The Science Of Skin

Aurelian Lis, Global CEO, Dermalogica, talks to Sanjana Salunkhe on skin health and the science behind good skincare.

- Sanjana Salunkhe

With its innovative formulations and commitment to provide the right education, Dermalogica has revolutionised the skincare industry. It is one of the few brands that focus more on skin health than beauty and pampering. Our recent tête-à- tête with Aurelian Lis, industry expert and Global CEO, Dermalogica, gave us important insights into the brand, along with some industry secrets on how to improve skin health.

1 TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR LIFE BEFORE DERMALOGICA.

I am a physics student and I have always been a little nerdy. I end up taking the nerdy approach with everything I do. I have been part of the beauty industry for some years now. In fact, I had my own business which sold skincare to plastic surgeons, etc. After I sold the business in 2009, I took up a position with makeup brand Benefit Cosmetics, and then I got a chance to work with Dermalogica.

At Dermalogica, I help set the direction of the company; we are a brand with an incredible educational heritage. Dermalogica was founded in Los Angeles back in 1983, where we started out as an educational institute. We have definitely expanded our reach since then, with the help of our amazing product range and my incredibly talented and able team.

2 HOW DID YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH BENEFIT COSMETICS HELP YOU WITH THE SKINCARE CATEGORY?

The underlying essence for both brands is in the ideology with which they were founded, and in educational heritage they hold. I remember a time when a lot of people would hesitate and think twice before trying out a product they weren’t familiar with, or wasn’t trustworthy. This is how Dermalogica aligned with the consumers; we began using ingredients in our products that consumers weren’t only aware of, but actually wanted to include in their daily routines.