LONDON — Richard Parker, founder of the award-winning brand Rationale, is ready to trumpet his sun-busting, skin-boosting message to the U.K. and beyond, with an exclusive launch at Harrods of the brand’s six-step program.

If that sounds dull or time-consuming, it isn’t. Parker’s skin care products are light-touch and multi-tasking. They protect against sun, and aim to reverse damage from too much exposure to the elements and from aging.

Rationale’s routine involves three quick steps in the morning, a light cream and two serums, one of which is enhanced with SPF50+. The early-day routine is meant to support skin immune function using ingredients such as a vitamin B complex, and to offer environmental and sun protection with zinc oxide, melanin and iron oxides.

In the evening, there’s a cleanser, a serum and a night cream. They are meant to enhance the skin’s barrier function using ceramides and lipids; to recalibrate pH with hydroxy acids and peptides, and to bolster cellular renewal using vitamin A.

All the bottles have big colored numbers on the labels to ensure all the steps are clear.  

Rationale has been around for 40 years, and has become a cult product in Australia, a world capital of skin cancer. The products are manufactured in-house in Kyneton, Victoria, where Rationale has a campus that includes a research laboratory, production and training facilities. 

In Australia, the brand also a network of 15 flagship clinics that also offer treatments.

Over the past few years, Rationale has begun to expand internationally and is sold in the U.S. at Bloomingdale’s, Saks, Neiman Marcus and through doctors’ offices. Parker said he’s looking to establish flagship clinics, similar to the ones in Australia, in locations including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Outside Australia, Rationale has partnered with skin care clinics that offer specialist facials using the award-winning products. In 2024, the brand’s “#3 The Tinted Serum SPF50+” was voted Best Serum with SPF at the inaugural Oprah Daily Sun O-wards. It is a go-to brand for Australian dermatologists and plastic surgeons whose patients have sensitive or damaged skin.

“This has been my life’s work, and it’s time to take our story to the world,” said Parker, who early in his career was able to harness the protective powers of zinc oxide and spin them into lightweight protective “super-fluids.” He built out the range, which aims to offer 360-degree skin support by boosting immunity, caring for the biome and bolstering the body’s natural repair mechanisms.

“I’m not a huge fan of very aggressive chemical peels and lasers, and while I’m not against surgery, I just think presenting it as a first option is not viable. Around 80 percent of facial ageing is caused by the sun, and people think the damage is irreversible, but with time and effort and money, you can reverse it,” Parker said.

“We prefer the safe, slow, natural way, which is every day, every night, doing the right things. When you repair your sun damage and prevent more damage, you get this glow to your skin and that can last your whole life,” he added.

Abigail Prince, skin care and hair care buyer at Harrods, described Rationale as a “super interesting concept,” and one that will appeal to customers, “who are increasingly well educated when it comes to ingredients and formulations. They are seeking science-backed results, and we feel Rationale addresses those needs.”

The brand launches at Harrods exclusively this week will be stocked on the fifth floor in the Harrods Hair & Beauty salon, and on the store’s website.