Rewind to the early 1990s when Dr. Joseph Vercauteren, an expert in all things grape, developed the concept of vinotherapy—a therapeutic beauty treatment that takes wine leftovers—the seeds—and leverages their polyphenols to address aging by rubbing them on the skin for exfoliation and free radical combat.
By 1995, Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas had already been working with Dr. Vercauteren for a couple years to recycle their grape seeds into a patented anti-aging extraction and stabilization. The trio then created Caudali (an oenological French term that quantifies the duration of a wine's flavor in the mouth; one second of time equals one Caudalie). The year 1999 marked the first-ever vinotherapy spa— VINOTHÉRAPIE® Spa in France, which has since branched out into New York, Spain and more. Now fast forward to 2011, and from the Crushed Cabernet Scrub and Pulpe Friction sculpting massage to the Barrel Bath, these vino-centered anti-aging centers are a burgeoning concept.
Resveratrol has been getting a lot of press lately: In vitro results from a Spanish study showed grape polyphenolic extracts offer UV protection. Resveratrol reduced malignant properties of melanoma cells in a study conducted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Italian research confirmed resveratrol’s role in skin health, as it showed positive results on acne.
Interested in this beauty therapy? The Sustainable Cosmetics Summit Europe, taking place in November in Paris, will be addressing vinotherapy’s potential. Palatable stuff, huh?