Our latest Beauty Boss is April Gargiulo, Founder of Vintner’s Daughter—a performance-driven, nutritional skincare line that draws on her family’s background in fine winemaking. Prior to starting the brand, Gargiulo spent almost a decade working for her family’s winery in Napa Valley, Gargiulo Vineyards. She applied the same principles of winemaking to her skincare line’s sourcing and formulation processes, which have set new standards for performance, quality, and safety.

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Featuring three key products, the brand has created a comprehensive and results-focused three-step routine to simplify skincare routines while providing everything one needs for ultimate skin health and radiance. At the heart of Vintner’s Daughter products is their proprietary Phyto Radiance Infusion, a time-intensive formulation process that harnesses the power of the world’s most nutrient-dense whole botanicals. 

All of their ingredients are sourced from responsible producers, many of which have a long history of using the same sustainable, organic farming practices. Their products are certified cruelty-free through the Leaping Bunny Program and the company recently achieved B Corp status. The brand’s sustainable packaging initiatives include boxes made with 80% post-consumer recycled materials or FSC certified board, printing with eco-friendly ink, and the use of recyclable glass bottles.

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Also dedicated to giving back and supporting earth advocacy, Vintner’s Daughter donates 2% of every bottle sold to charitable organizations and nonprofits such as The Conservation Fund and Sierra Club. We chatted with Gargiulo who shared her favorite beauty and wellness tips, secrets for success, best advice, and much more.

When was Vintner’s Daughter founded?

Vintner’s Daughter was born from a deep passion and respect for the innate wisdom of our natural world. It is this respect that compels us to honor the multi-beneficial power of botanicals on our skin. Our formulas always begin with the world’s highest-quality and most energy-dense whole botanicals whose powerful actives we gently extract using both ancient and new technologies. As a result, every drop of our products deliver profound nutritional value to affect lasting health and balance in the skin.  

We launched our first product Active Botanical Serum in 2013. It took over two years of research and development to perfect the formula and even after the formula was complete, finding a production partner was nearly impossible. I was turned away from all the traditional labs who told me that I should substitute my three-week long whole botanical formula for “faster and cheaper” extracts and synthetics.

Thankfully, I came from the world of winemaking where it takes three years to make a single bottle. Making the finest skincare in the world in only three weeks felt like a breeze to me. There were absolutely moments when I thought that no one would see my vision, but ultimately I was able to forge incredible partnerships with manufacturers that shared my quality, performance, and safety standards.

What’s the meaning behind the name?

I am a vintner’s daughter—my family still makes wine at Gargiulo Vineyards in Napa Valley—but the name actually is in honor of my own daughters.

What inspired the creation of the brand?

I consider myself incredibly lucky to have spent so much time in the winemaking community that places such a high value on craftsmanship and quality. Like many first-time moms, when I was pregnant I started looking at the ingredients in many of the “luxury” products I was using. I was shocked to find that many were made from .01% active ingredients and low-quality synthetic fillers that were in many cases harmful.

Coming from where I was coming from, none of that sat right with me and shortcuts are not allowed. I believe that to make the finest of anything whether that be a meal or skincare, you must begin with the highest-quality raw materials. The example I like to use is the difference between a meal replacement bar made in a lab from processed ingredients and a beautifully prepared meal made from the freshest, local, and organic ingredients. We know which choice is better for our bodies, our environment, and our communities.

The same can be said for skincare made from the highest-quality natural ingredients versus extracts and synthetics. This is what led me to create Vintner’s Daughter. I wanted to build a true luxury skincare company that made products from the finest ingredients in the world, using time-honored techniques in order to bring about profound and lasting balance and health in the skin. 

Does Vintner’s Daughter have a hero product?

It is impossible to pick a “hero” product or ingredient because each of our ingredients is a superstar, chosen for its multi-beneficial effects on the skin. What I would point to as our hero, though, is the way in which we assemble each of these extraordinary ingredients into our proprietary Phyto Radiance Infusion. If there was a secret sauce, this would be it. It is at the heart of every product we make.

Over the course of three temperature controlled weeks, we gently extract the full spectrum of nutrition from the world’s most nutrient-dense whole botanicals so that with every drop, our formulas deliver optimal skin-healing nutrition. There is nothing else quite like it because it creates a level of communication and intimacy with the skin that allows the skin to become its absolute best.

Active Botanical Serum was the first product to bring our core principles of efficacy, quality, and safety to life. This product launched what has been called our “cult-following” and it has been hailed as “the face oil to end all face oils,” and is the most awarded face oil in the world of beauty.

With every drop your skin receives the most optimal ratios of brightening and protective antioxidants, balancing minerals, renewing vitamins, and firming phytoceramides. The level of communication between skin and product is unlike anything else. Most importantly, when you use it, you not only feel the Vintner's Daughter glow, you see it.

What are your favorite products from your brand?

We offer three award-winning products: Active Treatment Essence, Active Botanical Serum and Active Renewal Cleanser. Selecting just one would be like choosing between your children. Each one is spectacular in its own way. 

Where are your products sold?

Vintner’s Daughter is sold on our website, as well as at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Violet Grey, goop, Net-a-Porter, Blue Mercury, and select taste-maker shops around the world.

Future plans for the brand?

The future is bright! We have so much respect for our community and committed early on to only introduce products that truly have an incredible positive impact on our skin and world. To this end, we do not subscribe to the endless onslaught of newness for newness sake. We only launch game-changing products that we want to marry for life. We achieved B Corp status recently which we are very proud of and we also have a super limited-run edition coming in August 2024 that we cannot wait to launch. Last year we celebrated our 10-year anniversary as a brand, and I like to say that we are 10 years down, 100 more to go.

Who inspires you?

So much. Trees, forests, flowers, my children, my husband, and women and artists throughout the world and time.

Secret to success?

Don't rush yourself. Set your vision and pursue it with heart and hustle. Surround yourself with incredible people who can help you achieve your goals. Be disciplined and focused, and stay on track. There will be lots of shiny, glittery objects to distract you. Remember what your north star is and  keep moving towards it. And when you make a mistake, learn from it and move on. Be generous and help others on their path. And lastly, let gratitude be the virtue that underscores everything you do.

Beauty secrets?

I believe that beauty is confidence, gratitude, and joy. Now more than ever, I don’t have the time for an extensive regimen, so I have simplified it to three powerful steps that deliver multi-beneficial performance. Morning and night, after cleansing with Active Renewal Cleanser, I apply Active Treatment Essence followed by Active Botanical Serum. With these three simple steps, I know my skin is receiving all the hydration, moisture, plant actives, and nutrition it needs to be its most healthy, balanced, and radiant. I always follow up with an SPF in the morning and love my micro current and red light devices.

Wellness tips?

I have had daily meditation and a gratitude practice for almost 15 years. It's not very secret, but it is joyfully available to everyone and creates a space for your guiding truths to emerge. 

Best advice?

Be very clear when identifying your goals and your north star mission. Pursue them with honesty, integrity, a full heart, and a lot of hustle.

Favorite way to relax?

I relax with and in nature. Nature is endlessly inspiring to me and how she communicates her elegant rhythms through the seasons. It is where I go to restore myself. I’m lucky to live in Northern California where opportunities to be outdoors are endless.

For more information about Vintner’s Daughter, visit their website and follow on Instagram: @vintnersdaughter

[Images courtesy of Vintner’s Daughter]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk