Affordable and accessible, drugstore beauty is one of our favourite topics. Check out our list of faves!
What’s not to love about our local drugstores? Housing some of the top local and international health and beauty brands, we get to shop for everything from vitamins and supplements to baby needs and even our favourite mints (those last-minute counter purchases always get us, too!). But arguably our favourite things to cop at the drugstore? Skincare and haircare. It’s great to find affordable gems lining the shelves, especially when they turn out to be long-time favourites. Below we share our list of top favourite drugstore brands, and picks for their best products!
We’re sure you’ve already seen their little vials of SHINE Oil which make for fab quick fixes for dry, frizzy hair, but now they’ve debuted their new HASK Chia Seed Volumising Shampoo & Conditioner and Chia Seed Volumising Dry Shampoo to bring life back into those tresses! Chia seeds have been added to your smoothies and more, but now they’re hitting your shower! Let your strands feel enriched with their special HydraBoost formula, coupled with protein- and antioxidant-rich chia seeds cultivated in South America to increase volume and lock-in moisture without weighing hair down. The Volumising Dry Shampoo leaves hair feeling fresh and clean, all while being free from sulfates, parabens, drying alcohol, phthalates, gluten and artificial colours.
HASK, www.haskbeauty.com.sg, available at Cold Storage, Guardian and Watsons
How much do we LOVE Guardian’s sheet masks and body care treatments?! Guardian produces a huge range of their own quality house brand products, including healthcare equipment, supplements and vitamins, first aid, face, skin and body care, cosmetic accessories, daily necessities, and personal mobility aids. And maybe the best part of all? The super affordable price!
Guardian Health & Beauty products available at Guardian stores and online
Get plump, youthful skin with L’oreal’s new and improved Revitalift range, mama! Formulated with an ingredient called Centella Asiatica, or Tiger Grass, the combination of the Day Cream, Night Cream and Eye Cream help to repair and regenerate the skin for a beautiful glow. For hundreds of years, Centella Asiatica has been a traditional remedy for skin conditions, wounds and burns because of its ability to increase the synthesis of collagen and prevent scar tissue formation. Together with anti-aging actives Pro-Retinol A and Dermalift, the Revitalift range aims to combat wrinkles and regain firmness in the skin.
L’oreal Paris, www.loreal-paris.com.sg
Love pampering your skin, mama? Daily masking can be made easy with Japan’s No.1 Top Selling Facial Mask brand, Lululun! Now available at Watsons, Lululun’s 100% Microfiber Cotton masks are designed for daily use, and contain the equivalent of about four bottles of toner per pack. On top of being chemical free, fragrance free, colour free and mineral oil free, each mask contains 8 types of essences such as hyaluronic acid, royal honey, rice ceramide and prune extract to improve moisturising and brightening effects. Plus, they come in really handy packs – just peel off the top and grab a mask, just like tissues from a tissue box! Available in 3 types: Hydrating, Extra Moisturizing & Brightening.
Lululun, now available at Redmart and Watsons
Probably most famous for their blackhead pore packs, Biore also makes some other killer skincare items and we’re particularly fond of their lightweight sunscreens – super lightweight, a dream to apply, has no white cast and they have sunscreens that go up to SPF 50+!
Biore, www.kao.com/sg/biore, available at Guardian, Watsons and Sasa
This clinical skincare brand is best known for their trademarked Vichy water that springs from the Auvergne volcanoes in France. The Vichy pH Balancing Thermal Water is used in every Vichy product, and has not been excluded from their latest import (in fact, 89% of the product is made up of it): Mineral 89. It’s hard to put a label on what it actually is, but what it does is protect against the top three urban aggressors — pollution, stress, and fatigue — for radiant, hydrated, healthy-looking skin. Don’t mind if we do!
Vichy, www.vichy.sg, available at Guardian and Watsons
Hailing from Taiwan, Dr. Wu skincare was founded by renowned dermatologist Dr. Ying-Ching Wu and has seen 12 years of stellar success since its debut in 2005. With a range that’s focused on having No Additives, No Alcohol, High Grade Actives, High Safety Level and being Non Comedogenic, the result is products that are straightforward and work hard so you don’t have to.
Dr. Wu, exclusively available at Watsons stores and online
The Herb Farm is an intimate family business managed by the mama-daughter duo of New Zealand herbalist Lynn Kirkland and Sarah Cowan. Lynn originally began her journey with herbs by looking for a natural remedy to her son’s cough and cold, which then spurred her on to complete a herbal diploma, and the rest was history. Launched exclusively at Watsons earlier this year, we now have access to nine of their 100% handcrafted and natural products. We love the face creams and masks, and can’t wait for them to start offering the rest of the NZ range which includes massage oils and creams for bubbas, and healing creams for breastfeeding mamas!
