The things we inherit - A conversation with Kelly Landry on simplicity, scent, and the skincare wisdom that passes quietly between generations.

We kick off our 'Generations' theme at Saya with the wonderful Kelly Landry.

Some of the most enduring lessons in skincare don't come from an aesthetician or a shelf full of actives. They come from watching your mother at her mirror. 

For Kelly Landry, model, television personality, and mother of daughters, that lesson was elegantly simple. Less is more. It's the kind of wisdom that sounds obvious until you've spent a decade doing the opposite.

We sat down with Kelly to talk about the rituals she inherited, the ones she's passing on, and why the most considered approach to skin is often the quietest one.

What are your early memories of watching your mum take care of her skin?

My mum was pretty chill and had a very simple skincare routine. One of the things she definitely passed down is less is more. The more you overcomplicate your skincare and add lots of active products, too much for your skin, your skin has the tendency to freak out and go, yeah, no, thank you. She always kept it really simple, and I've always kept it really simple too.

Was there a product, a smell, a ritual that felt like it belonged to her?

She used to use Oil of Ulan back in the day, which is now Oil of Olay, and that had a very signature smell about it. Every time I smell it, it definitely reminds me of my mum.

Did she ever explain why she did what she did, or was it just something you absorbed?

It was mostly something that I absorbed. And then I think with the industries I went on to work in, I learnt a lot about really complicating things, and then came back to the real simplicity of skincare. I think that's probably the most important thing. Less is definitely more.

Is there something you do for your skin that you hope your daughters will remember one day?

I consciously choose products that are more on the cleaner side of things, and I try to educate them to make really conscious choices about what they're putting on their skin. The types of chemicals, the types of ingredients. Because unfortunately, with so much consumerism around beauty products and so many skincare routines constantly being posted, I really try to educate them to make informed decisions and not just follow trends.

Three generations. One quiet truth. The ritual that stays is always the one that was honest to begin with.

At Saya, we've spent more than 20 years formulating around exactly this idea. Considered ingredients, uncompromising formulas, nothing that doesn't earn its place. For the women who taught you what care looks like, and the ones watching you now, we've built three ritual sets. Each one is designed for a different decade of skin, each one made to be felt rather than just used.

Explore the Saya Generations Ritual Sets