These days, it’s no longer strange to see men poring over labels of lotions, cosmetics, and grooming products in the beauty aisle. As men’s makeup and grooming products become increasingly accepted, beauty brands are also becoming more gender-inclusive.

One pioneer of this trend is Pietro Simone – beauty guru and founder of his eponymous gender-neutral skincare brand, which is launching online in Hong Kong this September. We talk to Simone about everything from beauty tips for men to his unique metaphor and brand concept where he sees skin as “the theatre of life.”

What inspired you to create your own line of skincare?

My inspiration is based on a true beauty approach. I witnessed the women in my life applying creams and serums, and was fascinated by how confident and happy they were when doing so. It was from this young stage that I knew my passion, motivation and dedication was in the beauty world.

Are your products geared towards men, women, or both genders? 

My brand works into the skin so it’s for every man and woman. But I’m also working on advanced formulations for both men and women’s skin too.

Your brand takes pride in using natural active ingredients. Why is it important for you to focus on natural ingredients, and are they as effective? 

We use mostly natural ingredients as well as biotechnological, plant-derived ingredients. Thankfully, we can see the evolution of sustainability and a natural approach every day. Clean science and awareness are paramountly important to me. I use biotechnological ingredients because the results are the pinnacle of my method. However,  I truly believe that cleaner beauty is best for us, the environment and mostly for our skin.

You trace back to your Italian roots by using, for example, stem cells of edelweiss flowers in Northern Italy and grape-seed oil found in Tuscany. Tell us more about the process of finding these natural ingredients? 

I love my country and our traditions.  Due to work, I’ve had the privilege to travel all over my country since I was 19 years old. As a result of this, I had the chance to meet incredible people and discover the powerful ingredients that I wanted to use in my formulations. 

Besides women, men are becoming more in-tune with their skin now. Why do you think there are more men who are taking skincare routines more seriously now?

I believe there’s a vast number of men in the past 10 years that are taking care of the skin; they have understood that there isn’t anything wrong in having healthy skin. We live in a society where we want to look good and I highly encourage men to take better care of their skin. It’s not only important for the health of your skin but something great to share with with your loved ones or friends.

Can you give us two tips for men’s skincare?

1. Men should use both a cleanser and moisturiser – both day and night!

2. Stay hydrated, as it’s very beneficial for your skins. It improves the skin texture, reduces inflammation and redness, and even ingrown hairs.

How has COVID-19 affected your business overall? 

COVID-19 has made me evolve. I increased the level of safety in my clinic and digitalised my skincare offering one-on-one Zoom/online sessions, but I also took time to reflect on myself, my dream and my business. I spent a lot of time listening to what my clients were interested in. 

How do you see the beauty/skincare industry grow going forward? 

Clients are now more aware of what they are putting into their skin, which leads to the need for greater transparency in skincare. The industry is evolving with more specific formulas and stronger marketing, which I really hope will be based on true client needs and results versus just promising miracles.

Your overarching philosophy is that skin is “the theatre of life”, thus why each collection is arranged in “acts”. Can you elaborate on this concept? 

“The skin is the theatre of life” means that our skin reflects what’s inside of our bodies, and this is affected by things like our lifestyle, stress and diet. Other than it being a nice metaphor, it makes it simpler for our clients to understand and remember the ordering of each product when they’re labelled as “acts”.

Shop Pietro Simone online here and enjoy 10% off your order with the code ‘PLS10SP‘ upon checkout.

See also: Vitamin C skincare: Why you need it and the products to try