It’s not exactly news that grapes contain antioxidants that can have health and beauty benefits. But the founders of Le Domaine, launching this month after more than a decade of research, claim to have harnessed their antioxidant power in a new, powerful way.
According to Château de Beaucastel’s Marc Perrin, it all began 15 years ago in France’s Rhône Valley with his family’s desire to upcycle their wine estate’s grape pomace—the leftover skins and seeds after the juice is pressed from the grapes. “We were so upset to send the [pomace] to be distilled; there is a lot of good stuff in there and we wanted to find a use for it. We did not set out to create a skincare line!”
Perrin knew that grapes contained valuable antioxidants, and partnered with the University of Bordeaux and Dr. Pierre-Louis Teissedre to analyze the 13 different grape varieties that Beaucastel grows in Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Following more than a decade of research, Teissedre isolated specific compounds derived from the skins, seeds and stems of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre grapes to create a now-patented antioxidant formulation which Perrin says can “reduce oxidative stress and improve replication at the cellular level.” In other words: Slow the signs of skin aging.
Brad Pitt, who partnered with the Perrin family in 2012 to craft the wines at his Château Miraval estate in Provence, had long entertained the idea of launching a skincare line. When he learned of the Perrins’ research into grape antioxidants, he joined as a partner to create Le Domaine.
In an interview released by Le Domaine, Pitt says that the skincare line is “not meant to be a celebrity brand,” but a “genderless” four-product line of sustainable products that merges cutting-edge scientific research with “the best natural ingredients”—almost all sourced from the Pitt and Perrin estates in Southern France.
Sustainability is at the core of Le Domaine, Perrin told Wine Spectator. “We base all our decisions on how we are impacting the planet. Companies can no longer think about producing products that don’t use recyclable materials and limit waste.” Le Domaine’s packaging is mostly lightweight recycled glass, meant to be refillable, and the stoppers are hand-carved wood made from salvaged scraps of Beaucastel wine barrels. Products feature QR codes in place of paper labels.
Perrin sees this work as just the beginning of untapping grapes’ antioxidant applications in medicine. Many years ago, the family partnered with Dr. Nicolas Lévy, a leading researcher on progeria, a rare genetic disease that causes children to rapidly age. Lévy’s biotech company has found a connection between premature human aging and skin aging and has identified resveratrol (present in grapes) as a potential key to treating progeria. (Lévy’s company also created one of the patented ingredients in the Le Domaine products.)
While Perrin admits that this work is entirely new for him, he was able to lend expertise when collaborating with the perfumer to develop the scent for the Le Domaine line. “We were very much able to bring our experience in wine to the process of fragrance," he said. "The connection with wine was at work.”
Le Domaine products are now available at le-domaine.com. Le Domaine Essentials, a more accessibly priced skincare line, is expected to launch in February 2023.
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