Yes, we may all be more familiar with local beauty giants Skin Inc and Allies of Skin, but there are a whole lot more emerging brands that also produce high-quality products out there that are waiting to be discovered. Here, some of the homegrown skincare and makeup brands to put on your radar.
FrankSkincare was founded to be the antithesis of mass-produced skincare – that, more often than not, contain synthetic chemicals to extend the shelf life of the products. To counter that, the brand creates in small batches that allow for quality control and freshness. They also carefully source each natural active ingredient from different parts of the world, making sure they are packed with genuine benefits and contain no harmful chemicals.
Oasis Skin prides their every offering in being rich in plant actives, with zero fillers and chemicals. Using the brand’s products is likened to a fully therapeutic experience because every product is blended with aromatic essential oils that enhance the efficacy of its performance and calm’s you down. Plus, their beauty kitchen is like a refillery that knocks 10 per cent off every purchase when you bring your bottles and jars back for a refill.
What started off as a passion project of a 16-year-old girl who started experimenting and making products with ingredients that can be easily found in the kitchen, is now a brand that’s stocked and known globally. Crafted locally, the brand’s products are made 100% with natural vegan ingredients like extra-virgin coconut oil, cocoa butter and almond oil.
Founder of Sigi Skin, Xenia Wong, believes that truly gorgeous skin is healthy skin; and that can be achieved with an effective superfood-infused skincare regimen rather than with makeup. With that belief, she developed a straightforward line of core products which focus on enhancing the skin’s natural state. The brand is also cruelty-free and formulated without parabens, dye, sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), DMDM Hydantoin, phthalates and polyunsaturated oils (PUFA).
The name of this two-year-old brand comes from the abbreviation of the phrase “re-encountering Earth”. It’s formulated to be a pared-down, minimalist approach to beauty for time-stressed urbanites in the form of eight products. With Japanese White Turmeric and Japanese Spring Turmeric plants as its key ingredients, their products are made to deliver flawless, radiant and youthful-looking skin.
Launched in the first half of 2017, The Gentle Label focuses on using all-natural ingredients to make skincare that are gentle on skin (so even those with sensitive skin will still be able to use it), effective and simple. The products are formulated and manufactured in the UK and contain a minimum of 70 per cent organic ingredients.
This cruelty-free skin and body care brand combines gentle yet effective botanical ingredients to offer high-quality products that are safe to use on any skin types. They are also specially formulated for our city’s tropical climate to meet the needs of the local consumers.
Launched in 2013, this local skincare brand uses pandan (an ingredient many of us are familiar with) as its active ingredient in all of its skincare products (which comprises of a range of serums, lotions and scrubs to combat dryness, ageing and pigmentation). The essential oils from pandan leaves help to detoxify and relieve stress.
Best known for its comprehensive and targeted menu of organic face and body treatments, the brand also manufactures its own skincare products which have been used for some of its facials. All the products are made from organic ingredients (such as sugar cane) and cater to all skin types whether oily or dry.
Unlike many other beauty brands that focus on skincare and makeup products, 13rushes prides itself on being a cruelty-free cosmetic tool brand which specialises in handmade synthetic brushes. Each brush is handcrafted and precisely trimmed and uses only the highest grade of textured synthetic bristles to eliminate risks of allergic reactions.