Despite entering motherhood in 2016, Michelle Chen, whose work includes the box office smash You Are the Apple of My Eye, does not appear to have aged a whit from her role as a student in the film.
Her youthful looks have got us scouring Xiao Hong Shu for her age-defying secrets, and we’ve discovered four beauty tips that we think are the main contributors to her much-coveted fresh, glowing appearance at the age of 40!
She shares her nighttime skincare routine
Credits: @陳妍希michelle/XiaoHongShu, @yanxi531/Instagram
While Singapore has no seasonal change, many of us will be travelling abroad, and the change in environment and climate may irritate our skin.
Michelle Chen explains that her skin becomes dry and itchy as the seasons change, and she discovered a nighttime routine that includes oiling to keep her skin in tip-top condition throughout the harsh changing weather. Let’s take a look!
Step 1: Remove makeup
Credits: @陳妍希michelle/XiaoHongShu
Michelle says that because she has dry skin, the first step in her nighttime routine is to remove her makeup with cleansing oil.
She carefully rubs her shu uemura ultime8∞ sublime beauty cleansing oil in to ensure that all of the makeup and dirt in her pores are removed before removing any remaining stubborn makeup with an eye and lip makeup remover.
She reminds us to be especially gentle with the skin around our eyes, as excessive force can easily lead to dullness and fine lines there.
shu uemura ultime8∞ sublime beauty cleansing oil (50ml) retails for S$28 and is available at Sephora.
Step 2: Double or triple cleanse
Credits: @陳妍希michelle/XiaoHongShu
Here, she removes stubborn eye and lip makeup with what appears to be Maybelline’s Eye & Lip Makeup Remover before washing it away with a milk cleansing foam.
Michelle then finishes her cleansing routine by wiping the rest of her face with the Bioderma Sensibio Cleansing Micellar Water Sensitive Skin, which she adores as it gently removes any leftover makeup and dirt while also decongesting her pores.
With how diligent she is with her makeup removal process, we can only imagine how not cleaning our makeup off properly can accelerate skin ageing and lead to skin issues like uneven skin tone and clogged pores.
Maybelline’s Eye & Lip Makeup Remover (70ml) retails for S$12.50 at Watsons and Bioderma Sensibio Cleansing Micellar Water Sensitive Skin (500ml) retails for S$42.30 at Watsons.
Step 3: Steam the face
Credits: @陳妍希michelle/XiaoHongShu
In this step, Michelle uses a hot towel on her face to help open up her pores so that any subsequent skin care products she uses will be absorbed more thoroughly.
We’ve also noticed that there’s a short line across the middle of her towel which allows her to breathe easier when she steams her face, which we think is brilliant yet simple!
She also suggests purchasing a face steamer, which will produce better results than a hot towel. While the Taiwanese actress did not use a face steamer in her video, we have a few to recommend. Check out this article for the best facial steamers on the market!
Step 4: Spritz on a moisturising mist
Credits: @陳妍希michelle/XiaoHongShu
This is the first step to Michelle Chen’s oiling technique. To keep her skin moist, she first uses a moisturising mist to spray onto her face in a “Z” shape.
We recommend the Avène Thermal Spring Water Spray, a cult favourite for many years, simply because it’s so easy to use and its one ingredient composite of Avène thermal spring water works really well to moisturise the face!
Avène Thermal Spring Water Spray (300ml x 2) retails for S$30.20 and is available on Shopee.
Step 5: Face and neck massage
Credits: @陳妍希michelle/XiaoHongShu
She then squeezes two drops of skincare oil, rubs it between her palms to warm it up, and gently spreads it across her face before running her hand down her neck, across her under eyes, and cheeks.
Check out Dr. Laurel Liu‘s tips on massaging the acupuncture points on your face for a more spa-like facial treatment, which she claims will help you achieve an anti-ageing effect!
@laurel_acupuncture Women come with four anti-aging acupressure points, stimulate those points when you have time
. #antiaging #naturalbeaty #learnfromlaureliu #fyp
When the oil is mostly absorbed, Michelle Chen squeezes out three to four more drops of oil and gently presses it into her face again.
