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In all my years as a beauty editor, never before have I come across a skincare brand quite so interesting as Rationale. I find typically people either haven’t heard of it, or they’re die-hard fans (or alternatively, very interested in what it’s all about). I tend to fall into the latter camp: I found it some two years ago as I was going through a particularly tough bout of acne. I tried everything before I finally took the advice of a fellow beauty editor and went to one of the brand’s clinics. Within weeks, my skin was the best it’s ever been. I’ve used and loved Rationale ever since, and while I’m not exclusive, I firmly believe in their thesis that all skin concerns (acne, premature ageing, uneven tone etc) can be improved if the skin simply functions in a healthy manner. They also focus hugely on sun protection, which is a win as far as I’m concerned.
For those unaware, the brand champions its “Essential Six” regime: a cleanser, two morning serums, SPF, a night serum and night cream. It’s not necessary to use all of them, but essentially all products are designed to fulfil a particular purpose in synergy, be it repair, hydration, protection and so on. But Rationale is constantly innovating, and its latest is definitely one worth mentioning.
DNA Personal Prescription is essentially a personalised product formulated according to your genetic blueprint. The in-clinic process is done via the DNArray Medical Consultation, and involves a a simple mouth swab, before your results determine your custom product, either cream or serum, made from a library of targeted peptides (these results are discussed with you in a follow-up appointment also). It’s the result of years of research, and really taps into the idea of bespoke skincare tailored to your individual needs. I’ve been using mine for two months, and my skin is clear, hydrated, and luminous – my skin was relatively healthy to begin with, but the test sounded alarm bells like slowed collagen production, issues with methylation and some irreversible sun damage. But like all skincare, it’s important to get informed, because what works for one may not work for another. So to help shed a little light on the DNA Personal Prescription, we went right to the source: Rationale Founder and Director Richard Parker. See his answers below.
GRAZIA: In a sentence, what does rationale aim to do for skin?
Richard Parker: RATIONALE restores and maintains skin vitality and luminosity by offering superlative protecfton and repair from environmental damage, particularly the sun.
GRAZIA: What, in your opinion, is the secret when it comes to RATIONALE’S success?
Richard: For decades, RATIONALE has consistently delivered outstanding, highly visible and incomparable results through our skin identical formulations. Consistency is the key to achieving the cult status RATIONALE enjoys today.
GRAZIA: What is the greatest innovation or discovery Rationale has made in recent years?
Richard: The RATIONALE Essential Six is our greatest contribution to the intersection of skin health, aesthetic medicine and modern beauty. The Essential Six represents the perfect skin nutrition profile of vitamins, minerals, proteins and carbohydrates to deliver Luminous Skin for Life. The Essential Six is now considered the gold standard in both the luxury and medical skincare worlds, an achievement of which we are very proud.
GRAZIA: Where did the idea for the DNA Personal Prescription originally come from?
Richard: RATIONALE clients are extremely well educated and discerning, constantly seeking perfection in every area of health, beauty and wellbeing. They are devoted to the Essential Six rituals and the instantly recognizable RATIONALE glow. Now they are seeking that “something extra”, which we can deliver via our DNA Personalised Prescription formulations.
GRAZIA: And how did you develop it into the concept it is now?
Richard: For many years now, we have been working with our network of RATIONALE dermatologists and plastic surgeons to develop a predictive model of skin DNA which allows us to identify individual skin strengths and weakness and create totally cutomised formulations that address each client’s skin strengths and weaknesses at the genetic level.
GRAZIA: Where do you see the future of skincare going – specifically for the Rationale brand?
Richard: As our understanding of the skin genome and biome continues to unfold, we are able to target each client’s skin needs based on analysis of their unique genetic data. The future of skincare will move more and more towards DNA-informed customisation and never ending adjustments through each decade of life.
