CAUDALIE might not be a household name in Malaysia, but in France, where it originates, it's almost standard-issue for French women.
Available widely in pharmacies, its products gel with the idea of natural beauty among French men and women.
With grape plants from its vineyards being the focal source of its skincare ingredients, Caudalie has long championed green beauty, way before it became an industry buzzword.
As far back as 2006, the brand has eliminated the use of parabens and phthalates in its products, and founder Mathilde Thomas says every year, it continues to make cleaner and greener formulas.
"We initially removed six suspicious or undesirable ingredients like parabens, ingredients of animal origin, mineral oil and irritating and polluting agents.
"Sixteen years later, this list of nasties that we have banned has grown from six to 65," she says in an email interview.
Thomas says the brand sets its own standards, which go beyond European standards — all its products are formulated with at least 95 per cent natural ingredients.
"We try to get as close as possible to 100 per cent natural ingredients, without sacrificing effectiveness. In addition to clean formulas, we also want to be sustainable. We pledge to be a zero-waste brand by the end of this year.
"We reduce, recycle and reuse our packs. Our packaging will be recycled, recyclable or refillable by the end of the year. Caudalie also commits to giving back one per cent of its sales to plant trees since 2012 as the leading member of the 'One Per Cent For The Planet' initiative.
"Eight million trees have been planted so far, including 300,000 in Chiang Mai. Last year, we started a new project, 100% Plastic Collect, where we collect and recycle the equivalent or our yearly plastic consumption."
START WITH SERUM
Thomas says if she were to choose a product from Caudalie for a newcomer to try, it would be the Vinoperfect Radiance Serum, a cult favourite for millions of women.
"In the old days in French vineyards, women covered their face and hands with grapevine sap to diminish dark spots and illuminate their skin after working in the sun. This ancient tradition has led to the introduction of the exclusive ingredient called viniferine, derived from the grapevine sap.
"The widely acclaimed Vinoperfect natural brightening solution was developed around this active ingredient, providing exceptional luminosity for modern women.
"And thanks to its visible results on the skin, the serum remains the No.1 anti-dark spot product in France for 12 years. We sell one bottle every 30 seconds," she says.
FOR MEN AND WOMEN
This month, the brand is releasing its Vinergetic C+ Vitamin C Energy Serum, a gender-free product to address free radicals.
"We made sure that the product would stop free radicals that are responsible of 80 per cent of ageing. To make it non gender-specific, we formulated a deep moisturiser that is non-sticky and fast-absorbing,"
"We added stabilised vitamin C for anti-fatigue effect that both men and women need. Finally, we keep it fragrance-free,"
Thomas says men and women's skin are very different. Men's skin is thicker and oilier than women's.
"It also contains more collagen and has a tighter, firmer appearance. And this is because of the male hormone testosterone. However, regular shaving makes male skin more stressed than women's."
She says the brand created the serum to strengthen men and women's skin barrier, provide oxidation protection and bring radiance with stabilised vitamin C.
"After the serum, it's best to use Vinergetic C+ 3-1 Vitamin C Energy Moisturiser, which has a light moisturising texture. Suitable even for sensitive skin, it has no fragrance and will protect skin against pollution."
STABILISED INGREDIENT
Thomas says the difference between this serum than what's in the market is the stability of its ingredient.
"The conventional vitamin C, L-ascorbic acid, is highly unstable. It can lose its potency fast, because it is sensitive to temperature, oxygen, pH level and UV lights. Our laboratory has selected one of the most stable versions of natural-origin vitamin C.
"It is four times stabilised to preserve its action over time. It is also bio-available, which means that it easily penetrates the skin.
"When you combine it with hyaluronic acid and antioxidant polyphenols, I think Vinergetic C+ has the best cocktail for fatigued and stressed-out skin," she says.