Edouard Mauvais-Jarvis joined the Dior team in 2007 as a Scientific Communication Director for the Skincare and Make Up products, making him both the Scientific Director and the International Scientific and technical Spokesperson for the Dior House worldwide.
He also holds the position of Environmental Director, thus covering all the aspects related to the scientific and environmental image of Parfums Christian Dior.
During the launch of Dior’s new Capture Totale Serum and Nude Air range, a&e had the chance to meet with Edouard to discuss the two new launches and what makes them so special including their scientific properties and Dior’s savoir faire.
“Capture Totale is an essential anti ageing range, dedicated to be an emblem of Dior Skincare’s image of femininity. It relies on three key pillars that are the same for all our skincare, except that it is really well presented by this range.” – Edouard Mauvais-Jarvis
What are the three key pillars of Dior Skincare?
The first key pillar is Dior Science. In the case of Capture Totale – it has been created based on the 15 years of expertise we have on stem cells which creates a new approach to skin ageing. It is really interesting.
The second key pillar is Dior Gardens. It is our way of making skincare ingredients that are both natural and proprietary since we are developing and harvesting our own gardens with a variety of flowers in order to study and transform into cosmetic ingredients.
The third is Dior’s unique know-how and savoir faire in terms of formulation, allowing us to create formulas that are efficient in the long term as well as immediately. These formulas favour the penetration of active ingredients that provide the skin with the ultimate sensorial benefits. This all makes Dior Skincare.
What was the inspiration behind the new Capture Totale?
A while ago, the Nobel Prize was awarded to a team working on Neurosciences. Neurosciences are a very important discipline in medicine that focuses on how our brain interprets signals from the environment and create notions out of them. The idea behind how we create notions of beauty, age and skin perfection gave birth to the Dreamskin products last year. For Capture Totale, we collaborated with a Neuroscientist, Arnaud Aubert and studied 78 subjects who were observers, asked to look at the faces of different women of different ages.
Tell us more the studies and ageing.
In collaboration with Arnaud Aubert to study the brain’s spontaneous reactions to a new face, it was realized that its initial judgement is purely instinctive and emotional. In a matter of milliseconds, the brain focuses not on the face’s signs of age, but on the positive or negative emotions it transmits. This collaboration has also revealed that the face does not merely accumulate signs of ageing over time: year after year it appears sadder, harsher and more anxious as well. The brain instantly and subconsciously deciphers these negative emotions which ultimately alter our image by ageing us in the eyes of others. On the whole, plumped, naturally curvy faces convey more positive emotions.
When we talk about smoothing wrinkles and improving firmness and luminosity, we are really talking about improving the elastic pulp present in the skin that tends to wear out over time. This elastic pulp from a biological standpoint is created to an optimal production of the skin matter whether it is a production of cells in the epidermis, the production of extra cellular content in the dermis in terms of quantity and consistency. The right quantity and consistency is responsible for perfect skin synchronization of the whole process in all the cells, especially the stem cells which are the drivers and coordinators of all these actions in the skin. You can compare stem cells to the conductors in an orchestra because in a way, they are giving the orders to all the cell populations to either produce more cells in the epidermis or more matter in the dermis. But even the best conductor can only do his job well if he gets feedback by hearing the orchestra. If he was deaf, he would not be able to conduct anything. Stem cells have a system called notch connectors which can be compared to the ears of the conductor! They are proteins that are on the surface of stem cells. When all these connectors are present and active, the skin is able to produce perfectly consistent matter. But with time, the notch signalling system tends to slow down and because some of the notch connectors are disappearing with time and age, the ability to be perfectly synchronized and produce perfectly plump matter in the skin disappears too. Do not despair though, there is a solution!
The new Capture Totale Serum? Tell us more about the ingredients and benefits.
Since the beginning in 2006, the core active ingredient in Capture Totale has always been the Longoza flower that originates from a garden in Madagascar. From the flower, we developed the Longoza extract which we have complemented with other ingredients to create what we call the Longoza complex which is the heart of Capture Totale. Now, we have developed new performances on this complex and added new ingredients including an extract from peppermint that allows further action. We have also over-concentrated the active ingredient in this new serum to further improve efficiency, especially on the notch receptors and connectors. We are now able to directly act on the cell synchronization and reactivate it by 60 percent. The new formula penetrates 60 percent faster and 80 percent deeper which in turn allows us to convey 60 percent more active ingredients in the skin. It also enhances the sensorial performance of the product, making it ultra light and fast penetrating with a very fine texture that is extremely efficient with its intensive re-plumping effect.
How long before we see results?
You will notice long-term results between 3 and 4 weeks. However, we have worked really hard on the instant result. We really believe in having immediate results in order to convince the user that the product is indeed efficient.
The new serum sounds amazing. What else can you tell us about it?
It will be available in a new refillable jar that we have developed. It is part of our global environmental policy at Dior to have refillable jars.
What do you think differentiates Capture Totale from the other products available on the market?
The main difference lies in our approach. We have tried to build our expertise in three main aspects during the past years. We have the perfect knowledge of skin energy and understand exactly how the biological structure; the architecture of the skin is built. On top of that, is our huge expertise on the skin optical properties for understanding how this biological architecture translates into how the skin builds its own image. Another difference is our focus on giving consumers immediate results because we truly believe it’s the only way to obtain long-term results. Regular use of a product is the only way to achieve long-term results therefore the consumer needs to be pleased with what she/he sees from the get go.
Tell us about the new Nude Air Foundation?
Nude Air is our extension to Diorskin Nude whose role is to provide the skin with a very healthy bare skin look. The serum foundation formula brings with it a lot of skincare benefits due to a highly oxygenated oil that acts as a breathing interface between the skin and the outside, allowing the product to be very healthy for the skin. When you wear it, you don’t feel like you’ve applied a bit of makeup because it is so light and breathable. It has been enriched with cranberry oil for anti-oxidant benefits. Nude Air provides you with a perfectly unified complexion.
Are there any other products to complement Nude Air?
Yes! It is completed with a compact powder and a loose powder, available in the standard shades. Both these powders share something special; the ability to protect the skin against pollution which is very beneficial these days. To complete the range, we also have bronzing powders. These products are the perfect complements to Nude Air because each and every one is extremely light and adjust perfectly with the shade of the individual’s complexion.
Dior Skincare and Men. What products would you recommend to a&e male readers?
There are a couple of products that men can borrow from their girlfriends’ “toolbox”, if you will. One Essential is a very good example. It is a wonderful product that can be used by both men and women. I have been using it since its launch in 2010 and I am amazed by its immediate benefits. It’s also great for fighting the effects of jet-lag on the skin. What I believe is the most impressive about this product is that by using it on a regular basis, all your little skincare woes such as blackheads and breakouts disappear. It stabilizes your skin in the long run, so it becomes purer.
Another product that men can use is Dreamskin. This product offers a unifying effect without seeming like makeup. It dries really fast and brings about radiance. The final results are really amazing. I’d like to add that One Essential can be used no matter what the gender and/or age. It focuses on detoxifying the skin so it is a basic, global, everyday product.
Keeping in mind the climate in the Middle East, what products would you recommend to people here?
I would recommend One Essential as a first step because the product is so universal in its benefits. It’s also extremely light as I have mentioned. It’s a huge success in Asia. It’s very good for oily skin as it helps to stabilize it.
I also recommend that you have a good cleaning regimen for the skin because the climate is very harsh in the region. Not only that but the pollution and dust from construction, etc are very high.
Products aside – what are your top tips for flawless skin?
Drink a lot of water, protect your skin from the sun and sleep enough.
