Did you know that 'caudalie' is an oenological term What designates the unit of measurement of the duration of persistence in the mouth of wine aromas? That's where the name of a beauty firm comes from that you probably know too.
Its founder, Mathilde Thomas, had the idea in the 1990s, in Bordeaux, to create the Caudalie cosmetics brand, a respectful line associated with the world of wine. It was in the vineyards of Château Smith Haut Lafitte, the cellars of Mathilde's parents, that she started it all: soon they would come her first products with polyphenols from grape seeds, which were initially distributed in pharmacies and quickly became best-selling classics.
Les Sources de Caudalie, France.
Then came milestones such as its beauty water, its boutiques –in Madrid they have one with treatment cabins– or our favourites, its spaces of care and enjoyment for hedonistic travelers, such as Les Sources de Caudalie and the spa at the Marqués de Riscal hotel, a Luxury Collection.
We talked to Mathilde about past, present and future cosmetic (and traveler).
CONDE NAST TRAVELER. What is the most important thing you have learned about beauty in these years?
MATHILDE THOMAS. A good beauty routine is not just what you put on your skin. It also includes all your habits: diet, sleep, stress, work, travel, and of course the environment. Know your skin type well in order to choose and use the right products, and always pay attention to the composition of the products you use (face, body, hair).
The key for me is to follow a simple protocol, with an emphasis on clean the skin thoroughly and use the best skincare instead of makeup. And, of course, protect your skin from the sun throughout the year.
Portrait of Mathilde.
CNT. What have you learned about yourself, the business and your customers in the last decade?
MT I have worked with the best researchers in the world to patent an innovative molecule that solves skin problems, with formulas that respect the environment to the maximum. Always following your instincts is important, as well as being 100% ethical and transparent if you want to gain the trust of your consumers.
Social networks have changed everything. Now we have a horizontal conversation between brands and customers. They ask us questions, they want to know everything about what they put on their skin. They now have access to many different apps to scan the EAN code of their products, which immediately tells them which ingredients are good and which are bad.
Mathilde, in Caudalie's laboratory.
CNT. How has the firm changed in recent years?
MT The crisis has only confirmed what we already believed: the future belongs to companies like ours, They take full responsibility for what they offer to consumers. Efficiency is a top priority. At Caudalie we present innovative patents jointly with Harvard Med School, inspired by epigenetics. Clean and natural formulas have already become essential.
Sustainability has become the new luxury. Our packaging is recycled, recyclable or refillable. Companies must commit and give back. At Caudalie we have been members of 1% For The Planet for 10 years. We planted 10 million trees, potentially offsetting four times our carbon footprint. We have also committed to collecting and recycling the same amount of plastic that we use.
Mathilde Thomas.
And before we were already immersed in a great project to eliminate the superfluous: spatulas, expensive packaging... to focus on the essential, that is, recycled, recyclable or refillable packaging, and ultra-clean and natural formulas, innovative in eco chemistry and biotechnology.
It's not that this is a new goal or one that we have given more priority to, our R&D teams were already 100% dedicated to these topics! The pandemic situation also it has strengthened the link we have with our digital community through social networks. The need to strike up a conversation and stay in touch is very important.
CNT. How has your work influenced your traveling facet and vice versa?
MT Women all over the world have different beauty habits and that inspires me to always create the best products to solve your skin problems. American women want a quick fix and instant gratification, and they wear a lot of makeup to transform their face and become the person they want to be. Therefore, in that market we put 10% pearls in the Premier Cru eye contour, to brighten the eye area.
Europeans are the most balanced. They want healthy skin. European women know the importance of using moisturizing and antioxidant creams under makeup every morning. In addition, their mothers taught them to remove makeup every night.
Each Asian uses 15 products every day, her goal in this case is to have flawless watery translucent porcelain skin. They are skin care lovers. Asian beauty inspires me a lot to develop new products, always more effective, glamorous and natural, of course. That is why we have developed Vinoperfect Concentrated Brightened Essence: a new cosmetic product between a lotion and a serum, inspired by his famous layering technique.
CNT. What are your favorite beauty destinations and why?
MT My favorite business trip was to Seoul. In this place, the creativity of cosmetic brands is overflowing. There are incredible innovations, with totally unusual brands, new textures, packaging and a very special decoration in the boutiques.
Seoul.
CNT. Who or what has inspired you these years?
MT My parents taught me to live my entrepreneurial dream. They encouraged me and my boyfriend Bertrand when we had the idea to create Caudalie. So he was only 23 years old.
And my grandmothers, for another reason. Simone “Mam” was a businesswoman before women could vote and long before birth control! She was a pioneer. She started with a small grocery store with my grandfather in the French Alps and she grew to run a business of 900 people. She was a workaholic, always with her team, who adored her, leading by example, rooted in the land, full of common sense, very charismatic.
My other grandmother, Yvonne, was kindness incarnate, a French teacher, and a nature lover. She taught me the love of nature, the joy of simple things, what is important and what is not.
CNT. What goals do you have for Caudalie cosmetics in the medium and long term?
MT Create effective products with Dr. Sinclair, from Harvard, that solve problems, with a formula that is as clean as possible and ecological, with refined textures and aromas. And reduce plastic in packaging to be even more respectful of the planet.
Mathilde, at her house in her Paris.
CNT. What has been your greatest success in beauty these years? And your biggest disappointment?
MT Success: our latest patent filed jointly with Harvard University, which goes beyond epigenetics and corrects eight signs of aging. Disappointment: I'm still looking for a researcher to help us create a dietary supplement that has SPF 50!
CNT. A destination in the world where you feel especially well and favored…
MT Japan… One of my favorite memories is when I was in a traditional Ryokan, sleeping on a tatami in our yukata, visiting Kyoto with the children during the sakura season, eating real sushi and bathing in onsen in the mountains with my girls and other Japanese ladies. Also off-piste skiing in the French Alps! That is my second favorite destination.
One of the rooms in the old house of Hiiragiya Ryokan.
CNT. What are your five favorite hotels in the world?
MT Les Sources de Caudalie in Bordeaux, of course, my hometown. It's wonderful to visit the Smith Haut Lafitte vineyard and try a Caudalie facial at the first Vinotherapy of the world. Also Marquis of Riscal, in Bilbao , with impressive Gehry architecture and incredible wine and spa; bulgari milano, for its beauty and the materials used; They love Tokyo, which is incredibly beautiful, and Les Sources de Cheverny, our sister hotel in the loire valley , where I escape to on weekends from Paris to cycle through the castles.
CNT. What three products do you always carry in your suitcase?
MT Beauty Elixir I always carry it in my bag. It sets makeup and is the perfect pick-me-up throughout the day! Then the Premier Cru face cream, an all-in-one moisturizer that includes all three patented ingredients (vine stem resveratrol, anti-wrinkle and firming; grape seed polyphenol, antioxidant and anti-pollution, and viniferin from vine sap, anti-spots). It does everything from acting as a preventive and protecting the skin against free radicals to brightening, firming and preventing aging. I am also a fan of our Vinoperfect serum, which is the best-selling product on every continent in the world, thanks to its immediate effects on the luminosity of the skin.