Skincare is definitely something I care deeply about — evident by how I changed my entire lifestyle (stopped drinking alcohol almost entirely and established a regular sleeping routine) just to decrease breakouts. This came after years of being plagued with skin problems since puberty hit me like a train.
Thankfully, breakouts are an irregularity today, although my skin remains sensitive and my pores are quite big. As I grow older, I also noticed that my skin turned from oily to dry/combination yet it remained stubbornly defiant — moisturising or hydrating products that help combat dryness tend to give me angry pimples.
These are some of the issues I pointed out to Dr Ian Tan during my first session with IDS. After reviewing my skin with a pair of professional magnifying spectacles under intense light, he determined that I, indeed, have dry skin that is tired out by blue light emitted from digital screens.
With this, I was ushered into another room where I was shown skincare routine recommended by the dermatologist to address my skin concerns.
I was introduced to a total of eight daily skincare steps (excluding masking, since that is done every three days or so).
- Cleanser
- Toner
- Pore serum
- Vitamin C
- Serum
- Moisturiser
- Sunscreen
Each of IDS Skincare has a special code tagged to it, so you know exactly the product to ask for when purchasing.
After trying them out for two weeks, here's my honest intermittent review.
C1 - Refreshing Cleanser
C1 - Refreshing Cleanser is one of IDS Skincare’s most popular products, and this is a new and improved formulation! It uses botanic extracts for anti-inflammatory and antiseptic purposes, and sulfur-based ingredients for blemish control.
Although it's usually recommended for people with normal or oily/blemish-prone skin, the cleanser worked well on my dry skin — probably because it's so light and gentle. I also like how clean and natural the cleanser smells.
The light texture of C1 - Refreshing Cleanser
I tried using only the cleanser without makeup remover for a few days to see if the product really cleanses as thoroughly as it promises, and I was pleasantly surprised to find out there was not much makeup residue left.
T1 - Refreshing Toner
I usually don't like using cotton pads because they soak up too much product and it's not the most environmentally-friendly option. Thankfully, T1 - Refreshing Toner came in a spray bottle, which is really convenient for me to spray the toner over my face before patting it in.
Sprayed from my bottle of T1 - Refreshing Toner
Similar to C1 - Refreshing Cleanser, T1 - Refreshing Toner is a light formula made with ingredients targeted to produce anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, wound-healing and anti-microbial properties.
PF - Pore Formula
Next is PF - Pore Formula, prescribed to me to target one of my biggest skincare concern, enlarged pores. To be applied to the T-zone and affected areas (cheeks in my case), this solution works to refine my pores and clear my blackheads/whiteheads.
How PF - Pore Formula looks like
PF - Pore Formula is a watery substance, which smells and feels slightly minty.
After the first application, my chin broke out slightly (told ya I have sensitive skin) but all was good again once I avoided putting too much PF - Pore Formula product on that area. My forehead, nose and cheeks did not have any further reaction — other than showing visibly smaller pores, of course!
I was understandably excited about this because my enlarged pores have been bothering me for the longest time. I can see why PF - Pore Formula is part of IDS Clinic's star products.
Photos of said pores for your reference:
It bothers me even more because I usually don't put on any base make up, so the enlarged pores are especially obvious T__T
I couldn't get the same lighting at home to show you the vast improvement in my pore condition after using IDS Skincare’s PF - Pore Formula, but I'll update this post when I get the kind souls at IDS clinic to take a photo for me.
C+ - C-Plus
C+ - C-Plus is, as you can probably guess, a Vitamin C formula. If you don't already know Vitamin C is one of the best things you can put on your face — the antioxidant protects your skin from damage caused by UV exposure, reduces wrinkles and lightens your skin.
By lightening, I don't mean just whitening, but also C+ - C-Plus produces an even skin tone and clears old acne marks through its active ingredients.
C+ / C-Plus solution from
IDS Clinic
Like most Vitamin C products, C+ - C-Plus leaves a light warm effect during application, which is a totally normal reaction when you apply Vitamin C on your skin. I've used some harsher Vitamin C products that left uncomfortable heating on my face and boy, that wasn't a good feeling.
Thankfully, C+ - C-Plus feels pleasant on my face, and the warming effect is especially comforting at night. The formula is definitely something I look forward to applying on my face after a long day at work.
RS - Recovery Serum
Because the Pore Formula is drying on my face, I was introduced RS - Recovery Serum to combat that dryness.
