Why Chanel's Latest Luxury Skin Creams Are Really Worth It
Chanel’s Sublimage La Crème is reimagined with three new formulas. (Photo: Chanel)
Ten years ago, Chanel launched Sublimage, a luxurious, anti-aging skin care product worthy of the brand’s highly respected heritage. Since 2006, over 1.6 million jars of Sublimage La Crème have been sold worldwide — nearly one jar a minute. And now, with the discovery of recent innovation, three new versions of this incredible product are hitting counters: Sublimage La Crème Texture Fine, Sublimage La Crème Texture Suprême, and a new-and-improved Sublimage La Crème ($400 each for 1.7 oz). I was granted the unique opportunity to go to Chanel’s laboratory in Paris to learn about the incredibly backstory, from research to farming to creation. One touch of the trio of creamy textures on my skin made me fall in love — it’s been tough to even choose a favorite. And as someone who’s always wondered what really goes into formulating pricey, high-end skin care products, the experience taught me you truly get what you pay for.
Chanel’s sustainable vanilla farm in Ambanja, Madagascar. (Photo: Chanel)
Chanel began studying vanilla way back in 1995. In the 2000s, the brand’s talented researchers harnessed the natural properties of vanilla planifolia — one of 117 species of vanilla — from Madagascar. The country accounts for 80 percent of the world’s vanilla, and as a result, bountiful overfarming and deforestation creates open fields and disrupt much of the exotic locale’s natural habitats. Chanel had no interest in being a part of that problem, so in 2002 the brand established a small sustainable farm of 3,500 vines in Ambanja, Madagascar with about a dozen local women called “shaders” who observe, pollinate, and gather the plants in a controlled and isolated sanctuary. Vanilla traditionally grows in the forest, so the brand uses nets to prevent the sun from burning the plants in an open space. In this respect, Chanel is a leader in proving you can cultivate a successful farm while maintaining a natural community. (Another awesome benefit of this farm? Chanel established an educational center nearby, so when the shaders go to work, their children can learn and be cared for.)
Chanel’s shaders pollinate vanilla flowers by hand. (Photo: Chanel)
From October to December, the vanilla flower opens early in the morning. The first day they blossom, the shaders pollinate the flowers by hand with a small piece of wood, which transforms it into a fruit. The shaders monitor, cut and gather the vanilla pods in April — right before it begins its ripening process, when the molecule has the highest concentration and offers the strongest regenerating properties. They send them directly to the Chanel labs in Pantin, France the same day. It is there that the brand performs a separation and extraction process, which produces the new Éphémères de Planifolia. This delivers maximum benefits to consumers directly from the heart of the vanilla pods in part by stimulating anti-aging enzymes already present within the skin.
Chanel’s shaders know exactly when to cut the vanilla pods for maximum potency. (Photo: Chanel)
Combine the Éphémères de Planifolia with shea butter, jojoba oil, and Chanel’s famous camillia oil, and you have the new trio of Sublimage creams, housed in identical glass jars and scented with a powdery, vanilla aroma. They are all equally efficient products, and deliver hydrated, radiant, soft skin with minimized wrinkles. Their textures — inspired by the luxurious fabrics of the French fashion house — are quite different and may be selected depending on preference. Sublimage La Crème Texture Fine feels like delicate silk and is light enough to use in warm climates. Sublimage La Crème has the texture of jersey, hugging the skin. Sublimage La Crème Texture Suprême applies like rich velvet, and is best used in the evening or on dry skin.
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