1. beauty
WORKSHOP
40 / GLOW / NOVEMBER 2013
Touching down in Athens, Greece,
Tracey Ho Lung discovers the Korres
beauty brand and how its love of science
and nature is helping to save our skin.
SELECTION
natural
Korres plant hunters work
with farmers to map out
cultivation areas for each
herb and plant based on
climate and soil.
absorbs quickly into the skin, minimizing
the appearance of wrinkles and improving
elasticity and firmness.
Greece is home to more than 6,000
plant species, many of which are used in
Korres products. “Greece has the largest
variety of herbs per square foot for the size
of the country,” says Lena Korres, brand
development director. “There are harsh
conditions—we have a lot of sun, extreme
heat, UV radiation, the salt from the sea
and very high mountains.” These unique
conditions mean many plants are found
only in Greece.
The Korres brand has been a success in
its homeland since its launch in 1996. Yet
despite its rise to fame, Korres comes from
humble beginnings. The brand’s founder,
George Korres, was working in Athens’
oldest homeopathic pharmacy when he
began incorporating the herbs they had on
hand into creams. Word got out and soon
people were lining up for his concoctions.
The introduction of Wild Rose 24-Hour
Cream attracted fans worldwide. This flower
thrives in the Komotini region of Greece,
which offers one of the best cultivation
environments. Brimming with a natural
source of vitamin C, the rose oil helps repair
the look of fine lines and skin discoloration.
Today, Korres boasts more than 400 natural
and certified organic products, which has
caught the attention of eco-minded starlets
like Drew Barrymore and Charlize Theron,
adding to its cult status.
Korres’ commitment to green ingredients
is key to its integrity and success, but good
intentions would mean nothing without good
results. “We’re not a brand that cares only
about being natural,” says Lena Korres.
“We’re here to combine nature with science
to produce a product that really works.”
Greece DRAWS VISITORS to its shores
for many reasons. But the greatest attributes
of this Mediterranean oasis could be hiding in
plain sight—within its flora. Take, for example,
quercetin extract, which is sourced from the
bark of oak trees in places like northwestern
Greece, home to the biggest oak tree forest
in southeastern Europe. Korres, an Athens-
based homeopathic beauty brand that draws
its ingredients from the environment, works to
find natural substitutes for common ingredients
in skincare. For instance, it used quercetin as
an alternative to retinol (a popular ingredient in
topical anti-aging products) in its most successful
anti-aging formula yet, Quercetin & Oak Anti-
wrinkle Night Cream.
Inspired by Nobel Prize-winning research on
cell aging, Korres—along with the Institute of
Biological Research and Biotechnology at the
National Hellenic Research Foundation, and
the University of Athens—conducted a five-
year study to find out how natural ingredients
can reverse the signs of aging. Their findings
revealed quercetin to be an effective anti-aging
ingredient. Chock full of vitamins A, B and C,
plus calcium, magnesium and selenium, it helps
maintain a youthful appearance. This also led
to the creation of Quercetin & Oak Antiageing
& Antiwrinkle Face Serum. The product
contains a high concentration of quercetin and
KorresGreek
YoghurtAdvanced
NourishingSleeping
Facial, $59, soothes
dehydrated skin;
KorresQuercetin
&OakFaceSerum,
$69, helps firm.
Dried flowers displayed at the
Korres store in Athens.
Herbs are harvested,
packaged and ready
for extraction.
PRODUCTPHOTOS:CARLOMENDOZA.PLANTHUNTERS:COURTESYOFKORRES