Wellness

BEAUTIFUL GRAPE MINDS & BODIES

That was me last month on my birthday…. not literally…. she’s a model in the photo … and she looks perfect…. but I was there, at Les Sources de Caudalie Spa, laying in the same spot, overlooking the vineyard, learning to appreciate grapes in a whole new set of ways.

Photo: Courtesy of Caudalie Spa.

As we wrote in yesterday’s Daily Fix, A Grape Place to Stay, Les Sources de Caudalie is a hotel and spa that is all about the grape. It sits in the middle of the of Château Smith Haut Lafitte Grand Cru vineyard. And grapes are infused into every aspect of life there. The Caudalie spa is where we learned a new set of mind body connections with our favorite fruit.

Caudalie is an oenological term for a unit of measure, gauging the duration of the wine's flavor on the palate. Each second the flavor remains is a caudalie. The finer a wine is, the more caudalies it has.

Photo: Courtesy of Caudalie Spa.

Caudalie is a Vinotherapie spa -- all of the treatments and products are tied to some aspect of the grape. It sits atop a hot spring located 540 meters beneath your feet, gushing water rich in trace elements and minerals.

My spa journey began with a wine bath. A large wine barrel is my vessel. I step in to the hot water and settle in, before the attendant gently pours in a carafe of marc, the French answer to grappa, the fiery brandy made from grape seeds. Then she turns on the whirlpool jets and lets me bubble away in this giant cocktail, while I gaze out at the vineyard. Next comes the incredibly luxurious head massage, which further melts me into my bubbling marc.

Photo: Courtesy of Caudalie Spa.

Skin cleaned and softened, it is ready for a Caudalie Crushed Cabernet Scrub. A pomace of crushed Cabernet grape seeds, mixed with honey, brown sugar, and essential oils is slathered all over by body and I am scrubbed.

Photo: Courtesy of Caudalie Spa.

Next, the seed scrub is washed away, leaving me smoother and softer than I ever remember being. You can buy some of the Scrub to use at home, which is lovely -- but unless you have a personal scrubber at your side, with magic hands, you can’t get the full-on glory.

Time for a massage, using, grape-infused oils, of course.

Photo: Courtesy of Ridiculously Hungry. Grape Seeds.

Caudalie has a whole luscious line of skincare and beauty products based on grapes and grape derivatives. And there’s brains behind the beauty. Professor Joseph Vercauteren , a polyphenols specialist at Bordeaux University, discovered that PCOs (procyanidolic oligomers) extracted from grape-seeds, are significantly more effective than vitamin E against free radicals.

Photo: Courtesy of Caudalie Spa. Mathilde Thomas.

He shared his findings with Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas, founders and owners of Caudalie Spa, in 1995 and, together, they went on to develop skincare serums and creams. This was the first time stabilized polyphenols were used and patented in cosmetics. In 1996, Caudalie signed a research agreement with the University of Bordeaux, and set up its own research team, which would enable it to develop two more patents: resveratrol and viniferine, both powerful anti-aging ingredients.

Image: Jynto. Courtesy of Wikipedia. Resveratrol molecular structure

The grape innovations continue. Caudalie products also contain Viniferine, an extract from vine sap that brightens, lightens evens the complexion. New research studies have shown that Viniferine is 62 times more effective than Vitamin C. A new clinical study showed that 96% of women using Caudalie’s Vinexpert Firming Serum with resveratrol saw firmer skin.

Even Caudalie’s packaging is beautiful. it is made from recycled materials which belies their luxurious look and feel. They partner with 1% for the Planet.

Photo: Courtesy of Caudalie Spa. Caudalie Eau de Beaute spray.

Caudalie has just announced the launch of a brand new package for it’s cult-favorite Caudalie Eau de Beaute spray. This swirling black grapevine motif, with a nod to Gustav Klimt, was designed by fashion designer, L’Wren Scott. Scott has been a Caudalie fan for decades. Her longtime partner, Mick Jagger, apparently likes their effect. “[Some] call it sex in a bottle but I call it spa in a bottle,” Scott said in an interview last week with WWD, “It [works] a little bit faster than sex.”

Photo: Courtesy of Caudalie Spa. L'Wren Scott and Mathilde Thomas.

The Elixir contains a modern version of the face brightening blend reportedly used by the Queen of Hungary in the 17th century. It includes myrrh, orange blossom, rosemary, peppermint, rose, and rosemary balm.

Scott uses the Elixir when she wakes up in the morning, to set her make-up, and several times throughout the day, like when she needs a refreshment. It's part of her travel ritual, too -- it’s great on airplanes to help keep skin hydrated.

Beauty Elixir - L'Wren Scott Collector's Edition will be available November 1 from selected stores nationwide and www.caudalie.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Caudalie Spa. Vinotherapie spa

Reading Caudalie’s Spa menu, you’ll be tempted by the rituals and cures. You might like the 100% Grape Ritual, a half-day of pampering, including a 50-minute Vinosource Treatment, a Crushed Cabernet Scrub, and a Vinotherapie spa manicure. Or perhaps you would prefer a Fleur de Vigne wrap, a Pulpe Vitaminée facial treatment, or a Winemaker’s massage.

Photo: Courtesy of In Fashion Love. Caudalie Crushed Cabernet Scrub.