Caudalie is a French skincare brand that uses natural ingredients, specifically polyphenol-rich vine and grape extracts. They’re widely sold at Sephora, Amazon and worldwide with a number of popular cult status products. The line has been around since the 1990s and has grown to ten collections of dozens upon dozens of skincare products. Caudalie is not an organic skincare brand, but they do incorporate natural and sustainable ingredients. Check out my brutally honest thoughts in this Caudalie review. I was asked to share my thoughts on Caudalie, so I’m going to be painfully honest (sorry Caudalie fans). I don’t feel drawn to huge brands like Caudalie because I know their products are mass manufactured and it’s impossible for them to have the same potency and quality of niche brands. But I know people generally like to use what everyone else is using and what feels safe and comfortable, so here goes. Because I’m immersed in a different echelon of skincare, Caudalie products feel very generic to me. There were some products I enjoyed and some were wildly unimpressive. The Caudalie line is also priced on the luxury end with serums around $80, creams around $60 and Eau De Beauté toner at $50.

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The Caudalie Vinergetic C+ Vitamin C Energy Serum was my preferred product out of everything I tried. Their toners and cleansers were not for me, the viral pink Instant Detox Mask was nothing impressive and I have no idea why that went viral, and their creams were pleasant but overpriced for what they are in my opinion. Their ingredients lists look very average to me, yet they’re priced significantly higher than many smaller natural skincare brands that are much more affordable. I’m not saying the Caudalie line is bad, but if anyone close to me were to ask me what I really think, this is what I would tell them.

For example, the Caudalie Vinergetic Vitamin C Energy face moisturizer boasts three key ingredients: Hyaluronic Acid, Polyphenols and Vitamin C. It’s listed in this order on the official webpage for it. Those are the only actual skincare ingredients in this cream, and they’re not even high on the ingredients list. Hyaluronic Acid is way at the bottom, so it’s basically just thrown in there so they can tout it. I see a bunch of fluff in the rest of the list save for an oil here and a butter there. The ingredients are wildly unimpressive to me: aqua/water/eau, coco-caprylate/caprate, glycerin, silica, hexyldecanol, hexyldecyl laurate, hexyldecyl stearate, shorea robusta seed butter, butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter extract, methylpropanediol, arachidyl alcohol, palmitoyl grape seed extract, c12-16 alcohols, polyacrylate crosspolymer-6, behenyl alcohol, potassium cetyl phosphate, ci 77891 (titanium dioxide), ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, arachidyl glucoside, hydrogenated lecithin, lauryl glucoside, palmitic acid, polyglyceryl-2 dipolyhydroxystearate, caprylyl glycol, xanthan gum, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, tocopheryl acetate, potassium sorbate, tocopherol, sodium hyaluronate, citric acid, phenylpropanol, picea abies wood extract, 1,2-hexanediol, sodium phytate, ci 77491 (iron oxides), biosaccharide gum-4.(310/027) Compare the above list to say Ursa Major’s Golden Hour Recovery Cream at a similar price and it’s clear which product is cutting way too many corners.

Next let’s talk about the cult favorite Eau De Beauté elixir. I know people who love this Caudalie product, but it’s just not for me. This is suited to oily skin types, feels astringent (I later looked and saw alcohol was second on the ingredients list) and has a minty scent that others might feel is energizing but I find too strong. What I did enjoy was how the mist comes out very fine and even. The Caudalie Eau de Beauté ingredients are: Aqua/Water/Eau, Alcohol*, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Flower Water*, Parfum (Fragrance)*, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil*, Potassium Alum, Glycerin*, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil*, Commiphora Myrrha Resin Extract*, Styrax Tonkinensis Resin Extract*, Melissa Officinalis (Balm Mint) Leaf Oil*, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Flower Oil*, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil*, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract*, Tocopherol*, Benzyl Benzoate*, Citral*, Citronellol*, Geraniol*, Farnesol*, Limonene*, Linalool*(010/035) *Plant Origin

Caudalie’s Vinergetic C Energy Moisturizer and Brightening Eye Cream have basic ingredients that doesn’t make them stand out to me in any way. They’re feel good products that have been formulated to be pleasant to apply, quick to sink in and moisturizing to the skin. The unisex packaging doesn’t suit my personal taste. I prefer my moisturizer to not be in a narrow tube with a twist off cap. I find it inconvenient and tedious constantly knocking over the tall tube and having to set it upright.

Vinergetic Eye Cream Ingredients

aqua/water/eau, butylene glycol, caprylic/capric triglyceride, coco-caprylate/caprate, caffeine, cetearyl alcohol, cetearyl glucoside, niacinamide, triheptanoin, hydrogenated vegetable oil, squalane, palmitoyl grapevine shoot extract, oleic acid, glyceryl caprylate, cetyl alcohol, potassium cetyl phosphate, carbomer, terminalia arjuna extract, xanthan gum, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, sodium dehydroacetate, tocopherol, sodium hydroxide, lecithin, sodium phytate.(282/016) There are a couple actives in this eye cream like Caffeine and Niacinamide, and the rest is just water, fillers and a couple oils. It’s a lot to pay for what you’re getting, and in my opinion, completely unnecessary. A high quality face cream will do the same job, if not better, without the need for buying a separate eye product.

Andrea

Andrea is a clean beauty expert from Los Angeles, California with 10 years of experience in natural skincare and organic living. She writes for Organic Beauty Lover using her expertise to guide readers in choosing the best clean products. Andrea graduated from the University of Southern California in 2012 and has worked at multiple skincare companies, big and small. Connect with her @organicbeautylover.