As the co-founder of French skincare brand Caudalie and author of The French Beauty Solution, it’s safe to say Mathilde Thomas is an expert on all things concerning natural and effective skincare.
Since its provenance over 20 years ago, Caudalie has committed itself to sustainability and naturalness. Their products are crafted from natural active ingredients like vine and grape extracts that respect both the environment and the skin. And they also strictly avoid certain ingredients that are either harmful, irritating, or potentially suspicious to the skin and environment. It’s no wonder celebrities like Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, and Victoria Beckham all love this brand.
In our latest series Skin Deep, we’re talking to women about their favourite beauty secrets, tips, and techniques, what they put on their faces, hair, and bodies and why. Skin Deep goes beyond the surface and explores the relationship women have with beauty and wellness, and what that means to them today.
We caught up with the co-founder of Caudalie and she shared her tips for combating maskne, what the brand has planned, and her current anti-ageing skincare routine.
What are your favourite beauty secrets or tips that you’ve learned from your experience in the industry?
Beauty is considered as an art de vivre in France. The secret is to treat yourself well. It is important to cultivate a good skincare regimen when you are young by moisturising daily. This helps fight oxidants (they are responsible of 80 per cent of aging). Be sure to cleanse morning and night, and always use sunscreen. Also, educate yourself about ingredients that are truly effective and what works best for your skin type.
What is also important for your health and skin is to have a balanced diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and nuts. This will help bring vitamins and minerals to the skin. I recommend drinking lots of green tea every day and a glass or two of red wine loaded with antioxidants during dinner.
My skincare has changed over time because your skin transforms with both age and lifestyle changes. With that being said, I have needed to adjust the products in my regime to target these new concerns. When I was younger, I focused on products that were rich in polyphenols to defend my skin from free radicals. As I have gotten older, I have started to incorporate ingredients such as resveratrol to target fine lines and wrinkles.
For those who are concerned with maskne, which Caudalie products would you recommend?
The Caudalie Vinopure routine is very effective to treat maskne. I’d recommend the following routine as it’s highly natural and uses powerful active ingredients to restore beautiful and balanced skin.
Step 1: Purify your skin with the Clear Skin Purifying Toner (99 per cent natural origin ingredients). This will help prepare it for the next stages of your routine.
Step 2: Use the Blemish Control Infusion Serum (98 per cent natural origin ingredients). It has an exfoliating effect and unclogging action to reduce blemishes thanks to the salicylic acid. It also hydrates the skin thanks to hyaluronic acid.
Step 3: Use the Skin Perfecting Mattifying Fluid which contains silica powders to immediately mattifies the skin. In addition to the serum, the fluid moisturises the skin and gives it all the comfort it needs.
Can you give us a sneak peek on what you’ve got lined up for the future?
With the help of our newly hired green-packaging engineer, we’re working to upgrade our plastic tube packaging to glass jars. We have also removed the plastic spatulas and all the leaflets that come with our products, which saves around 1.3 tonnes of plastic and 23 tonnes of paper.
We have a huge revolution coming. Not only Caudalie products are going to be even more effective, but we have also been working for the past years with Harvard Medical School and the longevity Guru Dr David Sinclair on a new exciting innovation.
We want our products to be highly natural, between 95 per cent and 100 per cent natural ingredients. We want our formulas to be 100 per cent clean, taking the brand a step further. And finally, we commit to zero waste by 2022, by using either recycled packaging or recyclable packaging.
With Covid-19 and the added routine of wearing masks, we asked Mathilde to share her current skincare essentials. Take a look at the five products she uses in her anti-ageing routine to get her skin glowing.
