The French Pharmacy Secret To Glass Skin, Dark Spots & The Serum Everyone’s Obsessed With | SheerLuxe Conversations

16 May 2026 · 44 min · 21 chapters

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In short

Caudalie’s Vino Perfect and how to treat dark spots/hyperpigmentation (“glass skin” goals). The episode explains what hyperpigmentation is (melanocytes producing extra melanin), why it’s common (sun, hormones, medications, picking, acne/post-inflammatory pigmentation), and how to manage it with sunscreen plus consistent routines. It claims Vino Perfect (viniferine) stops melanin production and transfer, is non-sensitizing, and works across Fitzpatrick skin types and multiple dark-spot causes (sunspots, age spots, acne scars, melasma, pregnancy mask).

Notable examples

clinical results cited as 63% reduction in dark spot intensity in 56 days; “one bottle” and “one sold every 15 seconds”; comparisons vs vitamin C (62x) and niacinamide (10%: 43% more effective). Routine examples: morning cleanse → essence → Vino Perfect → SPF50+; night with glycolic/retinol layering guidance.

Guests

Dr. Maroma (dermatology/clinic perspective), Mathilde Thomas (Caudalie/brand scientist role), and Orin (Shea Lux personality/influencer).

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

Tap a time to open that second in VO

Understanding Dark Spots and Hyperpigmentation

2:00 to 3:00

Learn what dark spots and hyperpigmentation are and how they develop.

“What exactly is dark spots and hyperpigmentation?”

The Science Behind Vino Perfect Serum

3:00 to 5:00

Discover how Caudalie's Vino Perfect serum regulates melanin production.

“Why do you think so many people struggle with uneven skin tone?”

Causes and Triggers of Uneven Skin Tone

5:00 to 8:00

Explore common triggers of uneven skin tone and the importance of treatment.

“For anyone that doesn't know, vinifery is one of the key ingredients.”

The Role of Sunscreen and Skincare Routine

8:00 to 10:00

Understand the significance of sunscreen and creating a skincare routine for hyperpigmentation.

“And I think also another sort of source of misunderstanding as well, it's essentially how to put a routine together to address hyperpigmentation.”

The Efficacy of Viniferine

10:00 to 13:00

Learn about viniferine and its effectiveness compared to other brightening ingredients.

“And now spring's got you looking at pictures of tank tops with hungry eyes.”

Caudalie's Innovation and Market Gap

13:00 to 14:00

Discover how Caudalie identified and filled a gap in the dark spot treatment market.

“I remember presenting it to my sales team and no one cared.”

Milky Textures and Seamless Skincare

14:00 to 15:00

Discussion on the texture and application of skincare products.

“I feel each of you will have an answer for that.”

Effective Solutions for Dark Spots

15:00 to 17:00

Exploring products that effectively target various types of dark spots.

“Okay for pregnant ladies and okay for sensitive skin and sensitive.”

Caudalie's Product Range and Efficacy

17:00 to 18:40

Overview of key Caudalie products and their benefits.

“How do you actually achieve that balance in practice?”

Personal Relationships with Skin

18:40 to 21:40

Guests share their personal experiences and relationships with their skin.

“Mathilde, what is your relationship with your skin?”
Show all 21 chapters

The Journey to Effective Skincare

21:40 to 24:20

Discussion on when guests began taking skincare seriously and their journeys.

“But then as I kind of got older into my teens, I actually suffered acne, mild-to-order acne.”

Current Skin Concerns and Cultural Impact

24:20 to 27:00

Exploring prevalent skin concerns and the cultural impacts of social media.

“Another thing on the list, you know, the long list as women.”

Navigating Skincare Noise

28:00 to 29:00

Learn how to filter out overwhelming skincare information and focus on what works.

Integrating Vino Perfect into Your Routine

29:00 to 31:20

Discover how to effectively incorporate Vino Perfect into your daily skincare regimen.

“even start from ground zero, start from minus one.”

Common Skincare Mistakes and Expectations

31:20 to 34:00

Identify common skincare mistakes and learn realistic timelines for seeing results.

“You know, this is why I say a good proportion, dare I say the majority, but let's say a good proportion of skin problems are self-inflicted.”

Building an Effective Skincare Routine

34:00 to 36:50

Understand the key components of a skincare routine for bright and even skin tone.

“Different strokes for different bites as they say.”

The Role of Lifestyle in Skin Health

36:50 to 39:20

Explore how lifestyle choices impact skin health and confidence.

“I feel like it's the approach that I have to exercise and that if my diet isn't correct the exercise I'm doing is going to have zero effect so yeah.”

Managing Skin Through Stress and Sleep

39:20 to 42:04

Learn how factors like stress, sleep, and sun exposure affect pigmentation and overall skin health.

“probably not what's been going on the last week?”

Skincare Habits for a Healthy Complexion

42:04 to 43:34

Discover simple skincare habits that promote healthy skin over time.

Quick Fire Beauty Questions

45:18 to 47:24

Engage with rapid-fire beauty questions and expert insights.

“Guys, can we just take a minute to appreciate the view and where we are?”

Key Takeaways on Skincare

47:24 to 48:02

Explore crucial takeaways about skincare consistency and gentleness.

“mine i would say is consistency is key one takeaway from you matilde um i love that to say be gentle to you don't be too harsh don't use ahe or bha if you are too young or if you don't need to.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

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1:00Nana Agyemang:Welcome to the Shea Lux podcast. We are up in the sky recording a special podcast with Caudalie. I am joined today by Dr. Maroma, Mathilde Thomas and SL's very own Orin. I cannot wait to get into this, guys. Look at where we are. So excited. Honestly, the views are... Wish you could see the view. The view is insane. Yeah, we're going to see the whole of London. We are here to dive into one of Caudalie's most iconic products, Vino Perfect. It's actually their best-selling product. It sells one every 15 seconds and it's honestly the product you need to know about for dark spots and hyperpigmentation.

1:41Nana Agyemang:I can't much talk about this, guys.

1:50Nana Agyemang:Everyone is glowing and talking about glowing. we are going to get into understanding dark spots and skin tone. I'm going to start with you, Dr. Awai Ma. What exactly is dark spots and hyperpigmentation? How does it present?

2:07Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:Yeah, so in plain English, hyperpigmentation is basically darkening of the skin. And that's a process caused by specific skin cells within the skin layers called melanocytes. And they're basically like the factories of producing pigment in the skin. The same sort factories responsible for creating our skin tone but also those pesky dark spots. Yeah, amazing.

2:29Nana Agyemang:Mathilde, you hear that, is it something that you personally think about for your skincare?

2:35Mathilde Thomas:Absolutely, with this molecule that we have in the Vino Perfect serum, we are able to stop the factory that produces all the melanin. We stop 80 % of it and then we stop the transfer of the melanin to the surface of the skin. So yes, it's a product that is going to work at every single stage within the skin to stop and to regulate the melanin production.

3:00Nana Agyemang:Why do you think so many people struggle with uneven skin tone? What do they think that they're not doing? They think they're doing everything right, but actually they're still finding it really hard. You know what, it's such a common problem and I see that across

3:14Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:my patient group but also even in my online community it's fair to say that definitely disproportionately affects skin of color yeah you know the factories I you know the Milan site that was talking about tend to be sort of overactive and at baseline are just very busy and so that's why we are disproportionately affected by dark spots uneven skin tone and I just feel like with you know the industry at large especially more cosmetics you know there's very few solutions to this issue and it's an issue that isn't just sort of a vanity thing you know I've had patients where it's really affecting their mental health the way that they see themselves and I think a lot of people overlook that yeah and as I said there's so few solutions even that really can help you overcome that yeah obviously being perfect is one of those and I absolutely love it and it's something I recommend all the time to my patients yeah

4:07Orin Carlin:I think why a lot of people that I chat to struggle is actually when we think of brightening ingredients often we think vitamin C and actually there are other brightening ingredients out there. I think for a lot of vitamin C's that I've tried in the past they can actually be quite strong if you have sensitive skin they're not always the best ingredients grow for. So I think that's why something like viniferine, which is a plant-based alternative, is a monosin because it's suitable for sensitive skin.

4:41Mathilde Thomas:Black viniferine is actually requested versus vitamin C and it's 52 times more effective than vitamin C to brighten the skin and get rid of dark spots. I mean that's an incredible stat, 62. It's sun safe and it's pregnancy safe. Let me tell you four huge differences.

5:01Nana Agyemang:For anyone that doesn't know, vinifery is one of the key ingredients.

5:05Mathilde Thomas:It is the patent in the... It's the perfect. Yeah, it's the major ingredient. Yeah. We tested it also versus niacinamide. Niacinamide at 10 % and we were 43 % more effective.

5:19Nana Agyemang:Gosh, these are great figures. I love. From what you see, clinical, product development, editorial conversations, what are the most common triggers behind hyperpigmentation?

5:34Orin Carlin:Yeah, I think sun is probably the most obvious one. Certainly for myself, I have a few sunspots, but it's not the only possible factor. Dr. Lillian, you know all of this, but it could be hormonal. It could be even medication can trigger hyperpigmentation. For me, I'm mixed heritage, so I do find that I suffer from post-inflammatory pigmentation as well, especially if I've, we've all been guilty of this, you have a spot and you sort of pick it. And I, my skin can be quite, it can often get those units of brown marks because then actually the spot has healed, but they're still there. It's so annoying.

6:16Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:No, it's so, so annoying. And, you know, what I really stress to my patients is that in itself, you can't help hyperventilation. That is just sort of a response process of your skin. And in a way, it's working properly. But obviously what compounds it is, first of all, not addressing the inflammatory process that comes before that. And what are some of those inflammatory processes, right? Acne is a really common one. But then also picking your skin. I'm sometimes guilty too. But all of those things really, I know, so that. We've all been human, right?

6:44Orin Carlin:It's a safe space. Yeah, it's safe.

6:47Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:But all of that, you know, essentially creates an inflammatory process in the skin, which then triggers that sort of hyperproduction of, you know, melanin and creating sort of dark spots and things. So in itself, you can't help it. But it's just so important that we're addressing the inflammatory process by targeting acne, really getting on top of that, you know, making sure that we're minimizing breakouts where possible. And then thereafter, when you do have the pigmentation, really being quite aggressive and persistent and consistent with the treatment of it. I also really want to emphasize as well sunscreen.

7:20Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:A lot of us overlook this. We think that it's something that we just use in the summertime. On holiday? No. Yeah. All year round. If you want to get great results, you need to be using sunscreen all year round. And that's just the way, again, of sort of being like an insurance policy for the great results that you're going to get with the new method.

7:36Nana Agyemang:Yeah. You kind of answered my next question, which was, do you think people understand the reason why they get dark spots like what do you think the education should be around that yeah oh my gosh should I keep talking I think that's a good

7:51Orin Carlin:question I think depends who you ask I would say I think um I mean these days the consumer is so savvy like if there's so much information out there actually if people are sort of investing in a serum a lot of beauty fans have done a lot of research um before they make that purchase but then equally when there's so much information that can also be quite confusing do people come into your clinic as new as a bit overwhelmed yeah i see that a lot and even with tools like ai

8:21Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:people still really struggle to understand what works best for them yeah and i think first of course when it comes to hyperpigmentation sort of solutions it's really all about the result and I think if you can have a product like Funo Perfect where your friends, your mother, your sister, your friends are like okay great, this actually worked, that's almost like the truth that you need. And I think also another sort of source of misunderstanding as well, it's essentially how to put a routine together to address hyperpigmentation. Yes, they may know that okay I need this one serum, this one product to address my dark spots, but how do we put that all together to make sure that we're addressing the pigmentation from all angles and I think that's really where the sort of gap in knowledges.

9:01Yeah, definitely.

9:03Nana Agyemang:Finally, on hyperpigmentation, is it something you can fix or is it about long-term management?

9:11Mathilde Thomas:You can fix a great deal of it. You can fix a lot of it. Well, if you take our product, we've done many tests because we launched it more than 20 years ago. and it's true that after one bottle on every single prototype from the fairest to the darkest skin we have a minus 63 percent of the dark spot intensity but if you focus on the deepest skin tone which is prototype four five six on the fitzpatrick scale it's a minus 81 percent so it's a lot yeah and right and we have tried it on every single dark spot it can be hyperpigmentation which is acne spar or melasma, pregnancy mask, sun, age spots.

9:57Mathilde Thomas:And it works on every single one.

10:00Orin Carlin:Girl, winter is so last season. And now spring's got you looking at pictures of tank tops with hungry eyes. Your algorithm is feeding you cutoffs. You're thirsty for the sun on your shoulders. That perfect hang on the patio sundress. Those sandals you can wear all day and all night. And you've had enough of shopping from your couch. done hoping it looks anything like the picture when you tear open that envelope it's time for a little in-person spring treat it's time for a trip to ross work your magic

10:31Mathilde Thomas:what they did to your family you're lucky to make it out alive streaming on peacock these men are

10:37Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:going to come after me taking them out it's my only chance put a bullet in your head from the

10:43Nana Agyemang:co-creator of ozark looks like a family was running drugs execution style killing it's

10:48Mathilde Thomas:It's rare for the keys. And it leads on who they might have been running for.

10:51Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:The cartel killed my family. I'm going to kill them. All of them.

10:56Mathilde Thomas:MIA. Streaming now. Only on Peacock.

10:59Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:And also just to add to what Matilda said, I think what I'm so impressed with Borderly by is the fact that they do test on darker skin tones. Yeah. Because I've seen the back-end reports from some brands. I mean, no names. And trust me, they don't test on darker skin tones. and I think that can be a variety of reasons but I think definitely sort of my sort of conclusion that I've run to with other brands is that essentially because people in Haitian are so hard to treat in darker skin tones it effectively rendered their products pretty redundant yeah but the fact that you know Cordley are putting their money where their mouth is investing into research and proving that their product works on a possible big factory scale that is like

11:40Nana Agyemang:yeah that's huge that really impressed me we are moving on to Cordley vinopurface and the innovation around it which I cannot wait to hear. Mathilde I'm going to bring you in. So vinifery is the hero ingredient. What made it stand out to you? Why did it end up in the serum?

12:00Mathilde Thomas:Back in 2004 there was an ancient tradition in my family wine estates and when people working in the vineyard were cleaning the vine the vine is leaking sap in spring and they would wrap the sap on the face and hands and notice that not only dark spots would disappear but it would bring a glow to the skin. So the scientific team I was working with studied the sap and isolated this unique molecule for guineferin that is going to brighten, to even the skin tight and to really get rid of dark spots. And so we started comparing it to niacinamide at 10 % it was already 3 % more effective, to vitamin C it was 62 times more effective and this is how we extracted this molecule from the vine sap, stabilized it, made it bioavailable and compatible to the skin, patented it so it's a unique proprietary molecule to codelium.

12:57Mathilde Thomas:And you know what, when we launched the product in 2005, we were the first ones to open in France the dark spot category. I remember presenting it to my sales team and no one cared. Yeah. They said, bring us an anti-wrinkle product. Yeah, yeah. That's all it was then. We don't care.

13:13Nana Agyemang:And now it's acute. Now it's number one. But on to my next question. When did you notice that there was a gap in the market? Or what did you think that this product needed to be made? In 2005, when I was traveling to Asia, everybody was interested in the skin evenness.

13:33Mathilde Thomas:That was very important for them because they don't get wrinkles, but they get dark spots very fast and easily and young because of the sun. And then it built up in Europe and it started becoming big in 2010.

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13:48Nana Agyemang:It's been a great 20 years. What makes Vino Perfect so different from all of the other dark spot serums out there? Can I jump in? I feel each of you will have an answer for that.

14:02Orin Carlin:Can I grab some? Yeah. What I love is that it's so milky. That texture is just so lovely. I've tried... No, you just picked them on before we started and I loved it. I think for me, what makes it different is it sits so beautifully with my other skincare products. So actually under makeup. I can't bear it when you have a vitamin C and it's sort of tacky. Yeah, or sits not very nicely under your SPF. I think I just love it because it's so seamless. Do you know what I'm saying? You can sort of do it morning and night.

14:37Mathilde Thomas:And you have a lot of olive squalane.

14:39Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:It's also super hydrating.

14:42Orin Carlin:Yeah. You can feel the, is it squalane? Squalane, exactly. Because of the slick. Do you know what I mean? You can really kind of massage it and it's very light-geny. It's very non-comedogenic.

14:54Mathilde Thomas:I would say the big difference is that it works on every single dark spot. it can be sunspot, age spot, hyperpigmentation, acne scar, melasma, pregnancy mask, and on every single skin prototype. And it's non-sensitizing. Okay for pregnant ladies and okay for sensitive skin and sensitive.

15:17Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:Yeah, for me, apart from the fact that it actually works, you'd be surprised in the pigmentation category, a lot of products don't work. Yeah. You know, aside from that, I love how, you know, despite it being able to lift off the pigmentation from the skin, it doesn't compromise your natural skin tone, which is the real sort of thing that I see with other sort of pigmentation solutions, particularly the more prescriptive ones, you know, where, yes, your dark spots will be gone, but you become a whole new skin tone. So you don't get that with the neopartic.

15:47Nana Agyemang:So also, yeah, that is not what you want to happen. Definitely not. I've been Vinoparfect. What other products in this range do I need to know about?

15:58Mathilde Thomas:You need to know three products. The Daily Moisturizer that has vinifering but also niacinamide that unifies your skin complexion. I love the texture. It's really lightweight, oil-free, great makeup base. And then I also love the night cream with glycolic acid because it stimulates cell renewal while you sleep. And this one is unknown, but it's our best kept secret. It is called the Brightening Micro Peel Foam and instantly it removes the dead cells at the surface of the skin because of its mandelic and AHA. So you put it on, leave it 30 seconds and rinse it. And it just rinse off with a cloth or just like?

16:42Mathilde Thomas:No, no, no, it's water. It comes out in a foam. So you put a mask on your face for 30 seconds and then you rinse with water.

16:51Nana Agyemang:So you can do this in the shower? You should do that in the shower. Amazing!

16:55Orin Carlin:I love that! I haven't tried that, I'm excited to try that one.

16:59Nana Agyemang:So Caudalie is known for balancing natural ingredients with real efficiency. How do you actually achieve that balance in practice?

17:08Mathilde Thomas:By working with scientists. Caudalie was born because we met with a doctor in pharmacy in Bordeaux and he was the one who told us that grapeseed contained the most powerful antioxidants produced by nature so it started by this discovery and we've been working with him for 20 years and then we worked 10 years with harvard medical school dr david sinclair specialist in resveratrol from the grapevine so it's all about science yeah and how to transform extracts from

17:41Nana Agyemang:nature into carfane breathing yeah now you've quoted a few figures already but i'm going to read this one out so I absolutely love it. Clinical results has shown a visible reduction in dark spots by 63 % in 56 days which is really no time at all and I feel like that's actually quite quick. One bottle. Just one bottle. What does the data mean to you?

18:05Mathilde Thomas:I'm super proud of this data and that's the reason why this product is selling. We sell like one every 15 seconds. and it's crazy because it's the best seller here in london for codelie but also everywhere else in europe yeah also in the u.s in america and also in asia for different reasons yeah i love all of

18:31Nana Agyemang:this chat we're going to talk about real skin and relatability which i think you've all kind of given me a little bit already how it relates to your skin practices but Oren I'm gonna start with you here what is your personal relationship like with your skin I would say these days it's quite

18:51Orin Carlin:good um yeah I think I certainly feel like my best self when my skin is looking its best um I don't know if you can sort of see today but I'm a friendly person I've got lots of spanglers yeah yeah and I didn't always love them but I think for me with my freckles it's about sort of managing them I don't necessarily want loads more um so yeah for me it's about managing them but also sort of two-pronged approach wearing SPF every single day to you know keep my skin safe um but no I would say I do have a good relationship with my skin it's interesting because doing this kind of job you're on camera a lot yeah and actually that has really helped my relationship with my skin you think you sort of might think it could be the opposite but I think it's helped me be less precious certainly like I do a lot of some you know makeup get ready with me so you might be starting with no makeup on at all and actually like because you do it so often just sort of get on with it.

19:54Nana Agyemang:Mathilde, what is your relationship with your skin?

19:57Mathilde Thomas:I try so many new products for Caudalie all the time. Fun job, so my skin is my job. I have the best job in the world. Even though I try a lot of products, I try to be effective because I travel a lot, I work a lot, I have three kids, so I try to have a super effective routine and I'm comfortable with my skin. But some products work better than others. And when your skin is okay with the products, it's hard to change.

20:30Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:Yeah.

20:31Mathilde Thomas:Dr.

20:31Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:Morayman? Yeah, I really resonate with what Mathilde said, actually. You know, obviously for me as well, skin is part of my work. And also I take it as far to say, you know, my skin is my canvas as well. You know, it's a canvas that I get to explore on through all these amazing different skincare products, or even treatments, going to all corners of the earth. trying to kind of get my skin looking like glass, right? Yeah.

20:53Nana Agyemang:Which it does, by the way. It really, really does.

20:56Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:Because if it didn't with all the effort I do, that would be a problem. But even with that in mind, you know, I do have days where my skin doesn't look like it. I'm best at all in it. And you know what? Increasingly, I'm just like giving myself some grace and being like, you know, so that's my relationship.

21:13Nana Agyemang:Nana, what about you? My relationship with my skin, I would say, is... good however I'm in my era of testing we were just having a conversation before we came on that I recently went to Seoul um had a great facial but I have this shop Olive Young with all of the projects in and I was just like where do I look where do I go so I really filling the basket filling the basket filling my suitcase I am I'm testing out new products I would say I want to get into a proper routine and I haven't found exactly what that is yet so yeah my new my new skincare what I'd love to know from all of you as well when did you start taking skincare

21:59Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:seriously um actually from quite a young age for various different reasons yeah so I actually have um a dry skin condition in my body ever since I was a child and so moisturization has been my Yeah, from a very young age. But then as I kind of got older into my teens, I actually suffered acne, mild-to-order acne. You might not believe me, but I swear I did.

22:23Nana Agyemang:There's a scar on your face. I can't imagine this being close enough. It's quite logical, but I'll take the compliment.

22:31Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:But yeah, so, you know, I've tried all sorts of lotions and potions and even medication to help address my acne. and thankfully that has you know is now sort of a thing of the past but yeah I've gone through a whole journey and continue to fix my skin yeah it's a great journey you're on.

