Behind the Cult-Favorite Skincare Brand Influenced by Winemaking

What do sauvignon and skincare have in common? A lot, apparently. Having grown up in Napa Valley, Vintner’s Daughter Founder April Gargiulo applied her family’s tried and true wine-making techniques to create her cult-favorite skincare line. She prides herself in product quality and craftsmanship so exquisite, you could compare it to fine wines.

Vintner’s Daughter is founded on the wine-making philosophy that less is more and quality is everything. According to April, all you need is her 3-step cleanse, essence, and oil-based serum routine for youthful, resilient, glowing skin. The two high-powered hero products penetrate deep into the skin to hydrate, brighten, boost collagen production, exfoliate, strengthen, balance, nourish, firm, and lift. No need for any extra serums or treatments. So, what’s her secret?

Starting with an ingredient-first approach, Vintner’s Daughter carefully selects whole plants (think: whole foods for the skin) specifically based on performance. Next, similar to fermenting grapes for wine, they ferment the botanicals for three weeks to create their top shelf-worthy Active Botanical Essence and Active Botanical Serum. For reference, close to three hours of development per product is the industry norm, so three weeks is quite the commitment to best-in-class craftsmanship. During their proprietary Phyto Radiance Infusion™, nutrient-dense whole plants are gently and slowly extracted in a temperature-controlled environment for 21 days to infuse into an aqueous base. The essence’s infusion is then amplified by Phyto Ferment™—another two-week fermentation process (for a total of five weeks) to create probiotics, increase nutrient absorption, and deliver extraordinary results. As proven by wine, the best things take time.

For Active Botanical Essence, throw in more than 70 water-soluble nutrients and next-generation plant actives, including stabilized vitamin C, micro and mini hyaluronic acid, plant stem cells, micro-exfoliating plant acids, and enzymes. Active Botanical Serum, on the other hand, features skin-beautifying vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, antioxidants, phytoceramides, aminos, and omega fatty acids. In other words, a true green juice-like concoction to nourish the skin.

The result? An immediate, filter-like glow. But, over time (say, 2–6 weeks), you’ll also notice your skin becoming stronger, more resilient, firmer, and more youthful—no corkscrew required. Bottoms up!

All images courtesy of Vintner’s Daughter