If you have seen the Beckham documentary series on Netflix, you will remember the now infamous scene in which Victoria announces to David that she is off to work. “I am off to the fashion factory kids!” she says. “Where are you really going?” her husband replies. “… For a facial,” she concedes. As it turns out, that “facial” really was work. Because behind the scenes, while shooting the documentary, Victoria was meeting with longtime friend and celebrity facialist, Melanie Grant, to work on a secret project that has been two years in the making.
Elevating the art of double cleansing, it comprises a Daily Cleansing Oil and Daily Lactic Acid Gel Cleanser, both formulated in Japan and the result of hours of conversations between the two while VB was on Melanie’s treatment bed. “Melanie and I often talked about finding the perfect cleanser,” says Beckham, speaking exclusively to Vogue. “And everything we both tried was never perfect, there was always something we wanted to change, whether the texture, the system or the ingredients. So the product development process on this particular product was truly done during facials! We wanted to find the ultimate cleansing protocol and I believe in collaborating with the best for my brand, and Melanie is that. She is such an expert on skin – so much so that I trust her with mine.”
This isn’t her first foray into skincare – Beckham first launched products in collaboration with Augustinus Bader, the Cell Rejuvenating Priming Moisturiser followed by the Cell Rejuvenating Power Serum. But it was actually Grant, who is a close friend of the brand, who introduced the mogul to Professor Bader, so it was only right that Beckham’s next skincare launch should be born out of a partnership between the two friends.
Grant has long spoken of her love of double cleansing, and can often be found extolling the virtues of regular exfoliation. “Cleanser was the obvious choice for us because Victoria already has an amazing serum and two great moisturisers,” she says. “So this was the missing link, and I think it’s a great way to bridge her make-up with skincare. Cleansers often get overlooked and there is often this preconceived notion that it just gets washed down the drain, so what’s the point in investing in a good one? But on the contrary, if you are not using a good cleanser it can really impact the skin, and you’re not really setting yourself up for success with the following products you apply. I would never perform a facial or treatment without a double cleanse – it’s the foundation for everything.”
Why launch two cleansers instead of one? “It may seem like a simple product, but Melanie has taught me the importance of getting the cleansing part of your skincare routine right, and how that really makes a difference to all the further skincare products you apply after,” Beckham says. “What I like about having two cleansers is that it makes me think about my skin in the morning and at night. ‘How does my skin feel? What does my skin need?’ And then I tailor my cleanser or double cleanse routine to suit this.”
After years of enjoying Grant’s rituals in her clinic, Beckham admits that she is now just as fastidious at home too. “In the morning I use the Daily Oil Cleanser – normally just once. It refreshes my skin ahead of applying my serum and moisturiser, and leaves my skin feeling comfortable. At night, I start with the Daily Oil Cleanser to take off my make-up from the day. I try to allow a few minutes for this step and include a light facial massage. I then use the Daily Lactic Acid Cleanser as my second cleanse, on clean skin. I adore that I can feel this product working. It feels like an active cleanse, but [most importantly] it does not irritate my skin.” Grant adds: “It’s important to elevate that at-home cleansing experience too.”
“I never like to launch a product into a crowded category that feels the same as what is out there,” Beckham concludes. “I like to have a point of view. In my make-up products this may be a shade I’ve been missing, or even the packaging, as this can make a difference on the control and how you apply the product. With skincare we are really taking our time to launch products that feel different, and I what really enjoy in this category is bringing in expertise, and collaborating with the best for that product.”
She is taking over the skincare factory, kids. And that is a fact.
The Cleansing Protocol costs £100 and will be available to buy on 22 February.
This article was originally published on British Vogue.
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