Helena Rubinstein

Paulene L.

Do you notice that there seems to be a renaissance happening in the beauty industry? From YouTube videos to Instagram, from subscription boxes to recommendations care of your friends, everyone is raving about this and that new beauty brand that suits their changing lifestyle—whether that’s minimalism, organic, vegan, luxury, and the like, pretty sure there are beauty products and services that are right for you.

The craze over beauty brands is understandable because it is close to a necessity—which is taking care of one’s self. You need products to keep your skin healthy, protecting it from pollution and other environmental extremes. And honestly, whether that is skincare or makeup, every time you put them on, you feel instantly better and pampered. One beauty brand that is synonyms to empowering women over the years is Helena Rubinstein.

Created by a woman for women

Helena Rubinstein
image via HelenaRubinstein.com

Having exceeded 100 years of marvelous skincare and beauty products, Helena Rubinstein first started in 1902 when its namesake and founder established a beauty salon, the Valaze House of Beauty in Australia, after many locals asked about her complexion and for beauty tips.

Born in a Jewish Ghetto in Krakow, it was her move to the land down under that opened doors for her. To solve what was requested of her, she eventually found the perfect formula for the face cream her mother packed in her suitcase, and shared her first tips for skincare. She noted the importance of wind and sun protection, skin moisturizers, and of course, enough rest and sleep.

From there, Helena Rubinstein expanded to Saint Cloud and built a factory there. More makeup items such as a blusher and tinted powder were afterwards produced as well. A New York salon was opened before the First World War. Even after the 1929 Wall Street Crash and two World Wars, the beauty brand not only survived, but also opened a beauty institute that supplied beauty advisers in the stores.

Interested to solve beauty concerns

image via HelenaRubinstein.com

One of Helena Rubinstein’s defining qualities is genuinely wanting to address women beauty issues through science, and pioneering solutions doing so. In 1912, the brand introduced a skin classification system to provide tailored skincare when the founder realized that English and Australian women had different skin concerns. This was a new and revolutionary approach during the time.

The brand also initiated the idea of having expert beauty consultants. Helena Rubinstein was first to see and leverage trends. By the time the society was ready for makeup (it was initially vilified), the brand already invented waterproof and automatic mascara in 1958.

Produced science-backed products

Helena Rubinstein Products
Image: © Igor Monsigna

It was Helena Rubinstein’s passion for constant improvement and innovation that enabled it to last and still be present today. Even after L’Oréal bought it in 1988, the brand continued its tradition of science-backed beauty creations.

Since 2008, Helena Rubinstein has been working closely with Laclinic-Montreux, enabling it to offer cosmetic surgery and aesthetic medicine. Together, it pioneered the first skincare cream with plant stem cells in 2010, as well as the made-to-measure L’Oréal Luxe, an innovative Re-Plasty prescription in 2014. Currently, Helena Rubinstein can be bought in selected stores in Americas, Europe, and Asia.

Helena Rubinstein challenged the notion that there is only one standard of beauty. Quite ahead of its time, it was the brand’s passion to democratize beauty and make it more inclusive that not only made it successful, but also empowered many women over the years. Similar today, when the beauty industry is undergoing rapid shifts, trying to cater to women’s varying and changing needs, Helena Rubinstein is a true testament of resilience—one that listens to women and actually provides what they want and need—with class and flair. For the brand, “while effective science and medicine are at the service of beauty, pleasure is still at the heart of it.”


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