SHOPPING GUIDE
Hydrate and glow
We hear you — and that’s why we’ve curated our very own melanin-focused information hub to guide you to where you want to be. We address everything you need to know about how to get there, from key concern breakdowns all the way to detailed routine recommendations. Use this space as your personal landing pad on your road towards a flawless complexion, we’ll help you every step of the way.
MY SKIN CONCERN
DEHYDRATION
What are the causes?
Darker skin phototypes living in colder climates are more prone to xerosis, dehydration, and dullness due to the lack of sunlight (and therefore vitamin D) and hydration-boosting humidity, which are both crucial for a healthy cell metabolism rate to avoid a build-up of dead skin cells. These complaints are frequent within the melanin-rich community, and can be caused by individual factors such as lifestyle, diet, medication, and in dry skin cases, hormonal fluctuations and organ diseases. Additionally, dull skin can be exacerbated by excessive alcohol or caffeine consumption, smoking, poor skincare regimens, and a lack of water intake.But what’s the difference between dryness and dullness?
Dry skin is an uncomfortable condition marked by scaling, itching, and cracking, while dullness is often due to dehydration which results in a grey, flat, and unhealthy-looking complexion. For dry skin, there’s also an association between skin thickening and thinning triggered by exogenous, although the mechanisms accounting for this alteration are complex and not always clear. Particular attention must be drawn to the changed water/lipids/natural moisturizing factors ratio, as well as the evolutionary changes of the dermal-epidermal structure and functional components.How to keep hydrated?
In most cases, lifestyle changes and the consistent use of an effective skincare regimen may be all the treatment that’s needed. Gentle exfoliators, powerful antioxidants, vitamin D-like actives, and ingredients that normalize the cell turnover balance are all essential for maintaining a hydrated, glowing, and healthy complexion.Your 3 step-routine to minimize pores and refine texture
A flawless complexion starts with cleansing, regardless of our skin types or concerns. It’s essential for clearing out our pores from unwanted dirt, grime, and pollution that could lead to possible breakouts, as well as preventing dehydration and dullness. Not only does cleansing leave your skin feeling wonderfully fresh and clean, but it also enables maximum absorption for the rest of your routine. Start by melting the day away with our gentle cleansing gel to ensure that no pore is left unclogged. Hello healthy, glowing skin!
Cleansing Oil - Come Clean
Apply this uniquely coloured cleanser twice a day with only 3-4 pumps at a time to keep your skin feeling nourished and radiant. Boasting a concentration of over TEN precious natural oils and innovative actives that create a powerful source of antioxidants, fatty acids, vitamins, and nutrients, Come Clean gently yet effectively cleans the skin while calming inflammation, addressing dryness, and keeping the complexion looking subtly glowing.
Here is a list of hydration-boosting customization actives that we add to your Come Clean:
Linseed Oil
Extracted from Flax Seeds, this Omega-3 rich active is celebrated as one of the best oils to improve skin elasticity, moisture levels, and overall appearance.
Squalane
Antioxidant, detoxifier, emollient, and hydrater; this active does it all, including maintaining hydration levels for a healthy complexion.
Olive Oil
Bountiful with antioxidants, this ingredient helps to protect the skin from free radical damage while restoring the skins’ natural elasticity.
2. HYDRATE
Toning your skin straight after cleansing is a fantastic way to restore the delicate pH balance and get your skin microbiome back on track for a healthier epidermis. A nourished skin barrier results in a protected one, which is crucial for defending against pollution, environmental aggressors, and counteracting the high desquamation rate found in melanin-rich skin. And if that wasn’t enough, daily toning can actually prevent additional breakouts caused by excess debris found deep within the pores, and gently exfoliate for a smoother surface. Infuse your skin with valuable nutrients ahead of your active skincare serums for a brighter, clearer, and healthier complexion.
Treatment Lotion - Tonic Oh!
A little goes a long way with this nourishing hydrophile treatment lotion, with only one application needed per day for your skin to feel hydrated and rejuvenated. Tonic Oh! gives the skin an instant glow, quickly putting the bounce back into a dehydrated and dull-looking complexion, making it feel plump, soft, and smooth. Highly concentrated in natural extracts and active juices, this hydrating cocktail works its magic by restoring hydration and balancing PH levels after cleansing.
