For over three decades, Richard Parker has quietly reshaped the skincare landscape – not by chasing trends, but by combining his background as a chemist and classical musician to craft formulations that protect, repair, and celebrate natural beauty. From healing his own sun-damaged skin to pioneering personalised rituals backed by genetic insights, Parker’s Rationale brand has become a global beacon of innovation and radiant skin. Here’s why his approach to “topical skin nutrition” is the must-know secret for your healthiest glow yet.
The Start
I was a competitive swimmer through high school and university, so by my early twenties I had serious sun damage from constant outdoor training. Once I qualified as a chemist, I was able to experiment on my own skin, identifying active ingredients and creating formulations that were able to [target] the sun damage and help protect my skin from further solar damage. I discovered that 80 per cent of facial ageing is caused by the sun so I decided to dedicate my career to developing the most advanced formulations for solar protection and repair. Those early experiments became the basis of the Rationale Essential Six Formulations.
Prescribed Rituals
The Essential Six is like the perfect diet or nutritional plan for skin. It consists of topical vitamins, minerals, proteins and lipids that help protect skin during the day and repair at night. Three steps in the morning to help with immune, antioxidant and solar protection, and three steps at night to support the skin’s barrier, a healthy pH level and rejuvenation. We call this concept “Topical Skin Nutrition”.
Creative Synergy
Music and chemistry both involve creative problem-solving, resulting in a physical manifestation of beauty. The commitment to the daily discipline of research, experimentation, determination and sheer hard work are common to my training as a formulation scientist and a classical musician. One strengthens the other, and I am so thankful for this synergy that has enabled me to create so many industry innovations.
The Ethos
Healthy, glowing skin is achievable at any age, but it’s a moving target. The effects of the environment, genetics and age all play a part and need to be factored into your customised regimen. Rationale deploys genetic testing [via a buccal swab] to discover your inherent strengths and weaknesses then creates a customised skincare ritual to meet all your skin’s needs. But the end result is always our signature glow!
Must-try
I usually like to start new clients on #1 The Serum and #6 The Night Crème for overnight repair.
The Highlight
Every day, clients write to tell me about their skin transformation and the positive change in their lives when their skin glows with health. It’s my most treasured reward.
The Frontier
Our clients expect perpetual innovation and upgrades of their Rationale formulations and treatments. We evaluate the medical evidence for new ingredients and devices and incorporate these into our offerings. Two recent examples are the upgrade of our iconic #6 The Night Crème with three forms of vitamin A and the introduction of our EpiNova Express Facial that delivers visible improvements in just 45 minutes for those who are time poor and need rapid results.
