For beauty lovers, a new Vintner’s Daughter product is like a favorite reclusive band’s new album—hotly anticipated, electrifying and rare.
Long before others started down the slow beauty path, founder April Gargiulo prioritized quality over quantity, launching just two painstakingly formulated offerings over the last decade, inspired by her familial winemaking background. And now three’s a charm: By popular demand from its “passionate community,” the cult-favorite, whole-plant-based brand has ventured into the face wash category with its new Active Renewal Cleanser.
Like all of Gargiulo’s creations—which feel more like the stuff of conscious ritual than simply utilitarian—there is nothing basic about this latest addition. She and her team spent four years developing this luxurious product as a kind of double cleanser in one step, based on the founder’s own needs and frustrations with existing options. “I was constantly in a battle between my skin feeling too dry (from gels and foamy creams) to feeling as though it had a film left on it (from oils and double cleanses),” she laments. “We created a formula that leaves the skin perfectly balanced. Your skin feels so good after cleansing.” The Active Renewal face wash, fueled by the brand’s signature Phyto Radiance Infusion—a three-week process meant to transfer the most powerful nutrients from plants—is also designed to prep the complexion so that other products work optimally. Adds Gargiulo, “All of our products are designed to play well with others.”
Nicole Angelico, EVP at skincare shop and consultancy Knockout Beauty, agrees. Not only is the latest Vintner’s Daughter product a staple at the choosy boutique because its clientele includes “diehard fans who couldn’t wait to get their hands on it,” but also because many of the staff members are personal fans. “April doesn’t churn out products, so when she puts one out, it’s always well considered,” says Angelico. “I love the cleanser because it’s gentle, but thorough and balancing.” The master skincare consultant recommends pairing the new launch with Perfect B Spray toner from Roscuba and the Hyaluronic System from Saro De Rue to make sure the skin stays hydrated and at its optimal pH.
Of course, the three Vintner’s siblings are designed to complement each other too, comprising an efficacious and complete skincare trifecta. Still, each has its own defining quality. The inaugural Active Botanical Serum smells like heaven on earth. The Active Treatment Essence, Gargiulo’s sophomore effort, pioneers a new category. And this new product is no exception: “Active Renewal Cleanser contains griffonia seed, which is used to help increase the feel-good chemical serotonin,” explains the founder. “So, as you are cleansing, you are literally making yourself feel better.”
That’s music to any fan’s ears.