It’s easy to succumb to the allure of multi-tasking skincare or buy a veritable A to Z of products in the hopes that they will literally SOS (save our skins). However, as Australian skincare brand RATIONALE reminds us, intentionality matters when it comes to skincare. From innovative ingredients to the synergistic way they’re harnessed in formulas—diligence, at least when it comes to RATIONALE, is always well-rewarded in the form of a complexion that you can be proud to share bare-faced.
The RATIONALE difference: How this skincare brand is unlike any other
RATIONALE’s ethos is ensuring Luminous Skin for Life. Epitomising this philosophy with a considered, customised and thorough approach to luxury skincare, their extensively researched and meticulously formulated skincare products are curated across six lines—the Essential Six Collections. Each collection is named after a prized facet of skin health, namely: resilience, vitality, brilliance, integrity, clarity and renewal. The offerings found within each line, from eye crèmes to serums, are each specifically formulated as the culmination of extensive research at RATIONALE’s world-leading research laboratory in Melbourne, Australia. The customisable range of skincare options that RATIONALE offers, targeted to individual skincare needs, ensures that anybody can create a personalised, powerfully effective and scientifically backed skincare regimen using RATIONALE.
Starting your skincare journey with RATIONALE
While the rainbow of numbered bottles can be initially confusing, a Skin Specialist is always ready to educate and help you in your RATIONALE skincare journey.
Unlike other ‘grab and go’ skincare experiences, RATIONALE invites each guest to carve out 90 minutes of their time with their Skin Specialist in the RATIONALE Signature Skin Consultation + complimentary Instant Restorative Facial, priced at $100.
In a hybrid treatment and counselling session of sorts, you’ll be led into a private facial suite where your skin is cleansed, enabling your Skin Specialist to make a proper assessment of your complexion using her vision, touch and of course an analytic Visia skin imaging machine. Viewing your skin under magnification light before UV diagnostic images helps assess deeper and superficial skin layers including track your sebum, inflammation, pigmentation, fine lines, bacteria, pore size and more. In order to help build your at-home skin ritual, your Skin Specialist will also enquire on your skin goals, present skincare regime and current lifestyle factors—how many hours are you sleeping? How many glasses of water a day do you drink?
The consult then ends with the Instant Restorative Facial to deliver antioxidant and lipid-rich ingredients to the skin as lifting massage helps to firm and sculpt facial contours. Finally, LED light therapy is used to boost cellular function, promote wound healing and rejuvenate skin. This complimentary 30-minute facial alone is valued at $130.
And with that, you’ll emerge from your first encounter with RATIONALE with clean, radiant skin and a plan: An Essential Six home ritual for both day and night, curated for and with you by your Skin Specialist.
Refine and recalibrate your skin with RATIONALE
Founded in Melbourne in 1992 and originally restricted for use within plastic surgeries and dermatological clinics for more than 20 years, RATIONALE’s pursuit of life-long luminosity is built upon environmental protection and repair for the skin, and restoring natural radiance. RATIONALE’s products are each formulated with a host of cutting-edge active ingredients that go beyond the skin’s surface. Case in point? DNA repair enzymes that supplement the skin’s own DNA repair capacity to combat layers-deep ageing effects, amid a host of other skin superpowers including vitamin A (retinol) and ceramides.
It delivers via six collections. #1 The Resilience Collection focuses on skin calmness and clarity. #2 The Vitality Collection safeguards skin against oxidative stress for a fortified, lifted appearance. #3 The Brilliance Collection addresses nourishment alongside solar and environmental protection. #4 The Integrity Collection replenishes the skin’s barrier for calmer, luminous skin. #5 The Clarity Collection rebalances the skin’s pH levels, recalibrating tone and texture. #6 The Renewal Collection repairs, re-firms and regenerates collagen production while keeping the skin hydrated from PM to AM.
The comprehensiveness of the line may seem initially overwhelming but this further underscores the importance of RATIONALE’s Signature Skin Consultation. Ultimately with 30 days of use, you’ll be glad you crossed the threshold of their store to discover what your skin could be.
Roadtesting RATIONALE: Skincare to the test
Rebecca Eu, 28, entrepreneur
Rebecca, founder of social enterprise, Mei’s Own, has combination-to-dry skin and is currently concerned with blemishes and fine lines.
“Over the years, I have become lactose and gluten intolerant and these changes within my body have caused my skin to be more irritated. Coupled with skin ageing, I am more susceptible to fine line around eyes,” Eu shares.
“I have never done botox or fillers and am doing my best to stay away from such procedures though most girls or women my age do it,” she explains.