22:47Nana Agyemang:Mathilde when did you start with your skincare?

22:51Mathilde Thomas:I remember we were on a sailing boat with my family and I got sunburned really bad on the shoulder I could remove the skin oh so my mother had told me many times to put sunscreen but you know what it is you're 50 you play you forget so then I realized that

23:11Nana Agyemang:sunscreen was important yeah wow yeah that was the painful lesson yeah I think I've done similar

23:18Orin Carlin:things actually I remember doing I burnt my scalp which is an awful place to burn it's very painful on my nose as well um but my um when did I start probably getting into skincare I when I was a teenager it was the year of like beauty YouTube so the kind of early skin fluences as we would call them today I really really got into that so yeah I think from a teenager I was double cleansing but I probably treated it more as a hobby I found it quite fun and like a source of entertainment and I remember the first ever luxury skincare product that I bought it was beauty elixir i had it in the mini and they used to sell it in space and k by the till you know where you have all the holiday bits i remember when i bought it and it sort of felt so so glamorous and grown up but no i love that that product has such nostalgia for me actually i still keep it on my

24:16Nana Agyemang:desk one of my number one products i won't fly anywhere without that oh i feel like i need a yeah

24:29Orin Carlin:it's the smell as well

24:33Nana Agyemang:orange blossom honestly yeah one of my absolute favorites so good so so good I started taking skincare seriously I think around the same time I started wearing makeup but well actually later when I started wearing makeup when I started wearing makeup and not taking it off as we all did yeah exactly as teenagers and then the skin started getting quite bad and then I realized no actually there needs to be a routine around this once in a while yes but no but don't yet so late teens early 20s I would say is when I started really getting into skincare Dr. Omaima I am coming to you again when it comes to skin concerns in your clinic what is the most prevalent thing that you see hyperpigmentation and i'm not even just saying

25:22Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:that really hyperpigmentation whether it be due to post-inflammatory or even sort of exacerbated by the sun that's the number one um and then i'd say acne um and then third of all just sort of overall sort of skin sort of um improvement rejuvenation yeah you know how do i build a routine um things like that so yeah 100 % hyperpigmentation at the top and do you see this across all ages as well absolutely but what I would say is that across different age groups

25:53Nana Agyemang:the reason for it can sometimes do yeah and from a cultural point of view what impact do you think social media has made on people being more aware of their skin texture skin tone is that a good

26:08Orin Carlin:thing it's a good question I think there are lots of skin fluencers and sort of content creators who are creating their content around skin tone and you know we get to see what their skin kind of really looks like which I think is amazing. I think there's also the other side of it perhaps where not everyone is doing the same thing so some people might be using filters and you know we might not know that they're using filters actually and then also I think more awareness around skin tone, we might find some people feeling like it's another problem to fix. Another thing on the list, you know, the long list as women.

26:52Orin Carlin:But in general, I think more awareness around our skin tone and hyperfigmentation can only really be a good thing. Definitely when we have incredible content creators out there. But I think it's a little bit of a mix, I'd say.

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27:59Nana Agyemang:Would you say to someone who felt kind of really overwhelmed by the social media space, because there is all of this information how do you kind of filter out the noise like that would

28:11Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:be my question yeah really good question I would say first of all seek professionals i.e doctors like myself estheticians where we have sort of actual skin medical qualifications um I feel like that's just the quickest way to sort of cut through the noise because as you mentioned there's a lot of noise yeah um and then also the next thing that I would say is I've definitely noticed within my community within my patient group just a real pho-mo when it comes to skincare yeah and just kind of getting excited by the next new shiny thing and new product launch um i would definitely say do i get distracted yeah focus on what works stick to what works once you find the product just stick to it yeah okay because you know if you start experimenting and doing a whole bunch of things that in itself controls new and that's more big information right so you're essentially not even start from ground zero, start from minus one.

29:05Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:Right, so just stick on backwards. Exactly.

29:08Nana Agyemang:I want to know about using Vino Perfect in real life, everyday life. Where does it actually sit in the skincare routine?

29:17Mathilde Thomas:Well you have to use it morning and night. So in the morning, honest clean skin, usually when you apply your routine it's always from the thinnest texture to the thickest texture. So what you should do is use the essence, which has a glycolic acid, which is going to stimulate cell renewal. So you dab it all around on your face. Then you put the vinocrophic serum and then you put an SPF 50 plus PA++++ to protect from UVA and UVB. And at night, same thing the glycolic the serum and the night cream and why the glycolic before because it's going actually to boost two times the effect of the serum yeah because it stimulates cell

30:07Nana Agyemang:I always find that a minefield like where do things go in the routine like that is good to know any other steps that you do use it in a different way at all totally agree again I would just really

30:19Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:emphasize the importance of consistency and using it twice a day if you want to see those sort of amazing results that phenopathic can give you and then also of course making sure that you're finishing off with a sunscreen um i love to use sunscreen so for those of you that maybe haven't tried it yeah i would 100 % recommend it and those that follow me know that i'm very pedantic about sunscreens and i always say yes we know that we need to wear sunscreen but no one's gonna wear it if it doesn't kill me it doesn't look nice it's gonna make you look like cats with a ghost right I've tried and tested them all.

30:50Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:I love them and my favorite one is the light-based cream. So gorgeous, great for all skin types, especially more oil-used skin types. And as I said, no white plastic whatsoever.

31:01Nana Agyemang:So you said to use it morning and night. When you're using it in the morning, can you use it with vitamin C?

31:07Mathilde Thomas:You technically could. You don't need to because it's more effective than vitamin C, but yeah, you could.

