In Conversation With Agnes Teffaud, International Public Relations Officer, Valmont
When it comes to luxury beauty, very few brands have the ability to carve a niche and garner a loyal audience for themselves –– Valmont is one such brand. For over 35 years, the avant garde Swiss cosmetics company has used the concept of cellular therapy and infused it in their products. Known for their flagship active ingredients and the use of DNA and RNA in their formulations, Maison Valmont now has grown from 11 products to over 100 treatments, across over 50 countries. And till date, their anti-ageing skincare products are celebrated for showing effective results, we are thrilled to announce that Valmont products are exclusively available in India at Parcos stores & Parcos.com.
Parcos Luxezine had an opportunity to have an exclusive interview with the brand’s International Public Relations Officer, Agnes Teffaud who walked us through the brand’s vision, its journey, and how Valmont products will appeal to Indian skincare connoisseurs.
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Tell us a little bit about yourself & your journey with Valmont.
I started at Valmont in 1996 as a Trainers’ Director first for the United States. I was in charge of the development of Valmont United States and looked after training and creation of the first skincare protocols. In 2009, I joined Sophie Guillon, CEO of Valmont, in her scientific communication and public relations department. For 27 years, I have accompanied both Sophie and Didier Guillon in the evolution of this beautiful brand with the same passion and commitment to give excellence to skincare.
Why do you think the brand has garnered such a cult following?
As you know, Maison Valmont has been in the market for more than 35 Years, the addiction for Valmont products definitely comes from the efficacy of its skincare, as well as the way the products smell –– people love the perfume. We use cellular therapy in our products, this is obtained from DNA from natural sources. We started with an anti ageing line, that stimulates collagen production and now we have anti wrinkle products, for lifting which give immediate, visible effects.
We also try to work on the texture. The texture of our products, most of the time, is very light and they penetrate easily. There is a minimum amount of mineral oil in our products, which doesn’t make them feel like a greasy veil. In fact, when the products penetrate fast, it’s comfortable on the skin. When a product shows results with that greasy feeling, it isn’t enjoyable.
Our products, however, do both –– give you results with the pleasure of wearing the product.
What are the key factors that set Valmont apart from other skincare brands?
Firstly, it’s the concentration of the active ingredients we use. Most of the brands in the market concentrate their products with 2% to 17-18% for intensive care. At Valmont, we use a minimum of 7-8% active ingredients for cream and 28% for intensive care. This is a very important key factor for the success of the brand.
Secondly, is the origin of the active ingredients. We use ingredients of alpine-origin that are pure. We control everything from beginning to the end, including the extraction of the active ingredients being used. Whether it’s from a fish or a plant, it is under our control. For both, for example, we monitor the quality of the water and use glacial spring water that is pure, without any preservatives inside. After this, we also closely monitor the galénique by which I mean every step our products goes through from the laboratory to the packaging. We control everything.
Valmont banks on its scientific approach to skincare, but a lot of the research done in the skincare medium is often meant for Caucasian skin. Indian skin types do tend to differ –– can you recommend a few products that are best suited for Indian skin concerns?
Of course Indian skin is a little bit different –– you don’t have a Caucasian photo type, you have a photo type three. It means that your photo type is like North Africa and Asia. It’s interesting and very important to know that Valmont has been in Asia for 35 years. This means that when we develop any cream, it is also meant for an Asian market, Indian skin included.
The Indian epidermis is thicker than caucasian, which means you get less wrinkles. But, we all suffer from a loss of firmness, which requires stimulation of the dermis. For that, rich textures for mature skin like Prime Regenera I and Prime Regenera II or Primary Pomade are good. You can use a Moisturizing Serumulsion too, which is also very rich.
Hydra 3 is another perfect treatment for Indian skin –– it’s a great anti-wrinkle treatment and provides deep hydration. It’s not a classic cream, it’s actually a gel cream which makes it apt for combination skin. Actually 90% of the skin types in photo type 3, which is Indian skin, is combination, and therefore you need to use a very light cream. And lastly, our formulations suit the Indian skin too!
Pollution is one of the biggest skin concerns in India. What would you recommend to combat this?
We have two main aggressors for the skin –– pollution and the sun. For pollution, we have a wonderful range of products. The Deto2x Cream and Purifying Pack, both of which oxygenate your skin. It’s important to remember that oxygen helps stimulate skin cell renewal and also takes off all the waste and toxins from the skin, and eliminates them. These are the most significant symptoms of pollution on your skin.
In terms of the sun, it is one of the most dangerous factors for ageing. We have Restoring Perfection SPF 50 and can prevent sun damage. If you use it everyday, you stop the UVA rays that are responsible for skin ageing. In all products you have natural protection from UV rays, however this one protects you totally.
