Life lesson: The very best beauty hacks, like the choicest chips of chocolate, often surface out of sheer serendipity.
Take this skin secret I’m about to spill, for instance. I was twiddling my thumbs at a painfully protracted photo-shoot when I decided to attempt to talk shop with the delightful Dollei Seah, a doyenne in the Singapore makeup scene and creative director of Makeup Entourage.
As it turns out, the woman is a treasure trove of top tips. When I ask her for eczema-friendly product recommendations, Dollei says a chilly glass of milk is all you need to soothe sensitive skin.
Here’s the embarrassingly easy recipe for an express milk mask. Whenever you’re itching from sun-induced rashes and such, simply pour yourself a glass of full-fat from the fridge, chuck in some ice cubes, dip cotton pads into the cool mix and press into your cleansed face. Relax and kick off your kitten heels for a couple of minutes, then rinse off for smoother, softer skin.
Bonus step: If you’re particularly scaly (sorry, not a pleasant visual), proceed to massage ever so gently with a warm washcloth. The mildly exfoliating lactic acid in the milk loosens up the gunk holding dead skin cells together, so they’re easier to slough off without excessive rubbing. Science!
Lactic acid aside, there’s a ton of good stuff in cow milk: Proteins, amino acids, vitamins A and D, not to mention trace amounts of prebiotics – essentially “good” bacteria which have shown potential in aiding allergy resistance and the skin’s immune system.
Now, speaking of skin immunity, you really ought to follow up your milk mask with a pump or two of Shiseido’s Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate, a spanking new star serum with an intriguing “immunity-based” slant.
Say what? Regular use of this ridiculously sumptuous salve – I’m told the typically Japanese perfectionists took 400 trials to come up with the surpassingly silky texture – promises to prop up your skin’s Langerhan cells, which are immunity fighters responsible for alleviating age-related stress.
Throw in botanical boosters like calming gingko and thyme extracts and you get an “ultimate” (or is that Ultimune) serum Shiseido says will strengthen skin immunity for quite literally healthier looking complexion.
So here’s what I do on evenings when my face feels a little flushed from the heat: I pat on cool milk, splash off with water, then massage in said serum from Shiseido. Doff of my hat to Dollei once again, and ladies, let me know if this milky treat bestows you with a well, milky mien!
Dollei Seah can be contacted at www.makeupentourage.com.
Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate, $105 for 30 ml, is available from September 2014 at all Shiseido counters. For more information, visit www.sg.shiseido.com and follow Shiseido Singapore on Facebook.