31:13Orin Carlin:if you think about what the function of that product is it's it's doing what vitamin c does and all so you sort of don't really need to get that yeah i totally agree with you and i think

31:24Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:you know as soon as i heard that question i was just shaking my head you know in itself it's not wrong yes you can by all means but what i've definitely noticed with people with my patients etc is that there's this real tendency to like try and stack the same type or even the same ingredient in the hopes of like getting a boosted effect and I'm like no you're just layering products it makes no sense it's like vinifering not only is it great for pigmentation but also it's a fantastic antioxidant so parling on two antioxidants really just unless you say no wonder you broke it out and the skin

32:04Nana Agyemang:cannot absorb so many layers we're not trying to put like 12 different serums I'm not.

32:10Orin Carlin:I want an extra half an hour in bed. I'm not doing that.

32:13Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:You know, this is why I say a good proportion, dare I say the majority, but let's say a good proportion of skin problems are self-inflicted. Do you find that in clinic? Oh, yeah.

32:25Nana Agyemang:Again, I feel that comes back to everyone being overwhelmed with all of the information and thinking, oh, I have to do all of these steps or have all of these products.

32:36Orin Carlin:Or even higher percentages, better. Do you know what I mean? Not necessarily. You're shaking your head. Not necessarily the case.

32:44Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:I'm shaking my head because I see it so much and I'm like, darling, what are you doing? It's like doing a pick and mix on their faces and I'm like, oh, no.

32:52Nana Agyemang:Kind of leads me on to my next question, which is what is the most common mistake people make when it comes to dark spots?

32:59Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:Not wearing sunscreen, honestly. For sure. yeah and when sunscreen all year round consistently that I would say is the biggest I think that's number one which is I completely agree and at night you have to remove your

33:14Mathilde Thomas:sunscreen and you do that with an oil a cleansing oil I think also scrubbing some people feel like

33:20Orin Carlin:they need to scrub at dark spots to get rid of them or use you know use acids that are really

33:26Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:harsh yeah I've seen it and it's going to make it worse yeah ironically yeah

33:32Nana Agyemang:How long realistically should someone give a product like this before they start seeing visible results?

33:40Mathilde Thomas:That was a question that I've been asked many times. It's a great question. So we've tried the product after seven days. And after seven days, on average, on every single dark spot, on every single skin type, it's a minus 25 % of dark spot intensity. So you start seeing something. But then we're not all equal. Some people will see results super fast and for some it will take longer.

34:02Nana Agyemang:Different strokes for different bites as they say. Can Vinoperfect be layered with other actives safely or is there a less is more approach?

34:13Mathilde Thomas:We like to put this corner with a little bit of glycolic underneath because it's going to boost the effect of viniferine. You could add other ingredients but you don't have it. It's super effective on this one.

34:27Nana Agyemang:So going from the morning routine to the night time routine, would you be able to use it with retinol? You could.

34:34Mathilde Thomas:You could because it's a product that is safe for sensitive skin. So I would not recommend vitamin C plus retinol or AHA plus retinol, but linifering with retinol will work. So before or after retinol? You should put it before your retinol moisturizer.

34:51Nana Agyemang:If you had to build your perfect skincare routine for bright, even skin tone, what would it look like?

35:00Orin Carlin:We're going to do this together? Yeah. Well, first of all, in the morning, I would go for a lovely, light, milky kind of gel cleanser. I know not everyone cleanses in the morning, but I do.

35:13Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:Yeah, same. Kind of a gentle cleanser. Feming cleanses is a great option. And just making sure they're actually spending a good amount of time actually cleansing your face, not my face. That's the only thing I'd add to that.

35:26Nana Agyemang:How long should a good skincare routine take?

35:29Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:Well, the cleansing step in itself, a good 60 seconds minimum. But really end-to-end, depending on what you're doing, could be anywhere from five to three minutes, depending on what you're doing. Basically, you should be in and out the door and fighting. Yeah, if that's you, you might need to read this.

35:48Nana Agyemang:I also wanted to say about when you were saying about routine in the morning maybe should take like 10 minutes, same for the evening? Yeah, 100%.

35:55Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:But overall though, it's not even only about how long it should take, it's also about the intention behind your skincare routine. Every single step needs to have an intention and I think that's what people really get lost in the source about. They're just kind of doing things for the sake of it. and going back to the hyperpigmentation conversation every product within that routine needs to sort of and to make the cake of treating hyperpigmentation if that makes any sense so the different ways that you can do that or even if I give examples to what I mean first of all if you're using a cleanser yes you can use a Jata one but it would be great if you could use one with a little acid within it so that's going to lift up all of that dead skin making to the perfect foundation to then put on those sort of anti-hygummitation ingredients then of course you have the essence which is again active based that's going to be a great option in itself even just to brighten the skin too that's going to do amazing things and then of course you have the serum um also the eye cream too if you struggle with high-peak pigmentation across the face you're gonna have dark circles i can have one on it yeah and that's a great option too um and then obviously lastly with the sunscreen step that in itself isn't brightening the skin generally speaking however um it's just going to be again that insurance policy for all of the amazing steps

37:12Nana Agyemang:that you've done prior to that honestly i'm like like i said a sponge like i know i would be such great information i would like to talk about lifestyle and skin confidence and the glow that we all seek to get what you already have how much of skin health do you think is product based

37:31Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:glasses and lifestyle based oh very good question um i would say like a 50-50 split if not more so lifestyle and the way that you look after yourself i think a lot of people overlook that if you want quote-unquote perfect skin doesn't exist but let's just say perfect skin glass skin it needs to be a 360 hemispiece approach I don't think I just do great skincare products I do everything I'm taking the bubbles, I'm working out I barely drink

37:58Orin Carlin:it's a lot of job I totally agree with you I always feel like I can do everything right with my topical skincare routine but if I've had too much sugar if I'm hungover I will see it in my face you've got to have the all angles approach

38:15Mathilde Thomas:and you have to add a good the life balance and do a lot of sport and it shows on your face especially what you eat and what you drink and the water you drink every day.

