valérie grandury
Valérie Grandury founded Odacité in 2009 after a battle with breast cancer transformed her perspective on toxins and the skincare industry. Taking her wellness and her life back into her own hands, Odacité was born from a self-made promise to never expose her body to toxic ingredients, starting with the products she was applying on her skin every single day.
MM: Odacité employs many different clinical actives from Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin C, CoQ10, and DMAE, to MSM, Probiotics, Enzymes, and AHA (Fruit Acids). Tell me a little bit about DMAE and MSM, two actives that might be less known to the average beauty customer. How do they work and what do they achieve?
VG: Ever since Odacité’s inception in 2009, our formulas have been born from the potent fusion of both natural and clinical actives to create products that are as natural as they are effective.
DMAE and MSM are part of the Fresh Collection, the first products I developed when we launched. These are only available online and at The Detox Market, where they are kept in the fridge. Each product is made fresh and shipped directly from our lab to our clients around the world.
MSM aka “the beauty mineral” is a natural sulfur compound that is found in all living organisms. It is the purest and most bioavailable form of sulfur, one of the essential minerals crucial to life and the regeneration of cells. MSM can be found in our Night Time Repair Serum, a night cream concentrated like a serum.
The benefits of DMAE in dermatology include a potential anti-inflammatory effect and a documented increase in skin firmness with possible improvement in underlying facial muscle tone. This ingredient can be found in our Beautiful Day Moisturizer.
MM: Which individuals have had the biggest influences on your life + business?
VG: My two grandmothers probably have had the biggest influence on my life and they are also part of the DNA of Odacité. Serendipitously, my middle name is Jeanne-Madeleine, both of their first names.
With a true shamanic presence, Jeanne lived in complete symbiosis with nature and animals in the southwest of France. She taught me how to connect with nature, how to harvest the therapeutic power of plants, and how animals are amazing healers. Like a true healer, she would create all kinds of potions, ointments, and remedies in her kitchen to take care of any ailments we would get as kids spending the summer holiday with her.
Always dressed in haute couture, Madeleine was the incarnation of the elegant Parisienne. Everything about her was refined – from the way she tied her scarf to the sophistication of her table settings to the harmony of her apartment design. Her motto for life and skincare was, “It’s all in the details and in the little things you do every single day.” When I turned 13, she started to teach me how to take care of my skin. She was a fan of using face oils and massaging the face (both very avant-garde for her time), and she insisted that results come from consistency. I couldn't agree more! From Jeanne, I have inherited an absolute passion for nature and its healing powers; from Madeleine – a sophisticated quality and passion for details and great skincare.
MM: Desert island Odacité products?
VG: If I had to pick just one, I would choose le Blue Balm. Like a Swiss army knife for your skin, this deeply regenerative multipurpose balm envelops your skin in deep and soothing moisture. It is powered by a proprietary Repair Complex, formulated around Squalane to nurture your skin barrier, and a Soothe Complex, extracted from German Blue Chamomile to harvest its anti-inflammatory properties. This balm can be used in so many different ways: a restorative face moisturizer, rejuvenating eye contour treatment, soothing lip balm, overnight hydration mask, after-sun care, and for any intense moisture needs. I use it every night as the last step to my skin routine to seal in all the benefits of my night routine and guarantee I wake up with deeply hydrated skin.
MM: Not being a cosmetic chemist yourself, talk to us a little about your formulation process from ideation to creation, to iterations, to final production.
VG: Not being a cosmetic chemist is what allows me to innovate, think outside of the box, and challenge a beauty industry that has been manufacturing the same way for over 50 years. When Odacité launched in 2009, we created formulas with zero questionable ingredients and extraordinary performance. In order to do that, we built our own lab – very rare in this industry – with an extraordinary R&D team with an unparalleled level of innovation that allows us to develop exclusive formulas that deliver our promise of Biocompatible Performance™. Each formula has a story. This story can start with the discovery of an exceptional ingredient, like the Matcha in our Green Ceremony Cleanser… or with a new breakthrough in clinical actives, like our Encapsulated Retinol in the Clean-ical Retinol + Hyaluronic Acid Serum. … or from a request of our community, such as our SPF 50 Mineral Drops (The request? A high protection mineral screen that you actually WANT to wear every single day, one that delivers skincare benefits without any white cast). We invent our own complexes of Plant Extracts, Vitamins, and Antioxidants and fuse them with Clinical Actives whose efficacy has been proven by research and dermatological testing. Our research and development team formulates and reformulates until every drop that touches the skin creates a transformational beauty experience while respecting human health and the beautiful planet we live on. Behind every formula are years of research, carefully selected and sourced ingredients, then months of clinical and consumer testing to create unique formulas of unparalleled purity and efficacy that you won't find anywhere else.
