Founder of skincare brand KORRES, Lena Korres, shares what inspires her, which products she loves and what beauty really means to her.
08
Mar
Jess O'Sullivan
5 Minutes with Lena Korres
Celebrating International Women’s Day, we’ve put together a Women in Beauty series delving into the lives of inspirational women heading up the beauty industry. Founder of skincare brand KORRES, Lena Korres, shares what inspires her, which products she loves and what beauty really means to her.
For those who haven’t heard of KORRES, what is the brand’s philosophy?
We go by the same principles since the early pharmacy days and use powerful natural ingredients of the highest quality. Inspired by the endless biodiversity of Greece, we develop skin- and environment-friendly formulas with clinical tested efficacy, we offer products that have a distinctive design to inspire and make people happy.
We are an advocate of clean yet powerful beauty that can add a little bit of poetry to everyday life!
What makes KORRES unique?
I always try to narrow down what it is that makes the brand unique and I find that it is the balance between our core principles; natural ingredients; skin- and environment-friendly products; clinically-tested efficacy; affordable and of interesting aesthetics – principles that remain the same as in our early pharmacy days.
We know herbs inside out given our pharmacy heritage, we are obsessed with research, safety and quality, we are transparent, authentic, passionate; these elements make up the KORRES beauty experience.
What is your desert island KORRES product?
Definitely the Yoghurt Cooling Gel for body and face.
Greek Yoghurt has been hailed, for over a hundred years, as the best relief for sun-dehydrated skin; this has been one tradition passed down from generation to generation. The image of a grandmother slathering yoghurt on her grandchildren to instantly cool sun-dehydrated skin, brings every Greek back to childhood. For us it was only natural to look no further than this century-old skin soothing solution to develop a product that cares and also moisturises sun-dehydrated skin.
The Yoghurt Cooling Gel – the first ever product with real edible yoghurt – still remains a world-first. A scientific achievement that took us three years in development before we released this unique cosmetic formula that preserves all the deep nourishing, cooling, soothing and also the moisturising benefits of real yoghurt, without any stability issues, despite the sensitivity of the raw material. This best-selling after-sun has become a synonym of Greek summer and an ultimate KORRES Classic.
Your range is designed to enhance your natural beauty but what does beauty really mean to you?
Beauty is inherent, it comes from within, it’s in the aura surrounding people, it’s in their noble ways, in expressions, in a smile.
Are there any inspirational women you admire in the industry?
I get inspired by people who were ahead of their time; people that are passionate, that took risks and persisted in reaching their goals, that influenced the generations to come.
Coco Chanel is a great example. Her life story is inspiring and so is the story behind her legendary Channel No5.
What inspires you to live work stronger and live bolder?
My family is definitely the source of strength and inspiration for me.
What do you love most about your job?
I love everything about my job and cannot imagine doing anything else! I am addicted to the creative challenges, to discovering new ingredients, to trying new scents, textures, to developing formulas that work, to offer products that receive recognition and appreciation.
On top of that, I share my passion daily with a group of talented people!
That’s my motivation; love and people.
What tips for success would you give to someone starting out in their career?
Put your heart in everything you do; it’s the only way to make things happen.
What are your goals for the year ahead?
Keep researching, discovering and developing beauty products that inspire and put a smile on people’s face!