The Women Behind Anake – Singapore’s First End-to-end DNA-based Skincare

Established in 2020, Anake is Singapore’s first end-to-end DNA-based skincare experience, setting the trend for a more personalised beauty routine. Inspired by the Greek goddess, Ananke, who personifies the concept of ‘necessity’, while drawing parallels with the necessity of good skincare, the co-founder of Anake, Anna, created the brand as a portmanteau of their names.

Amidst an era of overwhelming information on skin health and beauty trends, Anake pushes boundaries through leveraging the latest derma-genetics research and technology to launch a new lifestyle of precision skincare.

We speak to the founders of Anake, Anna Melman and Liron Shalev, to find out more about the brand as well as their philosophy of Clarity and Commitment while championing inner beauty.

Q: How did the concept for Anake come about?

Anna: After spending eight years in the beauty and wellness industry, I began to hear a similar concern amongst my customers – purchasing skin products was so confusing and difficult, and they didn’t know what worked for them! Because of the wide variety of products targeting various skin problems and the lack of personal clarity of what is suitable for their skin, many of my customers used to spend a lot of time, money and trial and error just to find something decent for their skin needs. So I thought – what if I created something holistic, a product or treatment that could inform and meet each customer’s needs specifically? That’s what inspired the creation of Anake.

Liron: By chance, I managed to reconnect with Anna on one of my vacations to Asia – we knew each other before but after this encounter and a short talk that we had regarding creating Anake and filling this gap in the market, we embarked on this project together. Maybe this was just destiny!

Anna: After six months of brainstorming and research and development, Anake became a reality.

Q: What brought both of you to Singapore?

Liron: Being from Israel myself, I also previously worked in countries like USA, UK and Germany, but I was attracted to Singapore because it is a country that offers one of the best and highest quality of life, and is also a breeding ground for innovation. Singapore has an environment that is incredibly nurturing and encouraging for businesses.

Anna: Singapore is a country where we are able to cultivate Anake from simply being a dream into the most preferred skincare brand. Being in Singapore is a good starting point before we move on to opening other outlets all over APAC.

Q: How do you balance family, work and still find time for yourselves?

Anna: It’s really about prioritising, and knowing how to juggle multiple roles in the most efficient manner. For both Liron and myself, 11am-3pm is the time where we avail ourselves for any work-related meetings, after that we head to pick up our children from their daycare centres and spend quality time with them. Personal fitness and exercise is also very important to me, so I make sure to incorporate that into my schedule if possible.

Liron: Personal wellness or spending time with family is something that cannot be compromised on, no matter how busy you are as a career woman. Know where your priorities are, and work around those instead of simply slotting them where it’s convenient.

Q: What is it about this industry that you enjoy? On the flipside, what are areas that you think can be improved?

Anna: I’ve been in the beauty and wellness industry for eight years, starting out at the age of 21 where I was a sales representative in New Zealand, so it has definitely been a journey indeed. Wellness and living a healthy lifestyle has always been a part of me, and I see this translated into maintaining a healthy skincare routine – which is why I am excited to use Anake as a platform to raise awareness and share my personal experiences with my customers. Being in this industry is a natural extension of my passion and who I am as a person.

Liron: Just like Anna, sports and wellness is something that I am passionate about, and being in this industry that focuses on one’s well-being was just a natural choice for me, since it resonates with my personal values and beliefs.

Q: Anake emphasises that confidence starts from within – could you explain a little bit more about this and how it has shaped the brand?

Anna: Confidence starts from within is our belief that a lot of our skin’s underlying issues and problems come from the basic building blocks of our body – our DNA. Because of the inherited differences in specific genes, the nature of the body’s responses to daily life varies from one person to another. So an individual’s genetic makeup is one of the major reasons for individual differences in the response to tackling skin types. Therefore, Anake’s approach to beauty is one of the most accurate ways to unearth the underlying problems a customer faces, and determine how the skin might naturally protect itself against deterioration with age. Once identifying what each unique customer faces, we will then be able to precisely target the problems and tailor a skincare experience to achieve the most optimum results possible.

Liron: To add on, we work closely with a top DNA testing lab specialising in skin based in Australia, to analyze 15+ genetic markers using algorithms to identify genetic factors to unlock each customer’s unique skin profile in order to prescribe the best treatment to attain the best results in our skincare regime that complements the skin needs of our customers, enabling them to feel confident and satisfied with their skin health results.

Q: What advice would you give to those who suffer from low body confidence?

Anna and Liron: Low body confidence is sadly such a common experience faced by many women and men alike! We will firstly like to tell these individuals that they are not alone, that their struggles are very much valid and real, and remind them that they are strong, beautiful individuals.

The insidious nature of popular culture results in us consistently facing perceptions of an “ideal body image” – something that is incredibly destructive and unedifying since we are exposed to these narratives from a young age. To all our customers and readers of this article, you are very much loved and special – just the way you are. True confidence and self-love comes from within and not through approval by others. It is definitely challenging since we all seek to be accepted and affirmed, however that looks like, and we must intentionally remember that we hold intrinsic value and worth as unique individuals.

We also advise people to seek help if necessary and to surround themselves with a healthy community of people to encourage and walk alongside them. As humans, we are all social beings in need of others. Surrounding yourself with the right people can do wonders for your mental and physical well-being.

Anake’s DNA Skin Test Kit

 

Q: What are your plans for Anake in the near future?

Anna: In the next 10 years I do hope to see Anake becoming the most preferred brand in Singapore due to our holistic, data-driven and personalised approach to skincare. As our particular focus is on the end-to-end customer experience, I plan to continue expanding this concept to multiple outlets over the APAC region, and hopefully through this, reach more customers and build awareness of our brand and our purpose.

Liron: Definitely to continue expanding our concept stores through leveraging on my respective international exposure and experience. Currently, we only have one concept store at Wisma Atria and I’ll like to see more concept stores opening around Singapore. Besides deepening Anake’s local market presence, expanding our brand’s global footprint is also critical, and I see this aligning with Anna’s vision of market penetration into regional and global markets. Personally for myself too, I hope to excel in my own unique journey in caring for Anake’s clients, being the General Manager of our concept store as well.

Q: Any last words for our readers?

Anna: Anake is Singapore’s first end-to-end DNA-based skincare experience, and we will love for you to come visit our shop at Wisma Atria! We offer a four-step tailored experience that sees you through from start to finish. Our DNA test, cutting-edge Skin Analyzer analysis, beauty consultation, and tailored treatment plan allows us to journey with each customer to optimum skin health.

Once your DNA results are ready after two weeks, we will get in touch to set an appointment at our store where you’ll receive a comprehensive analysis of your skin’s unique genetic footprint in a personal report. We will then follow up with a detailed scan from our skin analyzer to analyze the underlying or existing problems of your skin. After gaining a deeper knowledge of your skin genetically, our beauty consultants will advise you on a customized treatment plan.

Liron: You will receive recommendations about specific products, skin care ingredients, devices and treatments in your personal report, which will expose you to what ingredients to look for as you shop for skincare products. Now there will be no more needed guesswork, and you can now save money and time in trial and error. We hope to see you around our store sometime!

 

Anake

435 Orchard Road
#01-11 Wisma Atria
Singapore 238877

Website: www.anake.com.sg

 

Stay tuned for our review of Anake’s DNA-based skincare experience!


Images: Anake

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