Beauty Grows Wild: Why Nature Will Always Be Smarter Than Skincare Trends

By April Gargiulo, the founder and CEO of Vintner’s Daughter

My friend and mentor, Rosemary Gladstar, says “plants have enough spirit to transform our limited vision.” I love this line so much because it's the truth. The synthetic world pales in comparison to the sophistication, beauty, and power of the natural world. This is why we begin every Vintner’s Daughter formula with the worlds’ most nutrient-rich whole botanicals. It takes more time and is more expensive, but it is the only way to truly feed our skin and bring about the radiance, balance, and health we insist on. Just like whole foods support healthy bodies, our whole plant formulas support your most beautiful skin. Your skin is your largest organ. It is incredibly complex and sophisticated and deserves skincare that honors and respects that. Synthetic, processed ingredients will never meet your skin’s needs in the same way they can never truly meet your body's nutritional needs. There will always be new, trend-driven, fast-fashiony skincare delivering false promises. These moments are more marketing campaign than they are any level of actual product innovation. We are all smarter (the same goes for our skin! than these companies give us credit for. Look up and out. Nature is always the most elegant and powerful solution. To that end, I look for ways to connect with it as much as I can.

I am lucky to live in Northern California and am surrounded by so much natural beauty. I cold plunge with a group of friends regularly in the San Francisco Bay; I get to experience the wisdom and elegance of the ancient redwood forests; the majestic beauty of Napa Valley, and even one of my favorite flowers, queen anne's lace, grows everywhere along the highway. I don't take supplements often, but do everything I can to eat well. I incorporate movement into my day every day. Sometimes I’ll go on the treadmill, sometimes it’s Pilates or a walk with friends, but always something. I meditate every morning and have a deeply ingrained gratitude practice. I know it all sounds a bit monastic, but there are many more moments of joy, presence, and spontaneity that this level of simplicity leaves room for. That’s what is most important to me.