The Founder of Vintner’s Daughter on Motherhood, Charity, and Gratitude 

Meet the woman behind the little black bottle. April Gargiulo launched Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum in 2012, inspired by years of working for her family’s wine business. The cult-favorite serum features neroli, sea buckthorn, turmeric, nettle, and other beautifying ingredients, with the aim of creating dramatic improvement in the skin’s visible health. In this exclusive interview, April discusses her successes and challenges in the launching of her product, as well as what she’s grateful for this holiday season.

It’s been four years since you launched Active Botanical Serum. How has your life changed since then?

I have two children now which is the biggest change, and I’m juggling quite a few more things as Vintner’s Daughter has grown. We are an eleven person team now, so that is quite a change from just me working out of my kitchen, asking my husband and kids to help me pack orders. As a result of our growth as a business, we are able to give a lot more money to charities, which is a change I am proud of. Two percent of every bottle sold benefits women and children across the world. Most recently we completed a well in Ethiopia that will provide clean drinking water for an entire village. Since the burden of gathering water mainly falls on women and girls, [and] when their time is freed up from walking hours to find clean water, life changes dramatically for them. Girls go to school more regularly and women hold offices and start businesses.  

You’ve mentioned experiencing challenges in the early days of launching Vintner’s Daughter. What was your biggest source of support and motivation back then?

I had so many roadblocks. Labs turned me away, retailers turned me away, and finding people who believed in my vision was hard. What I did have was a true vision for a product that would dramatically improve the health and appearance of skin in one single step. From the start of Vintner’s Daughter, I wanted to make high performance-driven skincare made from the finest ingredients in the world. That passion is still with me today as we embark on our next chapter.

How do you practice gratitude in your daily life? How about in your business/work life?

A daily gratitude practice is everything for me. It’s even more important when you think you don’t have anything to be thankful for. My most busy, painful, and frustrating days are when I absolutely take the time to show gratitude for the fullness of my life, my incredibly supportive family, and the beauty that is contained in the world around us.

Do you have any tips for cultivating gratitude, especially during the busy holiday season?

Every time you are about to say “I’m so busy” or I’m so tired,” change it to “I am so grateful.” It sounds hokey, but it really switches your perspective and will make the holidays more focused on what matters.

What are you most grateful for these days?

Today I am grateful for the rescue workers tirelessly helping people, communities and animals affected by the fires burning up and down our beautiful state of California.