BeautyTalks with Simon Abadi, President of Georgette Klinger

How has using traditional European remedies enhanced Georgette Klinger products? 

European women have always been known for their meticulous care of their skin using natural botanical plants, fruits and essential oils. In Europe a female was expected to be as attractive as humanly possible. Europeans have always treated their skin as a precious asset that needs to be pampered and protected against weather and age. Georgette brought that old-world belief which until today is at the core of everything we work on and develop. She saw herself as a conduit for giving you back natures’ most precious gift – beautiful skin.

Tell us the backstory behind Georgette Klinger? 

Georgette was a beautiful woman. In her late teens she entered a beauty pageant which she ended up winning. Her prize was a makeup kit which she began to use and made her break out profusely. Searching for a solution to her skin problems she began her lifelong quest and love for skin care. She studied chemistry and cosmetology in Budapest, Vienna, Paris and London eventually emigrating to the US due to the start of World War II. She opened her famous Madison Avenue spa in New York in 1941 becoming one of the first woman owned businesses and the inspiration for the spa industry as we know it today. Over the years she grew to open 12 major spas in cities like Beverly Hills, Chicago, Dallas, Bal Harbor and more. She was known for randomly stopping people in the street and giving them advise on how to take better care of their skin. If you would have walked into one of her spas you were sure to meet someone famous and important. Names like Nancy Reagan, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Hillary Clinton, Nicole Kidman, Jamie Lee Curtis, the members of KISS, as well as everyday men and women looking for good quality skin care. It’s no wonder the NY Times called her “The Dean of Skin Care”.

It’s amazing that you’re carrying on Georgette’s legacy, how has the brand changed throughout the years? 

We’ve tried to be as true as we can to Georgette’s original philosophy and legacy. At the same time, we realize that we must keep up with the changing times and adapt to today’s consumer needs. Good skin care is everlasting but we have updated our formulas to now be paraben free, dye free, vegan and in many cases gluten free and fragrance free without sacrificing their efficacy.

“I make sure I try every product before it’s launched to make sure it is up to our standards and one that customers will be satisfied to use.”

How does Georgette Klinger source their ingredients? 

We only deal with high quality suppliers that adhere to strictest guidelines to make sure our ingredients are sustainably and ethically sourced from all over the world. 

What is your night-time skincare routine? 

I have a very simple routine at night but I make sure that I adhere to it religiously. I cleanse and tone to remove all the dirt from the day with our Honey Cleansing Gel and our Rose Clarifying Toner and then add our Stem Cell Night Cream for a little moisture and hydration while I sleep.

What are your go-to Georgette Klinger products? 

Obviously the three that I just mentioned but I also love to use our Volcanic Mineral Scrub twice a week to exfoliate dead skin. I don’t break out as much as I used to but when I do I use the Charcoal Drying Lotion to get rid of that occasional whitehead. One of the things I enjoy most is walking into our lab and seeing what is in development and taking some home with me to test. I make sure I try every product before it’s launched to make sure it is up to our standards and one that customers will be satisfied to use. 

Do you see Georgette Klinger expanding with different products — possibly makeup?

Georgette believed that “our pores need to breathe freely” and that one should “keep their skin perfect so you can show it off naked”. Our focus currently is on skin care but we know that makeup is an important part of people’s routines. With that in mind we have and will continue to focus on skin care formulas that can add benefits for makeup once it is applied. Formulas like our Marula Primer that hydrate and moisturize the skin while helping keep makeup on or any of our Facial Mists that do double duty as makeup setting sprays as well.  

Regarding expanding with different products, Georgette was the first to introduce that one should take care of their scalp just as importantly as their face since oils from the scalp transfer to hair and then to the skin on the face causing breakouts and other problems. Our lab is currently developing hair care formulas that would be beneficial not only for hair but the scalp as well that we hope to launch sometime later this year. 

How do you believe the introduction of sustainable beauty options has affected the market and consumers? 

Consumers today have become much more educated and looking for ways to live a healthier lifestyle. From the foods they eat to products they put on their skin, consumers are demanding that companies develop ingredients and products that can meet what they are looking for to enhance that lifestyle while at the same time making sure our planet and environment remain clean and safe. I believe we will continue to see tremendous growth and innovation in this area in the next few years.

“Fads come and go but good skin care requires common sense and patient care.”

What Georgette Klinger products would you recommend to someone with dry skin? 

Dry skin requires a high degree of nourishment and moisturization. They should be using our Coconut Cleansing Milk together with the Bio Nourishing Toner followed with either the Collagen & Elastin Moisturizer or the Stem Cell Moisturizer. The Age Defense Eye Cream containing 5 essential plant oils is great for the delicate under eye area and then 2-3 times a week they should mask with our Collagen & Elastin Mask.

How is Georgette Klinger different from other skincare brands? 

Unfortunately, consumers today are enticed and bombarded with a myriad of products from many brands all promising the latest and greatest products to produce instant results. Our formulas are developed using very high levels of active ingredients that over time will produce amazing visible results. Fads come and go but good skin care requires common sense and patient care. We don’t promise overnight miracles but we do promise that regular use of our formulas will result in years of clean, healthy, vibrant looking skin. Georgette Klinger is trusted, dependable, proven skin care.

What has been your most memorable moment with Georgette Klinger? 

I am truly blessed and lucky to be in this position. Throughout the years there have been many memorable moments but the ones that still take my breath away are always the emails and letters I receive from customers with their personal stories of how our products solved their skin problems and helped them regain their confidence and self-esteem.