The RS - Recovery Serum is an enriched serum that reduces redness, irritation, and establishes skin immunity. Its main ingredient, hyaluronic acid, is supposed to be "super moisturising".
Extremely moisturising RS - Recovery Serum
I was initially hesitant of this serum (remember how my dry skin reacts badly to moisturising products?), but after several applications, I realised I was proven wrong — the serum is so mild on my face that even my troublesome skin doesn't protest its existence. Hooray!
MB - Moisture Boost
Another product to combat dryness is MB - Moisture Boost, an all-in-one moisturiser that promises to "restore and maintain the natural protective capability" of our skin's barrier function.
MB - Moisture Boost also happens to be one of IDS Skincare’s star products.
Again, I was freaked out by the creamy formula initially as it's known to leave my skin angry but IDS Skincare managed to formulate the MB - Moisture Boost to be both moisturising and lightweight at the same time :OOO I'm impressed.
S2 - Non-tinted Sunscreen (SPF 50+ PA+++)
The last part of my daily skincare routine was definitely sunscreen. I cannot emphasise the importance of sunscreen enough!!! The abundance of skincare you paint over your face is useless if you don't use sunscreen to protect your skin from sun damage.
Even if you skip every skincare routine, please, at least put sunscreen every day.
S2 - Non-tinted Sunscreen is lightweight and non-greasy while still offering ample protection from the sun, pollution, infrared and blue light. You can tell how light the formulation is from how it's threatening to drip off my hands.
According to IDS, S2 - Non-tinted Sunscreen is chemical-free with 100% mineral actives. The sunscreen is also water and sweat resistant, although I was recommended to reapply it if I was going to be out in the sun for a prolonged period of time.
There's really nothing to not like about S2 - Non-tinted Sunscreen — it doesn't leave much a distracting amount of white cast on my face after application (note: ALL sunscreens of this SPF level will leave some form of white cast or greasiness), which I appreciate.
I typically brush some loose powder over my face after applying S2 - Non-tinted Sunscreen and I'll be ready to head out.
DM - Dermashield Mask
Weee, it's time for my favourite nighttime routine, masking. DM - Dermashield Mask is suitable for both day and night usage, although I prefer using it at night so I can overload my face with serum before I head to bed.
As you can read from the box, DM - Dermashield Mask targets skin harmed by blue light and environmental pollutant aka every one of us because you're definitely using a digital divide to read this blog.
Other factors to lead to premature ageing of skin include the sun (I told you sunscreen is important!) and fluorescent light, which we come into contact with every day.
The only thing I dislike about DM - Dermashield Mask is the plastic sheet attached to the mask, which serves no real purpose. Personally, it makes application slightly messy as I need to separate the mask from the plastic flim while it's dripping with serum, but that's just my opinion.
Fit of
DM - Dermashield Mask
Because IDS Skincare is a Singapore-owned clinic, its products are naturally designed for Asians. DM - Dermashield Mask adheres my face pretty well, as you can see from the image above.
After masking, my skin feels smooth and supple — I even skip the moisturiser sometimes as DM - Dermashield Mask is moisturising enough. I can see that my skin is visibly brighter and fresher the following day too.
I can't wait for my next session at IDS to show you photos of my skin before and after I started on IDS Skincare range!
In the meantime, here are IDS's details if you'd like to drop them a visit.
IDS (Novena Specialist Centre)
Address: 8 Sinaran Drive #05-09 to 10 Singapore 307470
Opening hours: 10am to 8pm on weekdays | 10am to 5pm on Saturdays | Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays
Contact: +65 6568 3555
My dermatologist is Dr Ian Tan from
IDS Novena.
IDS (International Building) - Flagship outlet
Address: 360 Orchard Rd, #02-02, International Building, Singapore 238869
Opening hours: 10am to 8pm on weekdays | 10am to 5pm on Saturdays | Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays
Contact: 6450 3555
If you, like me, hate speaking on the phone, you may also make your appointments with IDS online.
For more information on IDS Skincare products, you can visit www.idsskincare.com
-
Although the products were sponsored by IDS, all opinions written here are strictly and solely my own.
*Credits to Yi Tsing
Visit Yi Tsing's blog post here.
The light texture of C1 - Refreshing Cleanser
Sprayed from my bottle of T1 - Refreshing Toner
How PF - Pore Formula looks like
C+ / C-Plus solution from IDS Clinic
Fit of DM - Dermashield Mask