MM: What product took you the longest to formulate? Which formula are you the proudest of?
VG: I’m really proud of all our formulas. We always push the limits of what we can do and we never compromise on performance or purity. When we decided to come to market with a night cream, we had a very high benchmark for Crème de la Nuit – one of which was that we wanted to see results after the first night. We wanted at least 70% of the testing panel to see improvement in hydration after one night, and we ended up at 86%. It took us 22 times to reformulate and we were so proud of the results of Crème de la Nuit that we published both the clinical and consumer study in the box. This restorative night cream really embodies our philosophy of fusing the power of Raw Nature with Clinical Grade Actives. We start with Pomegranate Juice and fuse it with Ashwagandha, Blue-Green Algae, and Kelp to feed the skin with nutrient-rich Botanicals. Then we blend in Clinical Actives: Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid, and CoQ10, to support the natural nighttime skin regeneration process so you can wake up with visibly healthier, younger-looking skin.
MM: Are you a fan of any tools or technologies for skin or body care? (think Gua Sha, Rollers, Microcurrent, Radio Current, LED, Laser!)
VG: Absolute fan, and we were one of the first skincare companies to include a Gua Sha in our line. I was introduced to Gua Sha when we launched Odacité in Hong Kong in 2016 and we worked with a Traditional Chinese Doctor to create a Gua Sha tool with very specific angles and thickness that perfectly adapts to the morphology of the face to create an effective and easy-to-use tool.
MM: When you want a vacation from your brand, which brands and skincare products do you reach for?
VG: To be fully honest, I never take a vacation from my products… What I love about my skin is that I find it more beautiful every year. Of course, with age the loss of volume is inevitable – but since I started using my products (15 years ago), I have noticed that my skin is always well-hydrated, it maintains elasticity, my wrinkles are less visible and my complexion and texture always look healthy, without blemishes. In the makeup world, I’m a huge fan of RMS – can’t live without Uncover Up and their mascara, the only one that volumizes and holds up my super thin lashes. I also always have beetroot cheek & lip tint by Ere Perez in my purse.
MM: Bath or Shower? What’s the ritual look like for you?
VG: Shower mostly, I find it quick and super effective. I start with hot water to relax and soothe muscles, exfoliate with a loofah and finish with cold water for glowing skin and hair.
MM: When you decide to do the absolute most for a spa night at home, what do you do?
VG:
Cleanse with Green Ceremony Matcha Cleanser.
Apply Bioactive Rose Gommage – this is a professional resurfacing mask, powered by Papaya and Pineapple Enzymes, that thoroughly removes dead skin and build-up without irritating skin.
Follow with a mist of Aloe + Immortelle to quench my skin.
Apply BA+S Eye Serum.
Apply a thin layer of Crème de la Nuit and top with All-Embracing Serum to seal in all the benefits
A 10-minute Gua Sha facial massage to smooth wrinkles and relieve tensions, sculpt, and lift facial contour.
MM: Born in France, what are the “Beauty Secrets” you swear by?
VG: I find there is this strange belief in the US that for something to work, it must hurt – but the French beauty secret is simple yet very effective: “be gentle and consistent.” Anything that is going to be aggressive to the skin will damage the delicate skin barrier, compromising the longevity and health of your skin. Long-term, this will result in irritated, inflamed skin prone to lines, dryness, and dullness. The skin barrier is a fragile complex of cells that is essential for protecting the skin against bacteria, pollution, allergens, and other environmental aggressors. So, treat your skin with respect and be gentle and consistent (consistency is key). This will give you cumulative results without sensitizing your skin or causing long-term damage. When you build a solid routine that supports the health of your skin without stripping or over-stimulating it, you quickly notice a great improvement in the way your skin looks and feels. Here’s mine:
Morning Routine: Gentle Cleanser, Mist, Targeted Serum, Day Cream, Sun Protection
Night Routine: Double Cleanse, Mist, Eye Contour Serum, Face Serum, Night Cream
MM: Since inner health is so key to outer beauty, share with us the supplements, teas, and tinctures in your current lineup.
