For millions living in urban Asia, maintaining a healthy, balanced complexion is an ongoing struggle against environmental extremes. Blistering tropical heat, oppressive humidity, continuous indoor air conditioning, and mounting particulate pollution place relentless stress on the cutaneous barrier. Coupled with everyday habits such as aggressive double-cleansing and the frequent application of complex, highly concentrated actives, the skin’s natural lipid defenses are easily stripped away.
Dermatological research has long indicated that East Asian skin possesses unique physiological traits—notably a comparatively thinner stratum corneum (the outermost protective layer), which renders it inherently more vulnerable to trans-epidermal moisture loss and external irritants. With clinical meta-analyses reporting that approximately 31% of the population across Asia declares having sensitive skin, the demand for tailored, evidence-backed care has never been higher.
Stepping forward to address this regional reality is Clera Cera, a science-led dermatological skincare brand co-developed with Singapore’s prestigious National Skin Centre (NSC), a member of NHG Health. Officially launched on 22 October 2026 across Guardian and Mannings stores, this nine-piece everyday range marks a historic milestone: the first time a public healthcare cluster in Singapore has collaborated directly with retail giants to bring hospital-grade, evidence-based dermatological solutions straight to retail shelves.
Bridging Clinical Wards and Everyday Retail
Traditionally, specialized barrier-repair creams formulated by dermatologists have remained confined to hospital pharmacies and private clinics, often burdened by heavy, occlusive textures developed for cooler, Western climates.
Clera Cera dismantles this paradigm. The brand is the premier skincare initiative born out of the long-term partnership inked between DFI Retail Group and NHG Health to democratize preventive health.
“Clera Cera marks a new chapter for Guardian and Mannings. We are going beyond selling health and wellness products to creating them, with the clinical expertise of NHG Health’s National Skin Centre behind us,” says Curtis Liu, Chief Executive Officer of Health and Beauty at DFI Retail Group. “It takes dermatology beyond clinical walls to a shelf where customers already shop, at a price that fits an everyday routine.”
Professor Benjamin Seet, Group Chairman Medical Board (Research) at NHG Health, echoes this broader public health mission: “What makes this collaboration meaningful is that we are able to bring evidence-based care to people where they are, beyond the hospital and clinic. Skin health is only the starting point. The wider opportunity is in areas such as elderly nutrition and home care, which will be explored for our ageing population.”
The Skin Barrier Resilience System: Replenish, Repair, Relieve
At the helm of Clera Cera’s scientific formulation is Associate Professor Tey Hong Liang, Senior Consultant Dermatologist at the National Skin Centre and Clinical Director of the Centre for MedTech and Innovations, alongside Principal Pharmacist Ms. Winnie Choo. Ranked among the world’s top 2% of scientists by Stanford University and Elsevier, Prof. Tey and his team synthesized decades of clinical trial data into a streamlined triad known as the Skin Barrier Resilience System:
- Replenish (Deep Hydration): Enriched with bio-compatible moisture-binding magnets like saccharide isomerate, which bind tenaciously to skin keratin to deliver sustained hydration that resists washing off—providing up to 24 hours of moisture in wash-off cleansers and 72 hours in leave-on emulsions.
- Repair (Lipid Restoration): Infuses five skin-identical ceramides that mimic the natural intercellular cement of the stratum corneum, bridging micro-fissures in compromised barriers, mitigating flaking, and restoring tensile elasticity.
- Relieve (Botanical Calming): Leverages Derma-Clera™, a patented active powered by Cynanchum Atratum (known traditionally in Asian herbal medicine as Bai Wei). This botanical extract exerts potent anti-inflammatory effects, soothing irritation and hyper-reactivity at a cellular level.
“In our clinics, we often see patients whose skin barrier has been weakened over time by pollution, humidity, and harsh products,” explains Prof. Tey. “The barrier depends on natural lipids such as ceramides, and it is best supported by gentle, consistent care using lightweight formulations that people find comfortable applying every day.”
Formulated with 18,000 Asian Consumers
To ensure the range overcame regional frustrations—such as tacky residues, pore-clogging mineral oils, and synthetic perfumes—Clera Cera’s developers conducted extensive listening sessions and usage trials involving over 18,000 consumers across five key Asian markets: Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam.
The resulting clean, hypoallergenic formulas are free from artificial fragrances, non-comedogenic, and specifically calibrated to absorb rapidly without leaving a greasy sheen in 90% relative humidity.
The Complete Nine-Product Everyday Regimen
The debut portfolio spans four essential categories covering body, face, treatment, and UV defense:
1. Everyday Body Care
- Gentle Hydrating Cleanser: A soap-free, non-stripping body wash formulated with saccharide isomerate to deliver 24-hour hydration while preserving essential acid-mantle lipids. Safe for eczema-prone skin and infants from three months of age.
- Skin Relief Moisturising Lotion: A lightweight, fast-absorbing barrier cream offering 72-hour deep moisture. In independent home user trials of 104 participants, 89% confirmed it soothed skin itching and redness in just three minutes.
2. Gentle Facial Cleansing & Moisture
- Micellar Water Gentle Makeup Remover: Dissolves stubborn, waterproof cosmetics without stinging sensitive eyes or disrupting surface lipids.
- Hydrating Foaming Face Wash: A cloud-soft foam that removes environmental sebum and urban particulate matter while infusing 24-hour hydration.
- Barrier Hydrating Aqua Cream: An ultra-light water-gel cream engineered to prevent congested pores, providing up to 72 hours of balancing moisture for combination and reactive skin.
3. Targeted Clinical Serums
- B3 TXA Brightening Dark Spot Serum: Combines Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) and Tranexamic Acid (TXA) to fade post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and sun spots without irritating delicate barrier structures.
- Retinol Age Defense Serum: A gentle, slow-release retinoid serum cushioned by five ceramides, promoting cellular turnover and collagen renewal while preventing redness and barrier peeling.
4. Mineral Sun Protection
- Daily Defense Physical Sunscreen Serum SPF 50 PA+++ & Tone Up Physical Sunscreen Serum SPF 50 PA+++: Dual 100% mineral formulas utilizing nano-zinc oxide to reflect broad-spectrum UVA/UVB rays and shield against 95% of artificial blue light. Featuring 40-minute water resistance, they glide on sheer without a chalky white cast or suffocating finish.
Regional Availability
Clera Cera is now available in Singapore exclusively across Guardian Health & Beauty stores, Guardian Online, and selected NHG Health pharmacies.
Following its Singapore debut, the brand will roll out across Brunei, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Macau, and Vietnam, expanding across a footprint of more than 1,500 Guardian and Mannings retail outlets and digital storefronts.
By merging the rigorous clinical research of Singapore’s National Skin Centre with accessible consumer distribution, Clera Cera proves that effective dermatological care no longer needs to be a clinical luxury—it is an everyday essential engineered precisely for the skin we live in.
