korres beauty, greek beauty

The Beautifying Power of Greece’s Unique Flora, with Lena Korres

This month, Parvati Magazine spoke with Lena Korres of KORRES, a natural skin care, bath and body company that focuses on plant-powered ingredients with a special emphasis on Greek flora.

Parvati Magazine: What routine skin care practices do you recommend for all ages alike?

Lena Korres: It’s so important to always cleanse your face (morning and night), moisturize, and use an SPF. It’s also important to not forget about the rest of your skin. Our body butters and shower gels are formulated to not just smooth and hydrate the skin, but to retain that moisture while renewing elasticity.

PMAG: What particular skin regimens do you suggest we introduce or change at different stages in our life?

LK: As we get older, our skin requires us to start incorporating treatments into our routine. This will depend on your skin type and specific skin concern, whether it’s dark spots and uneven texture or the first signs of aging. One of my favorite treatment products is our KORRES Black Pine Firming & Lifting Serum. It’s boosted with powerful natural ingredients and antioxidants for visibly firmer skin and overall improvement in facial architecture.

PMAG: Tell us about the measures you take to ensure your products are top notch.

LK: From the start of the brand over twenty years ago, we have been committed to creating quality products that are natural, safe, and efficacious. We take absolute accountability and own the process from start to finish. From plant cultivation, to harvest, natural extractions, in-house formulation and production, to primary research and clinical efficacy. We are so obsessed with quality we only use natural extraction methods to convert our leftover extracts to compost to fertilize the next batch of natural actives.

PMAG: I am interested to learn more about your Best of Beauty Allure Award winning product, Wild Rose Vitamin C Active Brightening Oil. What is Super C? How is this different from a serum?

LK: This product is a very special one to the brand, as it was created as a modern version of our original Wild Rose Oil ingredient that was used in our Athens homeopathic pharmacy. Wild Rose Vitamin C Active Brightening Oil is different from a serum in how the skin uses and recognizes the delivery method. Serums are, typically, water-based and address the water-compatible aspects of the skin, whereas an oil addresses the fat or lipid-compatible aspects of the skin. You really do need both methods for a holistic skin treatment. Super C is a unique ingredient to KORRES as it increases your skin’s absorption of pure Vitamin C by 1000%. To capitalize on this, our cold pressed Wild Rose Oil has 9x more Vitamin C than orange juice, so our Super C can be the most effective.

PMAG: Black Pine and Saffron are two of your star ingredients. How do they benefit our skin?

LK: [Our research] led us to the discovery of Black Pine trees in the Mediterranean, 3.5 million years old, that have survived even the ice age! The trees contain potent polyphenols that act as a natural defense against environmental stressors. The result is a powerful skincare collection, including our new Super Eye Serum that launches in January. It can visibly lift your upper eyelid!

Our Saffron in our Golden Krocus Ageless Saffron Elixir comes from a town in northern Greece where the Krocus (Saffron) flowers bloom only once a year. These flowers produce some of the highest quality saffron in the world. Through our network of farming cooperatives, we are able to get the saffron hand-picked fresh to ensure maximum antioxidant levels. This elixir treats uneven skin and texture when we are younger, and prevents lines and wrinkles as we mature.

PMAG: What is so unique about Greece’s flora?

LK: Greece has some of the world’s richest flora, [with] thousands of endemic plants found only in Greece. They have developed unique defense mechanisms to survive, and this is what we focus on to formulate our skincare line, empowering skin against any change. We work closely with the local Greek community to protect our natural ingredients through a network of more than 40 cooperatives with farmers and agricultural unions.

Lena KorresLed by their belief in the power of plants, scientific discovery, and the existence of more than 3,000 herbal remedies, Greek pharmacist George Korres and chemical engineer Lena Korres founded KORRES in 1996 out of the oldest apothecary in Athens. Today, Lena is responsible for all research and development for skincare and bodycare. .