Dior Beauty Capture Totale Serum Review

We all know that there are more than a handful of brands that endlessly churn out products. But we also know that the saying “good things come to those who wait” has a lot of merit. This rings especially true in skincare, where the industry throws around the word “innovation” without thinking twice. That’s why it’s so appreciated and valuable when a brand truly takes it time to do research and create a formula that’s actually ground-breaking.

That’s the case of Dior’s newest launch: Capture Totale Le Serum. It took over 20 years of stem cell research, 20 global academic collaborations, 10 patents, and 100+ scientific publications to create this formula, and we’re here to tell you that the time put into it was worth it.

Stem cell research is famously used in regenerative medicine to replace sick cells with healthy ones. In skincare, the same concept is used to promote cell turnover and increase collagen production. And what Dior Science and LVMH have discovered together led to the brand’s ground-breaking skin tech.

The brand explains to InStyle that they created the first new skin classification system since the Fitzpatrick Scale over 50 years ago. “An imperfect measurement tool, Fitzpatrick identifies only six different skin tones that the average skincare consumer doesn’t squarely fit into,” a brand spokesperson shares. “Pulling from a testing pool of more than 600+ people around the world, the new T.O.T.A.L. Platform has for the first time identified 110 distinct skin categorizations (‘Pantones’) by taking age, location, gender, skin tone, and type into account. The effectiveness of the new Le Serum was then measured on these 110 distinct skin pantones to ensure consistent efficacy regardless of the user and immediate skin aging concerns.”

The result is next-gen technology in cell age reversal.

It combines this mother cell research with powerful florals sourced from the Dior Gardens. Notably, it features two types of multi-fermented Madagascan Longoza flower extract and Tuscan iris extract. In conjunction, the formula reverses the skin’s clock and transforms it into smoother, thicker, and bouncier version of itself.  

Courtesy of Dior

To shop: $100; dior.com

Prior to the launch, I had the opportunity to test the Le Serum and see the results for myself. Mind you, I’m 31 years-old with olive-toned skin — my anti-aging concerns aren’t abundant as I’m adamant about sun protection. However, I do have a collection of fine lines that form around my eyes and my smile lines are more pronounced than they were even a year ago.

I used the serum religiously for a month and did notice a significant reduction in these lines. Furthermore, my skin just felt better. It’s difficult to put a finger on what it was exactly, but it felt and looked healthier shortly after I began integrating this formula into my daily routine. And while the product doesn’t make mention of dark spot reduction, I did notice that my post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation did fade significantly quicker than I did before using this product.

The Splurge is our recurring column dedicated to expensive beauty products that are worth it. This week, why we’re rebuying Dior’s Capture Totale Le Serum, despite the $100 price tag.