French beauty brand Biologique Recherche’s Celia Gratiot points out common beauty mistakes

French beauty brand Biologique Recherche’s Lotion P50 became a rage overnight two years ago. Many beauty editors said that it was the best thing to have happened to their skin. Though there are some doubts about the almost magical properties of the product, the brand has become a preferred choice for many premium beauty spas and salons. In Kuala Lampur, Biologique Recherche’s products are exclusively available at The Spa, Mandarin Oriental, and in India, it’s at the White Door salon, Mumbai. Then there is also the Biologique Recherche Remodeling Machine, an anti-ageing machine that has supposedly become Hollywood’s favourite.

 Now that it’s in India, LuxeBook spoke with Biologique Recherche’s Celia Gratiot, an International skincare expert and beauty therapist, who claims to not have put any makeup on her skin, about the four-decade-old brand’s products that became an Internet phenomenon just two years ago. We also got some beauty tips from her.

What do you think about India’s beauty market?

I think that the Indian market is cluttered with an array of brands. Unfortunately, what people tend to do is mix products from different brands when adopting a skincare regime. This, according to me, is not ideal. The products from a single range are designed to complement each other and show more effective results in the long run. Very often when you adopt products from different ranges and brands, the ingredients might not work well together and might defeat the overall process. When you use a single brand, you tend to get better results, get a more accurate representation of the effectiveness of the product and cab fix the skin issues faster.

How do celebrities take care of their skin?

What people don’t see is that celebrities really take extra care of skin, right from adopting a healthy edit to hydrating the body and indulging in a spa treatment or facial every other week. They are extremely particular about the ingredients in each product and only use the best in skincare to look that way.

What is your take on fast beauty or express treatments? 

I do believe in slow beauty; you must take care of your skin daily and ensure that you have the right skin-care products for your skin type and skin texture. For deep cleansing, one should visit a spa at least once a month, to professionally rid the skin of toxins, dirt, and pollutants.

Which is the one beauty hack that you swear by? Why?

I love to indulge myself in face masks as much as I can. Face masks help treat different skin concerns and can be customised depending on how your skin is feeling that day. Some days when I feel that my skin is dry, I opt for a mask that hydrates my skin and on days when I feel that my skin is lacking its natural shine, a mask helps me get back the natural, healthy glow. The best thing about masks is that they can be put on in the comfort of your home, without professional assistance. 

What does the much-talked-about Biologique Recherche Remodeling Machine, which is also at White Door, does? 

The Biologique Recherche Face Remodelling Machine is a state-of-the-art anti-ageing machine that emits a combination of three currents. The Galvanic current helps cleanse the skin deeply, boosts the absorption of the active ingredients from the serum applied to the skin while improving blood flow. The Low and medium frequency current provides oxygenation to the skin, re-shapes and tones the face, allowing the skin to breathe. The third Athermic pulsed high-frequency current revitalizes the epidermis, used to regenerate the skin to prevent ageing and works on the stubborn scars from acne. 

What other products of the brand suit the Indian skin? 

In my several, frequent visits to India, I have noticed that the Indian skin cells look dull due to the excessive damage done by the sun, dust and pollution. What I would recommend is a good cleansing regime, The Biologique Recherche Lait VIP 02 face cleanser is a good investment. Use it especially at night since the particles of pollution are extremely fine then and can be harmful to your skin. Follow this with the application of the cult-favourite Lotion P50 as it helps treat dark spots, sunburns or acne scars and brightens the skin.