Sarah Michelle Gellar Fronts Horror Film-Inspired Campaign to Make Retinol Less Frightening (Exclusive)

Sarah Michelle Gellar hears an ominous sound.

Curious, no, worried, she follows the eerie noise.

It’s a classic setting for some of the most popular horror movie scenes. But thanks to the philosophy, this plot has an interesting twist in skin care.

When Gellar does scream, he quickly realizes that he has nothing to fear.

“Oh! This isn’t a scary movie,” she says. “It’s just retinol.”

Sarah Michelle Gellar stars in the Philosophy campaign.

Sara Jaye Weiss

The Buffy the Vampire Slayer The alum, 47, teamed up with the brand to launch its new Ultimate Miracle Worker face and neck cream to address people’s fears about introducing retinol into their routines.

The new campaign, spearheaded by Gellar, includes a horror short film directed by Joe Pernice and shot by renowned horror cinematographer Jason Krangel.

With this new cream, Gellar says the MVP skincare ingredient “doesn’t have to be R-rated.”

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The star, who appeared in such nail snacks as I know what you did last summer, scream 2 and The Grudgeshe had no trepidation about cooperation in the campaign.

“When they came up with the idea for it, it sounded like a lot of fun,” she says. “Obviously, I think people know that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays.”

Her love for the brand also prompted her to team up. “When I was a teenager, all I wanted was every bath product from Philosophy,” she says. “My daughter is now at that stage [where] she’s obsessed with philosophy and says, ‘Mom, you need to learn about this.’ I’m like, ‘Oh girl, I’ve known about it for 20 years.’ It’s always interesting when a brand you’ve trusted for a long time develops other products.”

A philosophical campaign.

Courtesy broken seal

Gellar describes herself as “late” to the retinol game. “I’ve always been very simple in my routine. I always kind of live by: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. So I started retinol maybe a few years ago.”

She continues: “It’s so interesting to watch this generation, they are much more obsessed with skincare and their skin will be much better than ours! My generation, a lot of us are playing catch-up.”

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Retinol is a type of retinoid derived from vitamin A. All retinoids accelerate cell turnover to retexturize the skin. (Benefits include reduction of wrinkles and acne.) Due to its lower concentration of retinoic acid, retinol does not require a prescription and is a popular choice for wrinkle-smoothing moisturizers such as the new Philosophy cream.

However, retinol has a bad reputation for skin sensitisation. “I think there’s this idea that retinol is so intense that it peels off the skin. That’s one of the myths they’re trying to dispel, that you can [use] retinol, you still get the results you need without burning your face,” says Gellar.

So the brand blended its pure retinol complex with nourishing and hydrating ingredients like ceramides, peptides, glycerin, shea butter and squalene to create a formula that can be used daily without irritation.

Sarah Michelle Gellar stars in the Philosophy campaign.

Sara Jaye Weiss

While Gellar may have only recently been using an MVP skincare product, she’s had some skincare rituals for years.

“One thing I’ve always been good at is removing makeup. My kids know, as soon as I walk in the door, there are two things I can’t wait to do other than hug them, obviously, and that’s put on sweats and wash my face.”

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“I think it came from growing up in New York where you didn’t always feel the cleanest. As soon as I get in, I like to wash my face. Even when I’m shooting, I like to wash up after lunch. Some makeup artists are horrified by it because it’s like you have to reapply, but I’d rather give my skin a moment to breathe and get some moisture back.”

The star also concentrated on her neck and neck for a long time. “That’s something my make-up artist with 110 years of experience taught me. So from moisturizer to sunscreen, whatever I used, I always cut it all the way down.”

A philosophical campaign.

Courtesy broken seal

Retinol doesn’t give Gellar stage fright, but there’s something she’s slowly warming up to: lasers. “I’m just learning to use them. I think I was always afraid of anything that would change my face. I don’t want to be one of those pictures where you wonder, ‘What did that woman do to her face?’ So I’m starting to experiment with them a little bit more and it’s amazing what you can do.”

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In addition to the new campaign, throughout the month of October, Philosophy is giving away 1,000 Rated R Fandango promo codes redeemable for movie tickets (up to $17 including fees) along with a free full-size sample of its new Ultimate Miracle Worker Face and Neck Cream.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education