38:26Nana Agyemang:I feel like it's the approach that I have to exercise and that if my diet isn't correct the exercise I'm doing is going to have zero effect so yeah. All about that, would you say that stress, sleep and sun exposure actually play a part

38:45Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:in high pigmentation a thousand percent particularly UV exposure as mentioned UV exposure is going to make that pigmentation pent-and-worth and so anything that you can do to limit exposure to that by wearing sunscreen having sort of sun avoidance and behaviors where possible i.e not sunbathing but a nice man direct sun things like that are really going to help to mitigate the evacuation that UV rays can cause but then also with the stress and sort of lack of sleep element that's just going to boost your sleep so levels which in itself can make that sort of um men in producing the pathway go into overdrive that's such an important point actually like the link

39:24Orin Carlin:between cortisol and your melanocytes i think we forget about that part um and also i think with sleep that's when your skin that's your skin's time to repair itself so if you're not getting enough sleep your barrier is not going to function as it normally should how much sleep do you all get

39:45Orin Carlin:that's a question for everyone i get about eight hours i would love to get more i'm a person that i feel like i need more i really yeah yeah i know some people could do five hours yeah how about you

39:56Mathilde Thomas:i've had that i've had that ura ring for many many years yeah i know exactly how i sleep i don't need it i sleep super well yeah i need seven and a half hours that's like my sweet spot

40:08Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:have I been getting that the past week? probably not

40:11Nana Agyemang:what's been going on the last week? what have you been up to? I've been working honey I'm a bit

40:17Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:in the past week it's been varying towards 5-6 which I hate and I don't advocate for just like advocating 5 seconds ago about sleeping but hey do as I say

40:30Nana Agyemang:Nana how much sleep do you get? so I am of the lesser camp I am an average five to six five oh yeah I don't know but I function

40:42Orin Carlin:that surprises me with all of your marathon stuff because I feel like you would need more sleep I know

40:47Nana Agyemang:you know what it is my body clock is just set to it doesn't matter what time I go to sleep I will naturally wake up six hours later

40:56Orin Carlin:still bringing the energy yeah that's it

40:59Nana Agyemang:very wide awake very special my I hope you always tell this story my ex-boyfriend used to say it's because when you sleep you look like you're dead um because i'm in such a deep sleep so i have every hour counts every second every second i would love to know is the goal ever perfect skin or should we be just reframing it completely i think we should be yeah i'm never really

41:29Orin Carlin:trying to pursue perfection um i think if that's what you're after i think you'll be disappointed I just want my skin to look like the best version of itself yeah for me perfection is just a little

41:41Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:slope when it comes to skincare and it's something that right off the bat especially when I'm managing patient expectations I'm just like baby no we're not doing perfection that's not because I feel like that's when we start and again I'm this is not sort of everyone that has that mindset but I just always want to safeguard against going down that realm sort of dysmorphias and hyperfixation and whatnot on our skin because you know it's definitely more common than what you would think and instead going down the path of significant improvement gorgeous skin healthy skin yeah because no one's perfect you know and I think once you set that sort of healthy expectation and base sign you're more likely to be happy yeah those that are chasing perfection and never have

42:26Nana Agyemang:yeah definitely what is the one small habit that you think everyone can do that makes the biggest difference over time that is not straight away I think wearing SPF every day that would be mine

42:40Orin Carlin:even in winter yeah I would say so I think if you want all angles protection I mean yeah I wear mine

42:47Mathilde Thomas:every day yeah all year round even when it's cloudy SPF 50 every single day SPF 50.

42:54Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:Aside from sunscreen starting your skincare routine as early as possible and being

43:01Nana Agyemang:when you say as early as possible are we talking like age or yeah what is there an optimum age

43:09Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:really it's not really to be honest with you obviously making sure that you're above the age of 18 if you want to start delving in the realm of sort of active yeah advocating for 12 year olds being veterinarian by any means but even at 12 years old having a good solid based skincare routine will put you in such good stead in adulthood um because really it's just those foundational behaviors, making sure that you remove your makeup every day, making sure that you cleanse your face properly will set you up really well in your later years. But even if you haven't started your skincare routine when you were 12, that's fine.

43:43Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:All health is lost. You don't have a skincare routine, please stop. Pool days call for cookouts and lots of laundry. This Memorial Day at Lowe's. Save$80 on a Charbroil Performance Series

43:56Mathilde Thomas:four burner gas grill. Now just$199. plus get up to 45 % off select major appliances to keep dishes clothes and food fresh having fun in the sun is easy with us in your corner our best lineup is here at Lowe's valid through 527 while supplies last selection varies by location see associate or lowes.com for details eczema

44:17Nana Agyemang:is unpredictable but you can flare less with epglis a once monthly treatment for moderate to severe eczema after an initial four month or longer dosing phase about four in ten people taking EBCLIS achieved itch relief and clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks. And most of those people maintain skin that's still more clear at one year with monthly dosing.

44:36Mathilde Thomas:EBCLIS, LibriKizumab LBKZ, a 250 milligram per two milliliter injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40 kilograms with moderate to severe eczema. Also called atopic dermatitis that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin or topicals or who cannot use topical therapies. EBCLIS can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to EBCLIS. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems.

45:03Mathilde Thomas:You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with EBCLIS. Before starting EBCLIS, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Ask your doctor about EBCLIS and visit ebglis.lily.com or call 1-800-LILY-RX

45:14Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:or 1-800-545-5979.

