When Lena Korres worked as a chemical engineer in the ’90s, she recalls a beauty landscape dominated by conglomerates. Giants like L’Oréal, Estée Lauder, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, and Coty controlled nearly all household personal care brands and often sold products that relied on harsh, synthetic ingredients (to ensure affordability, longer shelf lives, and consistency). Few independent skincare brands existed, and when it came to products made with natural ingredients, the options were just as scarce, she says.
Hoping to fill a gap in the market, Korres and her husband Giorgos, a chemist, launched their namesake skincare brand in Athens, inspired by traditional Greek remedies and ingredients. “Because we worked in a herbal homeopathic pharmacy, we knew herbal ingredients inside and out,” says Korres. The brand — which rejects heavily curated, quick-fix trends in favor of deliberate, slower paced rituals centered around wellness, skin health and authenticity — has steadily expanded, generating around $150 million in annual revenue and distributing in over 50 countries through major retailers like Sephora, Boots, and Ulta Beauty.
This month, Korres celebrates three decades in business, its longevity a testament to the enduring appeal of the Mediterranean. Already, fashion brands have been capitalizing on Euro summer and channeling the romantic Riviera lifestyle to drive sales. Now, beauty brands founded in the region — such as Rowse, In Aéras, and Furtuna Skin — are gaining global traction for their minimally processed, plant-based products and holistic approaches to wellness.
What the Mediterranean does differently
Growing interest in Mediterranean beauty aligns with the popularity of the Mediterranean diet, which has been the top expert-recommended diet in the US for seven consecutive years, according to a report from the US News and World. Many of the world’s oldest populations also live in or around the Mediterranean, with countries like Spain, Italy and Greece consistently boasting some of the highest global life expectancies — an achievement often attributed to diet, as well as active lifestyles and strong community networks.
Mediterranean aesthetics also appear to be more widely adopted, with the current summer beauty standard favoring a relaxed, sun-drenched look, with faux or real freckles, a radiant tan (real or faux) and effortlessly tousled hair. Hawaiian Tropic’s latest campaign, for example, features a sun-kissed Alix Earle, or the visual identity of brands like Rhode and Summer Fridays, which often feature skin-first complexions, wet-look hair and warm outdoor lighting that evoke an aspirational, vacation-ready feel. Shoppers, it seems, are responding. “This is so fun and cute. I’m sold on buying more Hawaiian Tropic products,” reads one of the top comments on Hawaiian Tropic’s video with Earle on TikTok, which has been liked by other users 807 times to date; the video itself has over 11,000 likes.
Meanwhile, the rise of Mediterranean beauty also coincides with the “touch grass” movement, which first emerged as viral Gen Z internet slang, telling chronically online individuals to step away from their screens. “The origins of the phrase were somewhat self-deprecating,” says Louise Yems, strategy director at The Digi Fairy, a youth culture and insights agency. “It was a reality check for people who were always online and that was detrimental in various regards. But it has become a tongue-in-cheek cure-all antithesis for the ills of the constant churn of the algorithm.”
Indeed, the trend has since evolved into a legitimate wellness movement, with people actively recalibrating their relationship with technology and seeking out beauty solutions that feel grounded, unhurried, and sensorial. “Ironically, the touch grass lifestyle became very visually appealing on social media,” says Yems, because “a lot of it speaks to a life spent in nature, in community, in peace. Somewhat therein lies your parallels with the Mediterranean lifestyle.” The proliferation of the term has also led to an expansion of its definition, she adds. “It’s now become a catch-all term for broadly spending time IRL and community experiences.”
