Glass interviews international skincare expert Ole Henriksen – founder of his eponymous internationally popular brand – and gets beauty tips for all ages
Efferversing with positive energy and youthful vigour, Ole Henriksen is, perhaps, the best endorsement for his skincare brand. Born in Denmark in 1951, where he grew up in a small village, as an adult Henriksen travelled to Indonesia to work as a dancer when he suffered a severe outbreak of cystic acne. Fortunately this was fully and successfully treated with a variety of natural botanic remedies by an aesthetician called Lagita in a clinic in Jakarta.
It was this traumatic experience – and his remarkable recovery – that instigated Henriksen’s interest in natural skincare. On returning to Europe, he enrolled at the Christine Shaw Beauty College in London to specialise in cosmetic chemistry, anatomy, face and body care, electrolysis and make up. Once he graduated from college, he went to work for Helena Rubinstein as a member of their educational team – still in London.
In 1974, ever the traveller, Henriksen relocated to San Francisco where he worked in the treatment room at a major salon, there specialising in chemical peels and treating acne. The following year he opened the Ole Henriksen of Denmark Skin Care Center in Beverly Hills offering “innovative complexion treatments, state-of-the-art equipment and natural skincare formulations”.
This became a huge success as Henriksen excelled in treating challenging skin conditions. Combined with his inherent charm and enthusiasm, he soon attracted the attention of Hollywood and many of its luminaries – and their complexions – who became his clients at his spa.
In 1985 Henriksen had launched his own eponymously named products based on his unique botanical formulas, which contain carefully selected active natural ingredients that enhance and support the skin’s own ability to renew itself which achieve very effective results in a safe and holistic manner. The range grew both in popularity and its offerings to become a worldwide success and in 2011 the brand was acquired by LVMH.
Glass sat down with the age-defyingly youthful Henriksen to learn more about his career and get the benefits of his extensive knowledge about ideal skincare for all ages.
You received your beauty and skincare training in London at the Christine Shaw Beauty College. How has beauty education developed since then? What do you see the future of beauty education to be?
What I really admired about Christine Shaw College of Beauty is how the education combined state of the art equipment with the hands on techniques for treating different skin concerns. Including the proper application methods for the products we use to obtain optimal results.
Today the schools have also learned the importance of teaching students how to develop a great dialogue with clients – recognising they need to learn from their clients what their particular concerns are to customise the client’s treatments accordingly.
Captivating the client – learn the dialogue, listen to their concerns, and in turn helping the client be their own skin expert!
The man behind the brand – Ole Henriksen
If you could only do one thing for your skincare regime, what would that be? What is the most important element of your skincare regime, in your opinion?
My golden rule in skincare is to be faithful with your daily routine – this will help you achieve optimum results. Always think of taking care of your skin as an investment into your skin’s future. When you do things consistently, you will see results.
Pure Truth Youth Activating Oil
What is the one skincare product you can’t live without?
I cannot survive without my Pure Truth Youth Activating Oil. It is such a multi-tasker. It’s packed with the three pillars of anti-aging: vitamin C, vitamin A and omegas 3, 6 and 9 – all essential elements to keeping the skin youthful, radiant and healthy. However universally, I recommend that you protect, protect, protect! It is never too early (or too late) to begin using SPF on your skin and it is so important to shield your skin from the sun’s harmful rays.
Pure Truth Melting Cleanser
What is your daily skincare routine like?
Firstly I never rush through my cleansing routine, because the active ingredients in products must be given time to activate and get to work on the skin. I use a cleanser like my Pure Truth Melting cleanser both morning and night.
It goes from a gel, into oil, into milk. I love that this is an all in one multi-tasker — soothing, comforting and great for even the most sensitive skin. I close my eyes as I work my pure truth melting cleanser into the skin, in outward circular motions, to enjoy the full sensorial experience.
During the day, especially when the weather turns cold which causes the skin to become dry, I like layering oil on top of a moisturiser to protect the skin against moisture loss and becoming red and sensitive.
For nighttime, I love to apply a gel based serum like my invigorating night treatment, followed by a complexion oil like pure truth youth activating oil formulated with Vitamin C, Trans Retinoic Acid and Essential Fatty Acids — gel and oil complement each other so well.
What specific skincare advice would you give for people at different stages of their life ie 20s, 30s, 40s and then 50s?
All the things that matter should be done from the get go – moisturise, eye protection, suncare, etc. From the early- to mid-20s is when you see the first sign of aging around the eye region. The skin is the thinnest on the face in that region and the most expressive –making the eye region more prone to lines and wrinkles.
Generally speaking this shows fatigue if we don’t get enough rest. A nice richly textured eye crème will do wonders to deeply hydrate the skin and optimise elasticity. Make sure you apply it as the last step in the morning, my personal favourite is my the Fresh Start Eye Crème based on high concentrations of essential fatty acids – like avocado and wheatgerm oil.
