It all began in Bordeaux, in the heart of the vines at Château Smith Haut Lafitte, the estate belonging to Mathilde’s parents. Caudalie, a globally recognised clean beauty brand,  is a unique story of love, nature, passion, chance encounters and a sense of adventure.

I first met Mathilde Thomas in 2002 when I was living in Paris and contacted the Caudalie export team to become their first Australian distributor in the region. I had the pleasure of launching Caudalie in Australia first in David Jones, and later also in Myer and online, and have visited the Caudalie Vinotherapie spa and Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte in Bordeaux. Mathilde is the quintessential Parisienne. Effortlessly chic, charming and fearless. 

The story of Caudalie began in 1993 when Mathilde met professor Joseph Vercauteren, laboratory director of the Pharmacy University of Bordeaux, during the harvest at Château Smith Haut Lafitte. He told Mathilde that grape seeds contain the most powerful antioxidants in the world and that during the winemaking process, the most valuable part of the grape, the seeds, were being wasted. Mathilde and her husband Bertrand, co-founders of Caudalie, have been working with him ever since and have also established a research partnership into the anti-ageing benefits of polyphenols with Professor David Sinclair.

Today the brand is recognised globally as a cult favourite of celebrities, beauty editors and those who love active, clean skincare.

The magic and efficacy of grape seed polyphenols, resveratrol and clean ethical beauty have always captivated me as has the French Paradox. It was a pleasure to reconnect with Mathilde on this episode to see how far this formidable beauty entrepreneur has come since we first met.

Watch the full episode on Ageless By Rescu YouTube Channel here:https://youtu.be/21PQfRoRttE