VG: I could write a whole book on the importance of inner health for outer beauty. Let me try to summarize some key habits that make a huge difference for me.
DIET
After having breast cancer 17 years ago, I switched to a plant-based diet with a good portion of raw food to maintain the integrity of all the nutrients and lots of fermented food to support healthy gut flora. Switching to plant food has been transformational for me in terms of health, energy, and skin glow.
SUPPLEMENTS
While I’m a firm believer you can get most of your nutrients from organic unprocessed food, I still supplement some that are hard to find in enough concentration through my diet. A daily dose of Vitamin D & Vitamin C when I need to boost my immune system, and Vitamin B12 (hard to find in a plant-based diet).
From Dr. David Sinclair’s groundbreaking research into aging and longevity at Harvard University, I have adopted a morning routine that consists of 1 g of pure trans-resveratrol and 1 g of NMN, a duo that seems to have a lot of science behind its capacity to support healthier aging.
After having very strong chemotherapy, my hair grew back very thin and I tried many things but the one that made a real difference was Nutrafol.
MM: What’s on your plate, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, on an average day?
VG: Most of the time, I’m an OMAD (one meal a day). This is a habit I developed first by experimenting with intermittent fasting for 16 hours, which made a huge difference. Then, I pushed intermittent fasting to 24 hours and one meal a day, and I have never felt better.
This is not about eating less – it is about eating less often and giving your body a break from digesting all day long. I have gained incredible energy and easily maintain my optimum body weight.
During the day if I feel hungry, I will have a few nuts and keep well-hydrated with water and drink green and matcha teas.
MM: Fitness plays a major role in overall health, any advice or practices that shifted things for you?
VG: Breast cancer triggered a desire to reconnect with nature and move away from pollution. I discovered Topanga, a beautiful and wild canyon between LA and Malibu, this is where I moved 16 years ago, this is where I found the strength to heal, and this is also where I found the inspiration for Odacité.
While only 20 minutes away from my office and lab, Topanga sits in the Santa Monica mountains and offers the perfect setting for one of my passions: hiking. I hike every day, super early to go watch the sunrise and meditate for 10 minutes at the top of a beautiful rock formation.
This dawning of a new day ritual is a regeneration in all forms, that is so essential to my overall health. When I travel, I track my steps and never go to bed with less than 10k steps.
MM: Are there any practices or habits or products you incorporated as a result of your cancer diagnosis that are still going strong today?
VG: Yes absolutely, most of what I mentioned above (plant-based diet, fermented food, intermittent fasting, meditation, yoga) I have discovered as part of my healing journey. Cancer has been the most important wellness teacher in my life.
MM: The best business advice I ever received…
VG: “Never stop learning.” – my father.
MM: The best life advice I ever received…
VG: It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.
MM: A wellness hack I wish I knew at 20…
VG: Limit your animal protein consumption.
MM: If people would just understand this about skincare…
VG: STOP using any harsh treatments on your skin.
MM: What do you know, deep in your bones, to be true?
VG: Life is beautiful, even when not perfect.
MM: What gives you hope?
VG: Engaging, witnessing, or experiencing acts of change, love, goodness, and kindness to this planet and all its living beings.
MM: I had the pleasure of trying a range of Odacité products and I can share that I have not met a formula that my skin hasn’t loved. In particular, I’d recommend their best-selling GREEN CEREMONY CLEANSER it’s a heavenly powder-to-foam cleanser rich in alkalizing Matcha + Spirulina! You cannot go wrong with their Treatment Mists: my favorites are the Aloe + Immortelle and the Rose + Neroli. Both are loaded with Aloe Vera and Hyaluronic Acid, making them a perfect pick-me-up throughout the day.
