Next-Generation Skincare at COMO Metropolitan London

The secret to good skin is less complex than it seems, says Irene Chong, founder of Singaporean skincare brand, Sage and Ylang. As COMO Metropolitan London adds the brand's products to its famous facial line-up, we spoke with Irene about how to balance the skin's microbiome.

“Sage and Ylang started out of a problem I needed to solve for the people I love”, says Irene Chong. She founded her Singaporean skincare brand in 2018, when her daughters entered their teenage years and began suffering from a mixture of acne and sensitive skin. “We were trying everything, from organic food to a gluten-free diet”, says Chong. Eventually, she turned to online skincare forums and realised there were toxic ingredients in most available skincare formulations. At that point, Chong enrolled in an Advance and Specialist diploma in Cosmetic Science and began experimenting with simple, oil-based, non-toxic products for her children.

What Chong's research showed her is that the skin's microbiome is a vital and often overlooked component of skin health. It refers to the healthy ecosystem of microscopic bacteria and microbes that live on the human body, which Chong describes as “tiny warriors that form a protective barrier.” “I discovered much to my surprise that skincare brands which focused exclusively on nourishing the microbiome didn't yet exist”, Chong says. She decided to create her own line that filled the gap; something “clean, organic, and effective”.

Sage and Ylang's revolutionary formulas have come at a good moment. Chong explains how sensitive skin is becoming more of a problem, not less, in today's environment. In an oversaturated market of treatments and ‘tweakments', many people fall into the trap of using too many products. Chong explains how over-cleansing with acids or harsh soaps can disrupt the ecosystem of skin microbes, forming a “break” in the barrier which leads to skin irritation. “Sensitivity often starts with a single red spot”, Chong says, although it can also present as a burning sensation when you use certain products, or full-blown eczema: “it's a spectrum”.

Addressing sensitivity in the very first stages can prevent it from progressing into something more problematic, which is where Sage and Ylang's regime comes into its own. The BiomeCare range uses both prebiotics and postbiotics to enhance the skin's microbiome. Chong describes how the prebiotics, which are derived from chicory roots, “feed the microbes on skin, making them happy and healthy.” A specific strain of postbiotics lactococcus ferment lysate “can reduce inflammation, accelerate cell renewal, and enhance the skin barrier.” It was important to Chong that Sage and Ylang should be as simple and scientific as possible: there are only three main steps in their range, and all their products have been certified by two independent labs in Germany and Singapore.

At COMO Metropolitan London and COMO Metropolitan Singapore, Sage and Ylang products have been incorporated into an exclusive TK facial. What makes it special is the customisable aspect: “where we can really work with skin issues”, says Chong. Sage and Ylang has a series of Beauty Boosters which can be added to base products by facialists to meet whatever needs a guest may have. This allows for comprehensive tailoring: a young person might need help with skin clarity, while 50-year-old skin “has different needs”, Chong explains. COMO Shambhala therapists will diagnose a guest's skin type and concern before using the Boosters to personalise each experience.

Chong is careful to caution that Sage and Ylang isn't a fix-all; rather it's an important part of an interconnected approach to wellness. “Skincare is still purely topical”, she says: “nutrition, hydration, good sleep, and exercise is still imperative for getting and maintaining healthy skin.” Maybe so, but a Sage and Ylang facial is a good place to start.

Sage and Ylang's microbiome facials are available at COMO Metropolitan London. For more information, please contact TK.