If you've been diligent in your skincare routine — multiple skincare steps, trying to get sufficient sleep, drinking water and putting on sunscreen— the chances are, you'd want to know if all your hard work has paid off. #same.There now seems to be a definitive answer to find out your skin age versus your actual age that's trending online - SK-II's Mini Magic Scan; the world's first contactless skin counselling experience.
The Mini Magic Scan is powered by the latest state-of-the-art facial recognition, AI and computer vision, backed with more than 1.2 million datapoints. In just three minutes, you'll be able to discover your own skin age, understand your skin's strengths and weaknesses and the personalised product recommendations that will help you achieve your skin goals.
I liked that the Mini Magic Scan offered a contactless skin analysis experience, which means it’s also a safer one in a world where the pandemic has cast a shadow over the way we interact with our surroundings. Unlike other skin analysis machines which needed your face to be in contact with the device, the Mini Magic Scan offers a peace of mind as you don’t have to wonder if the device your face was in contact with was sanitised beforehand. Plus, it’s so easy to operate, even on your own.
There are three Mini Magic Scan devices in Singapore and they're exclusively available at Metro Paragon. The Mini Magic Scan is made to be easy and foolproof to use—there's even a standalone Mini Magic Scan which you can operate on your own—no fuss, no stress. But if you require help, head over to the other two machines at the SK-II counter in Metro Paragon and the beauty consultants will be able to assist you.
The skin counselling starts by having you input your actual age and your biggest skin concern which can range from dry skin, large pores, fine lines, and dullness. Being in the digital age, I was afraid that my information and data would be collected but there were no personal details like your phone number, name or email address that you had to input during the skin analysis experience. They also do not keep the images and analysis results on file, so you can really rest easy knowing your personal information is safe.
The Mini Magic Scan then does a facial analysis and displays your skin age as well as revealing the details of each facial zone. While it may feel daunting at first wondering if your skin age will be older than your actual age, the entire experience with the Mini Magic Scan was actually really positive—no skin-shaming, no stress of feeling like you haven't done enough for your skin. The scan marks out your "kira kira" points, the best parts of your face that are smooth and even in tone. The three facial zones (eyes, cheeks and mouth) are analysed and the area that has the most "kira kira" points is marked as the "beautiful zone", the area that is in the best condition today.
It's not my first time trying out the skin analysis experience with SK-II but it's been some time since my last analysis and I was worried whether my actual age was really catching up with me. As a 40-year-old who had admittedly had some skincare shortfalls (suntanning in Sentosa, anyone?) in her teenage years but made up for it in her 20s and 30s, I was pleased (and frankly, very relieved) that my skin age was displayed as 33—a full 7 years younger !
The area of concern which is picked prior to the scan (in my case, was dullness and spots) are marked as red circles, while the yellow circles revealed some potential concerns (fine lines and firmness) that may have been overlooked, which I admittedly did, but thankful that the Mini Magic Scan was able to point it out. The analysis also has a skin forecast, which projects how your skin would look if you were to continue taking care of your skin and incorporate SK-II into your skincare routine. It's a great motivator as it gives you a visual reference of how much better your skin can look if you put in the work.
The analysis results also introduces PITERA™, SK-II's proprietary ingredient which is rich in vitamins, micro nutrients, amino acids and organic acids to mimic skin's natural moisturising factors and how it can help your skin. Skin is hydrated, smooth and brightened—giving you that coveted crystal clear skin.
The Mini Magic Scan also reveals personalised product recommendations that can help mitigate the skin concerns that are revealed during the scan. In my instance, The Facial Treatment Essence (IMO: a must-have) is suggested along with the GenOptics Aura Essence and SKINPOWER Cream. Skincare can get overwhelming, especially with the myriad of products available out there—the product recommendations from the Mini Magic Scan narrows it down to just three which was really helpful in deciding which products were best for me.
After the skin counselling session, I was also able to take home a set of trial-sized products for me to start my skin journey with SK-II when I signed up to be a new member of the SK-II family.
The analysis of the Mini Magic Scan was also easy to understand, highlighting the parts of your face which you have cared for, and the areas that could use improvement, without making you feel bad about your skin. It was also able to forecast what your skin could look like if you continued caring for it—a strong motivator to help you achieve your skin goals. Lastly, the personalised product recommendations made it simple and easy to pick out the SK-II products that will best suit my skin and address the concerns detected by the Mini Magic Scan. Now let's work on making the difference between my skin age and actual age 10 years instead!
The Mini Magic Scan is exclusively available at the SK-II counter, Metro Paragon #02-28.