Here is a list of hydration-boosting customization actives that we mix in your Tonic Oh!
Honey Extract
Jam-packed full of antioxidants, mineral salts, and vitamins, this active proves to be an excellent remedy for dehydrated skin. Beneficial properties include deep nourishment and protection against external agents.
Vitamin E
As a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory active, this moisture-boosting ingredient helps to fight off free radicals while keeping the skin calm from potential irritants. This ingredient also aids in moisture retention between the cells, providing long-lasting skin hydration.
Sodium Hyaluronate
This clever humectant binds up to 1,000 times its own weight in water, making it one of the holy-grail hydrating ingredients around. It improves moisture levels while replenishing the skin to provide structure and volume.
3. MOISTURISE
Replenish your skin with the final step of your skincare routine (minus sunscreen, of course) with our hydrating, mattifying, and skin barrier balancing moisturizer. Moisturizing twice daily after layering serums is essential for retaining moisture and pushing those active ingredients deeper into the epidermis. While silky lightweight serums can penetrate further, it’s the weightier texture of our moisturizer that locks in all the good stuff, while providing nourishing benefits of its own. Imagine this step to be a protective shield, faithfully guarding your moisture levels and ensuring your skin stays radiant throughout the entire day.
Moisturiser - Day Hack
Nourish, protect, and prime your dry or dehydrated skin day (or night) with the high-performing day cream that offers the ultimate balance between ‘mattification’ and deep hydration. This complex formulation merges a blend of water-retaining Hyaluronic Acid, nutrient-dense Spirulina, vitamin E and B3, emollients of Moringa Oil, Rose Oil, and Fenugreek Seed Extract, with anti-pollution and skin barrier strengthening actives such as Alpinum Flower and Leaf Extract. Antioxidant-rich Japanese Knotweed and Resveratrol-rich Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract are also added to the mix, along with natural moisturizers Alanine, Creatine, Glycine, Magnesium Aspartate, Saccharide Hydrolysate, and Urea. Finally, Day Hack is infused with Yeast Extract to resuscitate tired, dehydrated skin and transforming it into a healthy, resilient, and balanced version that’s protected from environmental pollutants.
Here is a list of hydration-boosting customization actives that we mix in your Day Hack:
Saccharide Isomerate
Providing immediate improvement for the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, this naturally water-binding sugar also boosts skin hydration by acting as a water magnet.
Cichorium Intybus Root Extract
Melanin-rich skin is often susceptible to dehydration or dullness due to a vitamin D deficiency, that’s why we’ve chosen to infuse this restructuring active to enable darker skin tones to recover an optimum skin barrier without harmful UV exposure. This ingredient is rich in Oligofructosans of Chicory (scientifically known as Cichorium intybus); an absolute must-have for devitalized skin as it restores the vitamin D receptor functions and reinforces the skin barrier to accelerate its recuperation process.
Alanine, Creatine, Glycine, Magnesium Aspartate, Saccharide Hydrolysate, and Urea
Acting as a moisturizing agent, this complete combination of active substances are extremely similar to the natural moisturizing factor (NMF), therefore enabling the restoration of the natural hydration system by restoring the skins’ moisture retaining capacity.
Make a routine that’s customized just for you
Our range of Core Blends are filled with biodynamic, oil-regulating, cell-renewing, brightening, nourishing, anti-inflammatory, and microbiome-restoring actives. But one singular formulation isn’t suited to all skin phototypes. That’s why our experts here at 4.5.6 Skin customise your formulations based on your phototype and skin type to address your current skin concerns, or to simply maintain your already flawless complexion!
Here’s how it works:
1. Tell us about your skin
Select your Phototype (IV, V or VI), your Skin Type (Oily, Dry, Combination, Balanced), your top 3 Skin Concerns (Acné, Dark Spots, Uneven Skin, etc) and Fragrance Preference (Normal, Mild, No Fragrance).
2. We formulate
We’ll freshly mix the appropriate "Core Blend" with the correct combinations, concentrations, and dosages of active ingredients that will best address your specific requirements. See below for more information on actives.
3. Begin your new skincare journey!
Your formulas are freshly bottled, straight from our lab to your doorstep within 5 to 7 days after completing your order.
Build your 3-step routine and save 30% on your order
Do you have specific questions on how to take care of YOUR melanin rich skin? Ask our skin experts on Messenger.
