Dior’s Highest-End Skin Care Line Just Got Its First Update in 17 Years

As new technology emerges, even perfection can be improved upon: On Tuesday, Dior unveiled a new formulation of its highest-end skin care line, L’Or de Vie —sourced from LVMH’s storied Sauternes vineyard, Château d’Yquem. It’s the first update the line has seen since its 2007 debut.

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While many labels employ the antioxidant and elasticity-boosting benefits of grape stems, Dior’s $1,700 face cream harnesses the power of “noble rot,” the same natural occurrence that gives the winery’s products their distinctive allure. “Noble rot” is an industry term—and a celebrated fungus in Sauternes wines. This fungus enhances the sweetness of dessert wines, dehydrating ripe grapes without compromising sugar content. While it requires more grapes than traditional production, the result is a rich, delicious white wine that’s as sought-after and collectible as the Bordeaux region’s world-famous red wines.

Château d’Yquem is the only Sauternes label to earn the prestigious “Premier Grand Cru Classé” distinction. Bottles from outstanding vintages can go for $1,000 or more. In its long history, the wineery’s devotees have included French royalty and even U.S. President Thomas Jefferson.

These vines’ saps and ferment are sourced for L’Or de Vie’s lineup, which includes two creams (the original Crème, suitable for most skin types, and the Riche Crème for dry skin) as well as a serum, toning lotion, and an eye and lip cream. The new formulation, which Dior calls Golden Drop Longevity Technology, harvests the latest vintage to multiply the anti-aging benefits for its wearers. Internal studies show 30 percent increased collagen production after use of the cream, with results synergistically magnified when paired with the serum or lotion.

Dior L'Or de Vie La Creme

A six-month maturation period and a 17-step extraction and purification process transforms the sap into an essence. This luxe juice contains ten polyphenols, allowing Yquem sap to pack quadruple the antioxidant power of resveratrol, which is the common ingredient across most other vine-sourced skincare. Dior’s studies indicate as much as a 92 percent reduction in oxidative stress. And while the term “anti-aging” could be applied here (as it is with most skincare products these days), the true focus of the noble rot-sourced L’Or de Vie is cellular longevity. The claim is that by using these product, your skin cells can last twice as long as they would otherwise. Instead of anti-aging, you might call it “prolonging youthfulness”.

“What makes these extracts unique is the concentration and combination of active ingredients,” explains Virginie Couturaud, scientific communications director at Christian Dior Parfums. “Ten concentrated polyphenols, combined with other molecules such as beta-glucan and sugars, to help ripen the grapes and provide the skin with uncommonly effective defense.”

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Couturaud speaks further about the unique development process that goes into each year’s limited-edition production: “Developing the active ingredients is a very delicate process, as you have to choose the right grape variety, find the right moment for extraction and the right blends—it’s like producing wine,” she says. Only now, to produce the aforementioned Golden Drop Longevity Technology, the scientists needed to identify the right biomarkers to adjust the recipe. She notes that an entire human genome was used to measure the impact of aging on skin. “The application of Golden Drop Technology from Yquem enabled us to demonstrate its powerful action on these same impacted genes, and to measure age reversal.”

While each year will bring about a new vintage for the respective rollout of L’Or de Vie products, production isn’t quite as dependent on “a good grape season” as wine making—which is a relief to fans of the assortment. “While grapes can vary in quality and quantity, depending on the climate, vine shoots and [noble rot] ferment are very regular in concentration and development,” explains Couturaud. “What’s more, every year, the quantity collected from the shoots is the same. The sap and ferment, meanwhile, is harvested from the Yquem vines and then cultivated in Biotechnology to ensure traceability and top-level quality.”

Each year, Dior also releases the latest vintage L’Or de Vie Le Cérémonial, a monthlong serum ritual that combines three 10-day steps—2023’s Le Cérémonial is now available.

Dior L'Or de Vie Le Cérémonial Vintage 2023

The elixir trio is infused with 24-carat gold, as well as the highest concentration of the new Golden Drop Longevity Technology. The serum also uses glycolic acid to gently exfoliate, as well as the oily extract of Yquem grape marc (the pulpy mash leftover after grapes are pressed to make wine) which helps to soothe the skin and improve its texture and brightness. Like the other products in the line, it also helps jumpstart collagen production and improve skin barrier function and clarity. The idea is that after a month, you’d transition to daily use of the L’Or de Vie Le Sérum to maintain those benefits.

But the ultimate signal of how special these products are may have nothing to do with your face. To commemorate the new formulation, Dior commissioned French painter and sculptor Aristide Najean to produce hand blown glass pieces at his Murano-Venetian studio, La Cathédrale. Its delicate construction is sized to house La Creme, but with only five in existence, you’ll have to make an inquiry with your local Dior boutique to get your hands on one.

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