So why RATIONALE? “It takes a very personalised approach and the products are very intelligent in that it is aimed to understand the skin and natural microbiome system. I like how the products come together as a restorative and preventative solution, whereas with other brands, they tend to focus more on their hero products. But with RATIONALE, it is all about your skin and seeing what it needs, concocting the best approach to treat it. RATIONALE looks at skincare differently and it is about finding ways to provide the best scientific approach to achieving healthy skin through personalised home rituals.
“RATIONALE’s ethos is about developing superlative formulations that focuses on environmental skin protection, repair, and restoring natural beauty and radiance to skin.”
“The brand and its skincare products are highly intuitive and my discovery through RATIONALE has made me look at skincare differently,” says Eu.
Rebecca’s pick “It would be the #4 The Cleanser. I love the aroma of the cleanser and it has been my little ritual before I go to bed. I don’t wear a lot of make-up but I do use this every night. While the formulation is creamy and rich to touch, it leaves a refreshing feel after my wash and brings a relaxation that helps me to sleep better. Also, I am a lazy person, so the fact that I don’t have to wash my face the morning after feels great.”
Charmaine Seah-Ong, 38, creative agency co-founder
The creative and mother of two is always on the go. Like many, she has combination skin and lists dull, dehydrated and ageing skins as her top concerns of the moment. While her skin used to be “really oily”, motherhood, lack of sleep, long days and additional work stress caused dryness in her skin.
“The initial skin consultation I did with RATIONALE helped me understand my skincare needs better and what kind of products I actually needed to improve my skin health. Ever since I introduced RATIONALE products to my skincare routine, I’ve noticed that my skin is brighter, more supple, and always moisturised. I’ve also not had any breakouts even after long hours of mask wearing,” Seah-Ong explains.
“Each product is so carefully thought up and meticulously formulated, and they just work.”
Charmaine’s pick “It’s hard to pick favourites but if I had to choose it would be the #3 The Tinted Serum with SPF50+. I love that it provides UV protection and also gives my skin a natural glow, sans make-up!”
Alli Sim, 38, beauty director
As Vogue Singapore’s beauty director, Alli’s office is awash with products claiming to contain the latest beauty breakthroughs. Despite having a slew of skincare products at her fingertips, stress and poor sleep linked to hormonal fluctuations has seen her skin go from sensitive and combination to dry and acne-prone of late.
“I was totally lost when I initially encountered RATIONALE, the numbered collections and gallery-like store piqued my curiosity but I had no idea where to begin. I’m so glad I made time for a consult, as it gave me real data and tangible solutions for my issues,” says Sim who left the store with a curated six-step skincare ritual.
“When I experienced sudden cystic acne flare ups last year I tried almost everything to help clear this sudden change in texture. It was frustrating to be experiencing adult acne and erratic skin that would go from clear and oily one day to rough, dry and spotty the next… and that’s actually very common for some people here. Nothing helped—except RATIONALE. Through RATIONALE’s skin consultation, I discovered that my skin needed more niacinamide and zinc to balance sebum and repair my skin’s barrier. I was already using a solo niacinamide and hyaluronic from another brand but using RATIONALE reminded me that it’s not just about taking individual ingredients to play chemist. It’s about finding a complete system that is with synergistically formulated ingredients to really address your concerns,” Sim explains.
“I’m also mad about their facials: you’re cocooned in a very generous sized facial suite as the therapist expertly uses her hands to cleanse, sculpt, and promote lymph flow on your face as she works the professional-use products into your skin.”
“I returned to the office bare-faced after a RATIONALE facial and was stopped by several people who were in awe at just how clear and radiant my skin was even without make-up.”
Alli’s pick “Like Charmaine, I have several favourites but the #5 The Milk Concentrate from The Clarity Collection has a trifecta of benefits for me. It calms, clears and gives me radiant skin with a slew of oligoeptides, Australian botanicals, zinc and sebum-regulating piroctone olamine. It’s a good example that retexurising and smoothing your skin needn’t mean stripping the skin barrier—the formulations are truly elegant in this way. They’re gentle yet highly effective.”
Where to find RATIONALE in Singapore
Given the various skincare options available from RATIONALE, where to start? Start by booking the Signature Skin Consultation ($100 for 60 minutes) + 30 minute complimentary Instant Restorative Facial with RATIONALE today.
Visit RATIONALE‘s flagship clinic at Raffles City Shopping Centre, #01-19, 252 North Bridge Rd, Singapore 179103, Tel: 6436 3567 or RATIONALE at TANGS at Tang Plaza, 310 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238864, Tel: 6436 3566.
