Together, SK-II and Eileen Gu champion Free to Bare—the belief that Bare Skin is Your Best Foundation, powered by its iconic Facial Treatment Essence

NEW YORK, Sept. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Global prestige skincare brand SK-II announces Eileen Gu, world champion freeskier, as its new Global Brand Ambassador, marking her first global skincare partnership and a new chapter for SK-II’s Free to Bare purpose, the belief that every woman should be free to bare her true self, in skin and in life, and live on her own terms.

For Eileen, being Free to Bare is not about fitting into a single definition of beauty. It is about having the freedom to choose. “It’s about how you want to show up on any given day. We’re all multifaceted, and different versions of ourselves can all be equally authentic,” said Eileen Gu, SK-II Global Brand Ambassador.

From elite athlete to global cultural icon, Eileen Gu has built her own path by embracing every facet of who she is. Whether competing on the slopes, walking fashion runways, pursuing academic ambitions or inspiring a new generation, she has stayed unapologetically herself.

THE FOUNDATION OF BARE SKIN STARTS WITH SK-II

At the heart of this partnership is a simple belief: The Foundation of Bare Skin Starts with SK-II. Bare skin is not about perfection. It is bare skin so good it becomes her best foundation — the foundation that lets her show up as herself, with makeup, or without.

“Partnering with SK-II is a fantastic fit for me because it’s all about the base, and the base is showing up exactly how you are, as who you are,” said Eileen Gu. “Healthy bare skin is the foundation upon which you can build. It doesn’t mean no makeup — having skin that makes you feel strong is the foundation for that too.”

“Eileen lives what SK-II believes. She has never asked permission to be all the things she is,” said Helene Bellamy, Senior Vice President and Global Brand Leader, SK-II. “Free to Bare is our purpose: we want every woman to feel free to live life on her own terms, with youthful looking bare skin. Bare skin so good it becomes her best foundation. Eileen brings that belief to life with unapologetic authenticity, and that is precisely why she is the right partner for us.”

Transformation to youthful looking bare skin is what SK-II’s Facial Treatment Essence is built to deliver. Known to millions of women across Asia as “Miracle Water”, the brand’s signature and most iconic essence is formulated with over 90% PITERA™ — SK-II’s exclusive, naturally derived ingredient, crafted from a proprietary yeast fermentation process that only SK-II owns. In a consumer assessment, women using SK-II Facial Treatment Essence reported a visibly transformed skin to softer, smoother, and firmer in 2 weeks.

Packed with over 50 micro-nutrients — vitamins, amino acids, minerals and organic acids — PITERA™ harnesses the vital force of nature and cannot be achieved artificially or synthetically. Because PITERA™ resembles skin’s Natural Moisturizing Factors, skin recognizes and welcomes Facial Treatment Essence, absorbing it quickly within skin surface and delivering all goodness². Applied with SK-II’s signature “pat pat” ritual, it transforms skin towards Youthful looking Bare Skin.

INTENTIONAL RITUALS TO LIVE AS THE FULLEST VERSION OF YOURSELF

Living as the fullest version of yourself. Her generation has a name for it: “Maxxing” — getting the most out of every day, and out of yourself. Eileen lives it across continents, time zones and some of the world’s most demanding environments, and she Maxxes her skin the way she Maxxes her life: intentionally.

One ritual, chosen with care and repeated with consistency, built on SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. It is how she invests in her best bare skin — skin that looks visibly smoother, firmer and more radiant with every passing day, and becomes the strongest foundation she can build on. “I use my SK-II Essence, then my SK-II serum and moisturizer. It’s just those three steps. That’s it. And I feel like me,” said Eileen Gu.

The same intent runs through the rest of her life. Running, sleeping and journaling are the rituals she returns to wherever she wakes up — small anchors in a life of constant motion so she can live as the fullest version of herself.

INSPIRING MORE PEOPLE TO BE FREE TO BARE

Through this partnership, SK-II and Eileen Gu invite more people to start where she starts: with building the best foundation. Because when your bare skin is your best bare skin — more youthful looking, even as you age — every version of yourself is yours to choose. The Foundation of Bare Skin Starts with SK-II.

Free to Bare launches globally today across digital, social and earned channels. To hear Eileen Gu’s Free to Bare stories and discover SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, visit www.sk-ii.com or follow @SKII, and join the conversation with #FreeToBare.

About SK-II 

For more than 45 years, SK-II has touched the lives of millions of women around the world through skin and life transformation. The fascinating story behind SK-II began with a fervent quest to uncover a revolutionary ingredient that would make beautiful skin a reality. In breweries, there was something extraordinary. Elderly brewers with soft, youthful looking hands, in striking contrast to their aged faces. Hands seemingly untouched by time. What could be the secret? Could it lie in fermentation? Years of research, craft and innovation followed, until scientists isolated the one single yeast strain out of 350 that held the answer. The Miracle of PITERA™ was born — a naturally derived skincare ingredient crafted from a proprietary yeast fermentation process exclusive to SK-II. Since then, it has remained at the heart of every SK-II product, transforming skin towards youthful looking Bare Skin. Bare skin so good it becomes her best foundation. Today, SK-II with PITERA™ is a special secret shared by celebrities all over the world. For the latest news and in-depth information, please visit http://www.sk-ii.com.

About PITERA™

Iconic and exclusive to SK-II, PITERA™ is a naturally derived “miracle” skincare ingredient crafted from a proprietary yeast fermentation process that only SK-II owns. Packed with over 50 micro-nutrients – vitamins, amino acids, minerals and organic acids – the unique composition of PITERA™ harnesses the vital force of nature and is one that can’t be achieved artificially or synthetically. PITERA™ resembles skin’s Natural Moisturizing Factors. Skin recognizes and welcomes it, allowing it to be absorbed quickly and deeply¹ into your skin delivering all goodness². 

¹ Within stratum corneum. ² Over 50 micro-nutrients. ³ Source: SK-II consumer self-assessment, 2022. Based on self-reported results from 60 Japanese women aged 20–60 using SK-II Facial Treatment Essence.

Media Contact

SK-II Global & U.S. Communications
Diana Torres-Bixby, diana.torres-bixby@bursonglobal.com, 917-686-0517

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SOURCE SK-II