Humanrace is Your Shortcut to Pharrell-Worthy Skin

July 27 | 3 minute read

Words by Julia Lubitz

Dr Elena Jones talks to MECCA about working with Pharrell Williams, the philosophy behind Humanrace and the brand’s signature three-minute facial.

“As we all know, Pharrell has a genius creative vision in all that he touches,” Dr Elena Jones tells MECCA. As his personal dermatologist for the past 20 years, Jones would know better than the rest of us mere observers of Pharrell. The multihyphenate’s universe spans entire solar systems rotating around fashion, music, design and now, beauty. With Humanrace, the skincare line he created and formulated alongside Jones, Pharrell distils his longtime devotion to skin, health and wellbeing into rituals and self-care for all.

“The name Humanrace says everything you need to know,” Pharrell tells MECCA. “It’s universal. We make tools for living well – for everyone. Everything we create has to have a purpose, it has to perform, and it has to make you feel good. For me, that’s what Humanrace is about: taking better care of yourself, so you can show up better for everything around you.”

“I am honoured to work as the Chief Dermatologist of Humanrace’s skincare line,” Jones says. “[Pharrell]’s vision was to create a skincare line focused on skin health and wellbeing that championed the best ingredients for the most efficacious results.” It’s a rather down-to-earth pursuit for someone who seems to operate in another realm – but that’s just the kind of human insight Pharrell has that touches millions, whether it’s music that makes us truly Happy, design that sets international trends or simplified skincare for all types. “He encourages and pushes all with whom he works to think outside of the box. If an idea can be thought of, it should be pursued,” says Jones. Their collaboration comes down to mutual impact. “He has always been health-conscious, healthy ingredient-driven yet always curious about how science can be pushed to the limits in terms of maximising physical, mental and health-conscious living.”

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Dr Elena Jones, Chief Dermatologist of Humanrace.

“My skin philosophy is rooted in dedication and putting in the work to take care of my skin,” Pharrell says. It makes sense then that one of the brand’s key tenets is consistency. “Consistency is what achieves visible results. We all must give our routines time to not only achieve the results but also to be able to see the results of our persistent and consistent work,” explains Jones. Building upon this is Humanrace’s Three-Minute Facial Routine Kit: the trio of Rice Powder Cleanser, Lotus Enzyme Exfoliator and Humidifying Face Cream that eliminates the need for complex, multi-step routines. “The three-minute facial grew out of the need to emphasise that taking a moment for your skincare is ultimately about taking those few moments for yourself on a daily basis to follow a simple yet consistent routine,” says Jones. In terms of the shelf appeal, it’s worth noting that the packaging has braille for people with impaired vision and a signature green colour to remain gender neutral, adding to its inclusivity.

Utilising naturally-derived ingredients was also intentional: “Our goal at Humanrace was to highlight natural, clean, vegan and cruelty-free botanicals and ingredients that provide unique properties,” says Jones. Breaking it down by hero ingredient, Jones explains: “Lotus leaf has brightening, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Snow mushroom has superior hydrating properties due to its small size and ability to readily penetrate the skin. The superpowers of rice powder are that it is a gentle physical exfoliant that does not create irritating micro tears in the skin.”

If Jones had to choose a favourite (“how do you ask a mum to choose her favourite child?” she quips), it would have to be the one she’s using on high rotation right now. “I cannot live without the 7D Mystifying Gel Moisturizer. My face, neck and hands look forward to the daily glow and hydration of the gel moisturiser.”

We certainly look forward to feeling like Pharrell Williams for three minutes a day.