If you’re not sure what type of oil to use and are concerned about pore clogging, we recommend trying 100% pure jojoba oil, which is made up of wax esters and has the closest structure to our own skin’s sebum.
This means that it will quickly absorb into your skin, and combined with its antimicrobial and antifungal properties, you can be confident that your skin will respond favourably to it!
If you’re looking for a 100% pure jojoba oil, NOW Foods Solutions Certified Organic Jojoba Oil (118 ml) retails for S$13.49 and is available at iHerb.
Step 6: Wet cotton gauze
Credits: @陳妍希michelle/XiaoHongShu
Here, she sprays the same moisturising mist onto a cotton pad and applies it tightly to her face and neck, before spraying another layer of mist to keep the pads moist.
She leaves the cotton gauze on for 10 minutes to seal in the moisture from the mist and oil, ensuring that the skin absorbs all of the nourishment.
You can get 100 pieces of cotton gauze which retails for S$5.72 – S$7.24 on Shopee.
Step 7: Finish with a hot towel and compress
Credits: @陳妍希michelle/XiaoHongShu
Finally, she finishes her nighttime routine by patting her face with a hot towel to allow her skin to breathe after removing the cotton gauze.
This step also helps to remove excess oil from the face, which prevents acne from forming as a result of being too oily.
Although her nighttime routine is longer than usual, we can see how relaxing it can be and how it can prepare us for a good night’s sleep while also soothing our skin during harsh weather changes. It’s definitely worth a shot on one of our pampering self-care days!
She enjoys homemade low-calorie and fat-reducing food
Credits: @陳妍希michelle/XiaoHongShu
One of Michelle Chen’s secrets to her youthful appearance eating homemade food that is low on calories and fats.
One of her favourite is the avocado hummus sauce, which is not only low in fat but also very nutritious, making it the perfect diet dish. Check out this quick and easy recipe below:
- Boil the chickpeas which had already been soaked in a bowl.
- Squeeze the lemon juice out of half a lemon.
- Put the avocado, chickpeas, coriander, tahini sauce, salt, black pepper, olive oil and lemon juice into a blender.
- Blend until its a puree before putting it into a bowl for serving.
She eats superfoods
Credits: @陳妍希michelle/XiaoHongShu
Michelle Chen also shared her habit of eating superfoods on Xiao Hong Shu, which explains her glowing skin and healthy body. Here are her top superfood recommendations and their associated health benefits:
- Kamut powder: It contains high concentration of vitamin C to brighten the skin
- Beetroot powder: This has the effect of nourishing the blood and qi energy, giving you a rosy complexion
- Tumeric powder: It’s anti-inflammatory function can help to lower lipids, which are the fats in your blood.
- Brazilian freeze-dried berry powder: This powder improves eye fatigue and gives you brighter looking eyes
- Bilberry powder: It’s rich in anthocyanins, which are anti-oxidants found in berries to help neutralise harmful free radicals in our bodies.
She uses beauty tools
Credits: @陳妍希michelle/XiaoHongShu
Michelle Chen has also stated that she is prone to edema, or swelling caused by fluid in the tissues of your body. She combats this by using the Ulike X Jmoon 12-Electrode Oversize Rapidlift Beauty Device to reduce swelling and give her face a quick lift to prevent premature sagging!
This unique-looking device emits 15 cinema-grade orange light, which improves cell repair power and dullness, and red light to stimulate skin collagen, making it smoother and brighter.
It also has four modes: SL for reducing nasolabial folds, EYE for eye wrinkles, FACE for tightening the entire face, and V-LIFT for lifting the jawline.
Let’s just say that Michelle’s glowing, baby-soft face has us convinced of the product’s efficacy despite its hefty price tag.
Ulike X Jmoon 12-Electrode Oversize Rapidlift Beauty Device 3x Lift and Tighten Skin Home Us retails for S$489 and is available on Shopee.