Manifest a great 2024 while you treat your skin to the crème de la crème—these auspicious skincare ingredients deserve a spot on your vanity.

Chinese New Year is a time of community—where families gather at reunion dinners to usher in the new year over a lavish feast of carefully curated food. Each scrumptious dish often symbolises a wish, be it health, wealth, luck or happiness, cooked with a selection of “lucky ingredients” that have been backed by centuries of tradition and feng shui. It’s a pretty good deal—all you need to do to secure good fortune and prosperity for the future is simply eat up!

But why stop with your belly? Surely, what goes on your skin is just as important as what you consume, right? We think so, at least—that’s why we’ve taken the liberty of rounding up the most auspicious skincare ingredients on the market and where to shop them. From gold-infused goodness to antioxidant-rich carrots, mushrooms and oranges, find out what you need in your vanity this CNY 2024:

 

Ingredient #1: Gold flakes

If we’re completely honest, the benefits of gold for your skin are a bit dubious. Some claim that the ingredient can have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties as well as anti-ageing benefits, but the evidence to support this isn’t super robust. However, in terms of what it symbolises (read: good luck, wealth, prosperity and good fortune), it’s definitely at the top of our list of auspicious ingredients. At the very least, a little sprinkle of gold in your routine may help you manifest a better year ahead, so why not give it a shot?

SHOP: Peter Thomas Roth 24K Gold Mask, RM331.20

 

Ingredient #2: Orange

If you’re not keen on gold as an ingredient, you could go more conceptual. Oranges are said to signify gold, which is another roundabout way of ushering wealth in for the new year. It’s not just a filler ingredient, either—oranges have myriad benefits on the skin. From the peel to the fruit, oranges are rich in vitamin C and astringents, making them an incredible treatment for skin conditions like dark spots or excess oil production.

SHOP: Melixir Vegan Vitamin C Hydration Cream, RM255

 

Ingredient #3: Pineapple

Pineapples have popped off in skincare over the last few years thanks to the fruit’s bromelain enzyme and naturally occurring salicylates. The active ingredients have exfoliating functions in addition to skin-softening and calming benefits, which make the ingredient a great option for those with acne or congested skin. As for the spiritual side, pineapples symbolise luck, so if you’re hoping for good news soon, you may want to try incorporating a little sweetness into your routine.

SHOP: Wishful Yo Glow Enzyme Scrub, RM86.40

 

Ingredient #4: Ginger

Symbolising good health and longevity across many cultures, ginger is among the lucky plants recognised in feng shui. Said to attract good luck to any space, adding ginger to your skincare routine could potentially do the same for you. And, even if it doesn’t, ginger has potent anti-ageing benefits on the skin, from brightening and smoothing effects to anti-inflammatory action.

SHOP: ESPA Yuzu & Ginger Cleansing Sorbet, RM164

 

Ingredient #5: Sea cucumber

When it comes to Chinese New Year, sea cucumber is a fan favourite for its health benefits. But, it’s also favoured for what it symbolises. In Chinese, the word for sea cucumber is pronounced “haishen“, which sounds like the word for “give birth”, which is “sheng“. Ergo, some believe that the ingredient may bless a family with a newborn. That aside, sea cucumber also has plenty of benefits for the skin. Sea cucumber collagen can help to heal surface inflammation and stimulate new collagen biosynthesis, cell regrowth and tissue repair.

SHOP: Bescher Sea Cucumber Collagen Calming Cream, RM408

 

Ingredient #6: Carrot

Carrots may be eaten for good luck during Chinese New Year, but it’s also a superfood packed with vitamins, carotenoid antioxidants and phenolic compounds. All of these naturally occurring actives work to brighten, tone and nourish the skin deeply, making it an essential addition to any routine.

SHOP: Saturday Skin Carrot + Niacinamide Moisturising Cream, RM120

 

Ingredient #7: Mushrooms

Our fungus friends are thought to symbolise health and longevity and have been staples in various Chinese New Year dishes for centuries. Mushrooms are revered for their medicinal properties, which are coincidentally what makes them so highly sought after in skincare. From boosting collagen to hydrating, brightening and moisturising the skin as well as providing anti-inflammatory benefits, mushrooms are a powerful multitasker.

SHOP: Dr. Andrew Weil For Origins™ Mega-Mushroom Relief & Resilience Soothing Treatment Lotion, RM185

 

Ingredient #8: Rice

This ingredient should come as no surprise. Rice is a staple in Chinese culture, representing wealth, success, fertility and good health. However, it’s also a staple in skincare, especially in East Asian markets. From DIY rice toners on TikTok to sophisticated formulations from Tatcha and SK-II, the benefits of rice on the skin have been very well documented. It’s deeply moisturising, antioxidant-rich and peptide-rich, which makes it a great option for barrier repair and cell regeneration.

SHOP: SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, RM850

 

That about sums it up! To conclude, we’re going to leave you with one more tip: Top off your new routine by using a jade roller to massage all the goodness into your skin. Jade, after all, is a staple for luck and prosperity (and it’s great for the skin!). With that, we wish you a happy Chinese New Year!

 

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