In the early 30s, daily moisturising becomes even more important. The oil and sebaceous glands no longer produce as much natural hydration for the skin. Therefore, it becomes even more important to use generous amounts of moisturiser daily—leaving a healthy dewy look that shows you have applied enough. Look for one with an SPF, like my Truth Revealed Super Crème SPF 15.
In the 40s, the cellular turnover rate has slowed down significantly which necessitates the use of a great serum at night based on alpha hydroxi acids. A great example is my Invigorating Night Treatment based on 12 sources of alpha hydroxi acids (AHAs). AHAs will not alone slough off the dead skin cells, but also reduce the look of lines and wrinkles, tighten the pores, and give your skin an all-over radiant glow.
In the 50s, hyperpigmentation from UV damage is often a problem for many. Splotchy-looking skin makes you look older and more tired – it can be extremely frustrating. The antidote for this problem is two-fold. First, using a peeling treatment once a week at night with a high level of AHAs that works below the skin surface to stimulate the renewal cycle—like our Lemon Strip Flash Peel.
This will help improve hyperpigmentation. Second, high concentrations of Vitamin C, like our Truth Serum Collagen booster for day –keeping the treatment process in motion. Our serum has five sources of stable vitamin C to improve on the concern. Finally, make sure your moisturiser has an SPF –you’re set to go.
Lemon Strip Flash Peel
How vital do you feel deep cleansing, or even clinical treatments like regular facials, peels, etc outside the home are to maintaining your skin over time?
I am a huge supporter of doing a weekly peel for your face. A regular peel speeds up the skin’s metabolism, detoxes your skin, and keeps it healthy. An added benefit is that it helps your skin absorb all the other products you are using. Make sure it is an acid peel in the 20 per cent acid range, suspended in soothing botanicals.
Of course not everyone has the luxury of going to a salon every week to achieve the benefits of a peel or facial, which is why I formulated my lemon strip flash peel. A one-step exfoliating facial peel powered by lactic, glycolic and fruit acids, this will go to work and help resurface skin.
What do you think are the most important concerns for men in terms of skincare?
What I have noticed is that men no longer are afraid of saying “I care about my looks” and admit that their appearance is important to them. It’s all about natural, healthy skin with flexibility and a good tone – expression lines look good in a man’s face.
I always tell my male clients to keep their skincare routine simple so that they don’t feel overwhelmed. One important aspect of their simple routine is to invest in at least one or two anti-aging products for night time use, since skin is at rest and the regenerative powers are working in top gear.
In a nutshell, anti-aging products put the skin’s renewal cycle in high gear to firm, tighten, slow wrinkle formation and diminish existing wrinkles. Men can expect to see a youthful glow and supple-looking skin that appears fresh and healthy.
Men tend to prefer a mattifying day crème like our truth revealed super crème SPF 15 and our invigorating night treatment as an anti-aging treatment since it is a light gel texture, filled with algae for firming, lifting and calming, as well as cell renewing ingredients like sugar maple, sugar cane, lemon and orange extract.
You are renowned for marrying together natural ingredients and scientific process in your beauty brand, what do you see for the future of skincare products?
What always amazed me was how effectual and transformational natural ingredients are in skincare and how science over the last decade has helped elevate the performance level. The future will enhance that process— possibly taking away the need for some of the extreme cosmetic procedures performed.
Ole Henriksen
You recently launched your Empower range. What was the inspiration behind for this? How has it been received?
My inspiration was really from my Scandinavian heritage and in particular the Arctic Cloudberry that was part of my diet as a child. My mom would make porridge, juice, and jams knowing all the great antioxidants, nutritional, and healing powers in the cloudberry. I went to the lab and did research on the Arctic Cloudberry to see the benefits on skin topically – I found how it would strengthen the skins immune mantle against the elements, but also being extremely reparative.
Arctic Cloudberry became the key ingredients in the Empower products. I included the Nordic Cotton because it detoxes and purifies the skin. The products have been received with glowing reviews and extremely successful in the UK and Scandinavia.
What future plans do you have for yourself, personally, and for your company?
My two favourite jobs working for my brand is traveling the world as the goodwill ambassador sharing in the Ole Henriksen philosophy of health and wellness; and the other is to go on creating new innovative and effectual products.
Personally, I want to go on taking time for my family and loved ones and never forgetting to practice my daily gymnastics that I love.
What advice would you give someone who is starting out in the skincare beauty business?
First and foremost, you must make sure you have a passion for the beauty industry and that you love people. Always leave yourself open to learning new things each and every day that relate to your profession— that will allow you to become the very best at what you do.
by Caroline Simpson
Ole Henriksen products are available here.