We love Kate Middleton. Actually it could be defined more as an obsession. We’ve had long office discussions about her wardrobe, her hair, her baby bumps and how annoyingly wonderfully perfect she is. And she is perfect. Of course that perfection is more readily obtained with an arsenal of royal stylists, estheticians, designers and beauticians at your beck and call. But given the right tools, it shouldn’t be too hard to snag a little of that Middleton magic for ourselves—right?
In an attempt to pull off Middleton’s look, we turned to one of her favorite skincare lines, Karin Herzog. While the palace likes to keep mum about the Duchess’ beauty routine—especially since she’s rumored to spend almost $200,000 AUD (approx. $147,000 USD) a year on her image—it’s no secret she’s obsessed with this brand, and we can kind of see why. The Swiss label specializes in stabilized active oxygen skincare which can result in clearer, younger-looking skin. Kate is a fan of the Oxygen Face Cream, the Vita-A-Kombi 1 cream treatment, the Professional Cleaning and Vita-A-Kombi 3 Spot Zapper in particular. The brand even has a Royal Oxygen Facial Set that is based on the Duchess’ pre-wedding beauty routine.
Founded over 40 years ago by Dr. Paul Herzog and his wife Karin, Karin Herzog was only realized after years of unsuccessful medical research. While the doctor worked tirelessly on his attempts to stabilize active oxygen for medical skin conditions (for which he won several patents and Nobel recognition), his wife, an esthetician, realized that his concoction could be used to revive aging skin. You’re probably thinking Kate is nowhere near aging, but it turns out that by the age of 25 the oxygen levels naturally found in our skin have already declined by up to 40 percent. Of course this number can vary depending on environmental and lifestyle factors like smoking, drinking, pollution or stress.
But what makes the products so unique is their use of active oxygen. They work with the aid of the chemical reactions in the oxygen molecules which have “microscopic explosions” and propel vital nutrients, oxygen and water to the deepest layers of the skin. Once there, they flush through the capillaries and help to boost collagen production and aid in the repair, regulation and normalization of vital skin functions. What makes this most interesting is that without devising a way to capture these molecules and stabilize the oxygen, they would naturally join together and evaporate. Dr. Herzog found a way to encapsulate each molecule to keep them in liquid form.
Even with all the active ingredients and scientifically-based formulas, most of the products are safe for baby, and Kate used them regularly during her pregnancies. “Throughout her first pregnancy, she was said to have temporarily switched to our Oxygen Face cream—it gave her the oxygenating benefits she looks for in her daily moisturizer (wrinkle reduction, clearer pores), but without the ingredients that could be harmful to her baby,” Rebecca Glaze, Marketing Director at Karin Herzog told JustLuxe. The only product they don’t recommend for moms-to-be is the Vita-A-Kombi 1 cream as it contains vitamin A, so Kate uses it between pregnancies.
In an attempt to capture some of Kate’s perfection for myself I decided to try out her skincare routine by putting three of her favorite products—Professional Cleaning, Vita-A-Kombi 1 and Oxygen Face Cream—to the test. When I first tried Karin Herzog’s products I quickly realized there was a bit of a learning curve. The cleansers are very European and are used without water; the lotions and treatments are smoothed on, not rubbed in, and nothing (aside from the cleanser) should touch your eyelashes or eyebrows as the ingredients can actually lighten hair over time. And, full disclosure, I was warned that my skin will get worse before it gets better, but I’m not sure I was quite ready for what was about to happen to my face.
I’ve been using Kate’s favorite products for about three weeks now and I confess, I look nothing like a duchess. I used all three products nightly and for the first week I had a few blemishes on my chin and cheek area and a few spots on my nose. I chalked it up to the products drawing out the impurities in my skin, much like a facial. After a few days they went away and my skin began to clear up and look much brighter and smoother—at least temporarily. My face is now glowy and clear, but my nose will not stop breaking out (I’m talking three or four spots on my nose at one time). I’ll admit a part of me has wanted to jump ship, but it has started to improve over the last couple of days and I know how great my skin can look if I can just push past that initial breakout.
If you’re looking for an instant fix, this isn’t the brand for you. But if you’re looking to permanently change your skin for the better remember it will take some time, effort and just a little bit of concealer. Even with the initial breakouts and blemishes, this is probably one of my favorite skincare products because you see results—it’s actually working and improving your complexion. There’s a visible difference, it just takes a little dedication to see it.
Karin Herzog is available online and priced from $37-$249.