45:18Nana Agyemang:Guys, can we just take a minute to appreciate the view and where we are? This is so cool. You can just see the whole amount of money. It's so nice. What is your favorite thing that you spotted from up here lots of great views i like also has anyone been on a luba boat before oh my gosh i have actually once yeah you have to do it it's really fun just up the thames just seeing one going past it reminded me so yeah amazing amazing space to record this gorgeous podcast before we finish i'm going to do some quick fire questions so i'm going to come to each of you be ready right glow or matte glow one skincare step that you will never skip spf yeah okay this is gonna be an obvious answer spf non-negotiable still debating oh come on Have you been listening for the past 60 minutes?

46:26Nana Agyemang:Instant glow trick before an event. Give me one.

46:32Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:Spritz of this. Glow for the gods.

46:36Nana Agyemang:Good to go. Okay. One beauty rule that you always follow.

46:41Orin Carlin:I treat my skin kindly.

46:43Nana Agyemang:I'm going to ask each of you that.

46:45Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:I want to look like the best version of myself.

46:48Nana Agyemang:And natural, yeah. And one beauty rule that you always follow, Mathilde? You know, you're afraid to hear I'm not in my mind. Obviously, we're in the pod. It's amazing. But this is very harsh light. But the all of the... It's quite unforgiving. It is quite unforgiving. I think you're just the greatest effort for this product. I think you are. You say so. God, we've been a person. She's been a person. and finally to each of you if there is one takeaway that you want our listeners to get from this podcast and about being a perfect what would you want that takeaway to be

47:29Orin Carlin:mine i would say is consistency is key one takeaway from you matilde um

47:34Mathilde Thomas:i love that to say be gentle to you don't be too harsh don't use ahe or bha if you are too young or if you don't need to.

47:44Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe:Less is definitely more and stop being so aggressive with your skin.

47:49Nana Agyemang:Amazing. Thank you so much, guys. That was honestly... Thank you. I have learned so much. A huge thank you to Dr. Awoma, Mathilde, Oren, and thank you Caudalie for partnering with us. This episode has been brought to you by Vino Perfect. One sold every 15 seconds. If you have enjoyed it, please make sure you do subscribe wherever you listen to your podcast. And we would love to know in the comments what you have learned from this episode. Until next time, bye.

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49:16Mathilde Thomas:It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to do at mintmobile.com slash switch.

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From the publisher

On this special episode of the SheerLuxe Podcast, we’re recording high above London with incredible skyline views alongside Caudalie to dive deep into one of the beauty industry’s biggest skincare conversations: hyperpigmentation, dark spots and achieving brighter, more even skin. Nana is joined by consultant dermatologist Dr. Ewoma Ukeleghe, Caudalie founder, Mathilde Thomas and SheerLuxe’s beauty contributor Orin Carlin for an honest, informative conversation around skin confidence, skincare myths and the ingredients that actually work.


The group unpack why hyperpigmentation disproportionately affects deeper skin tones, the biggest mistakes people make when treating dark spots, and why SPF is the ultimate non-negotiable. Plus, Mathilde shares the fascinating story behind Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum – the cult product that sells every 15 seconds worldwide – while Dr. Ewoma explains the science behind melanin production, inflammation and building a skincare routine that delivers real results.

Expect expert advice, relatable skincare chats, product recommendations and plenty of glow-enhancing tips throughout.


Get SheerLuxe Straight To Your Inbox, Daily | http://sheerluxe.com/signup 

AD | Caudalie | https://uk.caudalie.com/ 


PANEL

Nana Acheampong | @styledbynana | https://www.instagram.com/styledbynana/

Orin Carlin | @orin_carlin | https://www.instagram.com/orin_carlin/

Mathilde Thomas | @mathildethomas | https://www.instagram.com/mathildethomas/Dr Ewoma | @drewomaukeleghe | https://www.instagram.com/drewomaukeleghe/ 

Caudalie Beauty Elixir | https://uk.caudalie.com/p/319C/beauty-elixir-319c.html?MjE5=Y29uZmlndXJhYmxlLzIxOS8xMjg=&q=beauty?utm_source=sheerlux&utm_medium=media_partnership&utm_campaign=202605_sheerlux_media_partnership_beautyelixir_brandcontent_uk

Caudalie Vinoperfect Serum | https://uk.caudalie.com/p/432C/vinoperfect-radiance-serum-complexion-correcting-432c.html?MjE5=Y29uZmlndXJhYmxlLzIxOS8xMTk=?utm_source=sheerlux&utm_medium=media_partnership&utm_campaign=202605_sheerlux_media_partnership_vinoperfect_brandcontent_uk

Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Micropeel Foam | https://uk.caudalie.com/p/431C/vinoperfect-brightening-micropeel-foam-431c.html?MjE5=Y29uZmlndXJhYmxlLzIxOS8xMjg=?utm_source=sheerlux&utm_medium=media_partnership&utm_campaign=202605_sheerlux_media_partnership_vinoperfect_brandcontent_uk

Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Moisturizer | https://uk.caudalie.com/p/464C/vinoperfect-instant-brightening-moisturizer-464c.html?MjE5=Y29uZmlndXJhYmxlLzIxOS8xMjM=?utm_source=sheerlux&utm_medium=media_partnership&utm_campaign=202605_sheerlux_media_partnership_vinoperfect_brandcontent_uk

Caudalie Vinoperfect Dark Spot Correcting Night Cream |  https://uk.caudalie.com/p/465C/vinoperfect-dark-spot-correcting-glycolic-night-cream-465c.html?MjE5=Y29uZmlndXJhYmxlLzIxOS8xMjM%3D?utm_source=sheerlux&utm_medium=media_partnership&utm_campaign=202605_sheerlux_media_partnership_vinoperfect_brandcontent_uk

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