Conditions · Resources · Ingredient Library

The Skin Ingredient A–Z

Every ingredient on this list gets the same treatment: what it actually is, what the peer-reviewed evidence supports, what it cannot do, and when it belongs in a physician's plan rather than a shopping cart. No sponsorships, no affiliate links — a working library that grows as patients ask.

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International KOL & trainer for 14+ device brandsTrained 500+ doctors across AsiaMBBS (NUS) · MRCS (Edinburgh) · Dual UK Masters with DistinctionEvery assessment personally by Dr Sin Yong

Key Facts

What this is
A physician-written ingredient reference — mechanism, evidence, honest limits
What it isn't
A shop. Nothing here is sold, sponsored or affiliate-linked
How entries are chosen
By what Singapore patients actually ask about in consults and search
The evidence rule
Every entry cites peer-reviewed literature — no cited study, no claim
The safety rule
Prescription-class actives are explained, never dosed — supervision entries say so plainly
Growing library
New entries are added as questions recur — suggest one via WhatsApp

Current entries

The library so far — each entry covers mechanism, evidence, limits and cautions:

Exosomes — the most hyped regenerative ingredient in aesthetics, and what the evidence versus the marketing actually says.
Tranexamic acid — the melasma-modulating active with genuine meta-analysis support, in creams and in clinics.
Arbutin — the gentler tyrosinase inhibitor: how it lightens pigment and where it plateaus.
Hydrocortisone (incl. Xepacort) — the pharmacy steroid cream Singapore reaches for too readily: real uses, and the facial-skin trap.

How to use this library

Ingredients are tools, and tools serve diagnoses. An active that transforms one condition irritates another — tranexamic acid earns its keep in melasma but does nothing for red vascular marks; hydrocortisone calms a flare and quietly maintains perioral dermatitis. Start from the condition (the condition library covers 52), then ask which ingredient serves it — not the other way round. That single reversal saves more skincare money than any discount code ever written.

“Ingredients are tools, and tools serve diagnoses — start from what your skin actually has, not from what the aisle is selling this month.”

— Dr Sin Yong

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Questions Patients Actually Ask

Why trust this over beauty sites?+

Every entry is physician-written and cites the peer-reviewed literature it relies on. Where evidence is thin or marketing outruns data, the entry says so — that honesty is the point of the library.

Do you sell these ingredients?+

No. Nothing in this library is sold, sponsored or affiliate-linked. Where an ingredient belongs in clinical care, the entry says how it is used in-clinic.

Will more ingredients be added?+

Yes — the library grows from what patients ask in consults and what Singapore searches. Suggestions are welcome via WhatsApp.

Are prescription ingredients covered?+

Explained, never dosed. Prescription-class actives get mechanism and cautions, with supervision stated plainly — this library informs conversations with doctors, it does not replace them.

Can an ingredient replace a clinic treatment?+

Sometimes — and the entries say when. Skincare has real jobs; so do devices and injectables. Matching the tier to the problem is what the assessment is for.

Why do entries talk about what ingredients CAN'T do?+

Because the limits are what marketing omits, and knowing them is what protects your money and your skin. An honest ceiling beats an inflated promise.

References

  1. Tranexamic Acid for Melasma Management: Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials — Journal of Dermatological Treatment (PubMed).
  2. Exosomes in Skin Rejuvenation: Systematic Review of Anti-Aging Effects and Clinical Applications — Dermatology Practical & Conceptual (PubMed).
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