for most individuals with oily/combination or normal skin-types to lather on a moisturiser cream in the day, as it simply does not look good under makeup, or without, causing a shiny greasy appearance. For acne-prone individuals, some of these creams or ointments could even turn out to be comedogenic. Enter serums, which are formulated to exclude occlusive moisturising ingredients such as petrolatum/mineral oil, waxes or silicones that keep water from evaporating. Anti-oxidant ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, resveratrol, vitamin C derivatives are concentrated and effectively delivered in serums besides having a light-weight feel when applied. ” Hence when you purchase a serum you expect to get the concentrated “real deal”, with higher levels of the active ingredient in a formula without the cheaper traditional moisturising cream ingredients.

On top of the fact that active ingredients used in serums costs significantly more, the effectiveness of these smaller molecules means that a little product goes a long way, a 30ml bottle could very well last you a few months.

DR.TWL Dermaceuticals is a That makes the Elixir-V™ Total Recovery Serum a dermatologist-formulated product and one of high order at that. It’s commitment to science divorced of fluffy marketing tactics ensures that its product labels speak for itself.

Its rockstar ingredient Larecea™ is a unique combination of bioactive ingredients in combination with potent regenerative amino acids to create a blend that is one of its kind in the world.
Commonly found in the skin of red grapes and berries, resveratrol has gained popularity in the cosmeceutical skincare scene as it provides antioxidants that protect the skin from free radicals which damage skin cells. This serum uses instead trans-resveratrol, derived from the Japanese knotweed plant, and here’s why. Trans-resveratrol is the active form of resveratrol with the highest bioavailability,read: a version of resveratrol that is best absorbed and utilized by the body. Resveratrol derived from red grapes typically has to be converted into trans-resveratrol before the body is able to absorb it, whereas Japanese knotweed contains predominantly trans-resveratrol,making it the ideal anti-oxidant ingredient to be applied directly onto skin.
Potent Oligopeptides in the cream promise lifting and repairing properties.
The Hyaluronic acid, opposed to the common misconception of acids being harsh ingredients, provides moisture, hydration and by no means skin-stripping. It is the ingredient that plumps to keep it looking youthful.

How do I use this product?

The effectiveness of beauty products are largely dependent on its application process. Due to its penetrability, serums should be applied directly to the skin after cleansing (and toning) so that it is able to penetrate the skin to provide deep hydration.

Apply three drops to work evenly onto entire face and neck using a taping or sweeping motion, moving away from the nose and eyes, starting from the chin, the neck, the cheeks to the temples and the forehead.

How would i know if it would work for me?

Knowing what to look for in your products really depends on your own individual skincare concerns. While redness and flaking skin may seem like signs of having dry skin it could also be rosacea, mistaken and made more severe with self diagnosis and attempts of using off shelves beauty products.

It is important to understand your skin’s needs and this is best ensured with the help of a dermatologist. Dr. Teo Wan Lin the consultant dermatologist at TWL specialist skin and laser centre seconds this “the skin manifest(s) all sorts of underlying internal conditions of the body in such a unique way” and skilled dermatologist are “able to diagnose complex diseases of the kidney, liver and even organ cancers, just by analysing the skin.”

As the beauty community continues to grow and flourish with brighter packaging, fluffier words and even more competitive price tags the importance of ethics and discernment becomes increasingly important. We live in a time where a good marketer/businessman could sell ice to eskimos. My solution to combating this is to learn more about the product and it’s ingredients, ask more about the brand’s ethos and like what Sherlock Holmes says “to extend the base of knowledge beyond the bounds of basis investigative procedure” of my mere aesthetic concerns.

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