The Herb Farm, exclusively available at Watsons stores and online
An underdog at the drugstore, Freeman’s face masks are a big hit in the U.S. and we’re so lucky to have them stocked at Guardian! Our star picks? The Black Sugar Polishing Mask, Golden Grain Brightening Mask and Avocado & Oatmeal Clay Mask. All under $10!
Freeman, available at Guardian stores and online
This pioneer in micellar water is virtually unbeatable. Many have tried to make their own versions of the iconic Bioderma Sensibio H2O, but not many can rival the amazing makeup-removal and hydrating properties of the original. It may be a little on the pricey side for a makeup remover, but keep a look out for bundle deals at various drugstores to save some dollars!
Bioderma, available at Robinsons, Unity, Guardian and Watsons
That said, we’re big fans of the Garnier Micellar Water as a close dupe (the word for ‘cheaper alternative’ in the beauty world) for the Bioderma Sensibio H2O. It removes makeup easily with minimal effort! Bonus: the men’s range is popular among our male counterparts, just in case you’re looking for a new cleanser for the hubs!
Garnier, www.facebook.com/Garnier.Singapore, available at Guardian and Watsons
With everything from cleansing oils to high-performance sunscreens, body care and men’s skincare, Neutrogena really has it all!
Neutrogena, www.facebook.com/NeutrogenaSG, available at Guardian and Watsons
Simple was probably a skincare staple for all of us at one point in our lives due to its no-nonsense approach to fresh and clean skincare. Their foaming facial wash and toner are popular faves here at Sassy Mama!
Simple, www.facebook.com/SimpleSkincareSingapore, available at Guardian and Watsons
Not only loved for their fab skincare products (we love the Gentle Exfoliating Face Wash and Purifying Neem Foaming Face Wash), Himalaya Herbals also has great lip treatments for chapped puckers.
Himalaya Herbals, www.facebook.com/himalayasg, available at Guardian and Watsons
5 words: cheapest makeup remover wipes EVER! They usually go at just $2 for a pack of 25 wipes at Watsons stores, and we especially love that they’re a slightly bigger size than the average makeup remover wipe. The makeup range is also really good!
Australis, available at Watsons stores
Petroleum jelly is said to moisturise dry skin and help with eyelash growth, but Vaseline products do much more than that with their extensive range of body care, sun care and lip therapy products!
Vaseline, www.facebook.com/VaselineSG, available at Guardian and Watsons
Their Hydra Tri-Action and 24K Bio Gold ranges are our personal faves!
Bio-essence, www.facebook.com/bioessence.sg, available at Guardian, Watsons and be Beauty
OXY
The authority on combatting blemishes, OXY is always there for you when you get that surprise zit during that time of the month (or whenever, really). We love that there’s OXY 10 for more stubborn spots! Their acne stickers have also helped us through major pimple emergencies – life savers!
OXY, available at Guardian
Pretty much the universal mama and baby brand, cruelty-free Palmer’s products are just filled with the best feel-good ingredients to help soothe and repair skin — and it’s legendary for stretch marks. The Cocoa Butter and Coconut Oil lotion are star players in our books!
Palmer’s, www.facebook.com/palmerssingapore, available at Guardian and Watsons
100% vegetarian and zero nasties – need we say more? The shampoos and conditioners are particularly great (our Editor is a big fan of the Gardenia and Coconut varieties), and we also love the body lotion!
Alba Botanica, www.facebook.com/AlbaBotanicaSG, available at Watsons and iHerb
‘Authentic, simple and safe’ is how Klorane describes themselves, while teaming this philosophy with a passion for plants and nature. Their haircare products are hard to beat, from the classic shampoos and conditioners to more nifty extras like strengthening serums, leave-in treatments and dry shampoos (the Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk gets a special mention!).
Klorane, available at Guardian and Watsons
The St. Ives Apricot Scrub is one of the most-loved facial (and body) exfoliants in the world, and for good reason! Instead of containing plastic microbeads like some scrubs do (which is very bad for the environment by the way, mama), the exfoliants in the St. Ives scrub are made up of walnuts and corn kernels to deep clean the pores and leave your skin glowing. We’re also fans of their body lotions.
St. Ives, www.facebook.com/stivesSG, @stivesSG, available at Guardian and Watsons
Many a pregnant mama’s best friend! Famous for stretch mark prevention and great for moisturising legs post-shave and keeping the feet and toes hydrated after a pedicure.