SK-II Brand Ambassadors Discovery Tour

SK-II brand ambassadors were recently invited on a unique discovery experience of the one and only Pitera™. In the first-ever Discovery Tour hosted by the prestige skincare brand’s longest-standing ambassador Kaori Momoi in Japan. Following the journey that led to SK-II’s discovery of its signature ingredient, loyal celebrity users Lim Soo Jung, Jeab Sopidnapa, Susan Bachtiar and Kate Bosworth – the brand’s newest faces – traced the story of Pitera™ – from its origins to its latest findings.

A Chance Observation

A story that began over 30 years ago, Pitera™’s discovery stemmed from a chance observation of the soft, youthful hands of elderly sake brewers. At the Event Hall Of Kobe Shushinkan Brewery which has over 250 years of heritage in sake brewing, the brand ambassadors heard this unique story from Takashi Yoshii, one of the scientists from the original research team.

Also known as the “Master of Pitera™”, Takashi Yoshii recounted his personal version of how SK-II chanced upon the precious ingredient: starting from the team’s vision to uncover a new ingredient to the chance observation at a sake brewery to the research into hundreds of yeast strains and fermentation conditions.

First bottle of Facial Treatment Essence

Off the back of Pitera™’s discovery, SK-II’s Facial Treatment Essence was born. On display was the very first bottle of the iconic essence – the bottle that launched a new category of beauty essences when it was introduced in 1980.

Also on the theme of discovery, the brand’s very first ambassador Kaori Momoi shared passionately about her personal story of discovering SK-II and Pitera™. A loyal SK-II user of over 20 years, she highlighted the miracle moments in her journey with Pitera™ that have kept her so devoted to the brand.

SK-II Ambassadors Susan Bachtiar (left) and Jean Sopidnapa (right)

A Precious Miracle

Pitera™’s delicate balance of minerals, amino acids, vitamins and organics is so close to the skin’s Natural Moisturising Factors that we are born with, which is one of the very qualities that make it so precious and one of its kind. The brand ambassadors got hands-on at the Kobe Innovation Center, the research and development think-tank of P&G, as they learnt more about Pitera™’s unique qualities.

Through a series of simple demonstrations led by Taro Yamaguchi, Scientific Communication Manager, SK-II Global, and scientific experts Hiroyuki Kudoh, Xianghong Yan and Akiko Nakajima, the ambassadors experienced first-hand the multiple benefits of Pitera™ and its action on skin.

SK-II Ambassador Momoi San

A Power like No Other

Since it was discovered by researchers in 1970s, Pitera™ has earned a reputation as a powerful ingredient for skin, transforming it across multiple dimensions to crystal clarity. Facial Treatment Essence is the only essence with the highest concentration of Pitera™, at over 90 percent.

SK-II goes to great lengths to ensure every drop of Pitera™ produced is of the same, optimal quality, as the brand ambassadors discovered. A perfectly controlled process – essentially unchanged for over 30 years – and stringent protocols are designed to provide only the most ideal environment to cultivate the natural derivation of Pitera™, a testament to the uncompromising dedication that goes into crafting this precious ingredient.

SK-II’s newest global Ambassador, Kate Bosworth

The Discovery Continues

As part of Sk-II’s ongoing and intimate dialogue on skin, the luxe skincare brand also delved into its latest research discoveries. For that, the groundbreaking Akita Study, a first-of-its-kind research that traced the skin biology of over 100 women across a decade, was the focal point.

SK-II Principal Scientist Dr. Kukizo Miyamoto who spearheaded the research also revealed new findings that proved a four-step Pitera™ regimen can reset the clock and deliver crystal clear skin. With sunscreen and three key products from each of SK-II’s core boutiques, the 86 women who participated in the study had shown visible improvements of up to 90 percent across the dimensions of texture, radiance, firmness, spot control and wrinkle resilience within a year.

The Akita Study comes as part of SK-II’s continued commitment to deliver on its promise of crystal clear skin, a vision that Markus Strobel, Vice President, Global SK-II, reiterated during an intimate luncheon with the brand’s ambassadors. Joined by nearly 100 top beauty editors and guests from across the world, the ambassadors toasted to redefining the future of women’s skin through new discoveries.