At this point, there’s just no resisting the allure of French beauty. We’re not the only ones totally obsessed with the effortlessly chic vibe French women emit, but we’ve spent years (seriously) dissecting every facet of the French way of life. When it comes to skincare, in particular, we’ve noticed that a less-is-more approach seems to be the secret to achieving a peak French vibe.
Gone are the days of having to physically visit France to load up on all the beauty goods known to be in heavy rotation on French girls’ vanities. I mean, that wouldn’t be the worst thing, but thanks to a whole lot of Instagram stalking and some heavy online shopping, we’ve tracked down the 11 skincare brands French women love the most and exactly where you can shop them from the comfort of your own home. Read on to get the scoop!
To say this brand is beloved would be a massive understatement. If it’s not enough that Jeanne Damas, one of our favourite French influencers, called out the brand’s Sensibio Micellar Water as one of her go-to products, there are infinitely more famous fans who have done the same.
This French pharmacy brand counts loads of influential Parisians as fans, including makeup artist Salima Aliani. Its most notable product, Huile Prodigieuse, is a multipurpose dry oil that, right in line with French skincare values, provides supple moisture for the face, body and hair.
This centuries-old brand is another one you’ll see on just about every list calling out French favourites, cult-beauty must-haves, and so on. Cool-girl Scheena Donia has raved about the brand’s thermal water to her 50,000 Instagram followers, and she’s not the only one.
This brand dates all the way back to the age of Marie Antoinette, whose use of rare botanicals and essential oils in her skincare helped shape the way the French approached caring for their skin.
This Bordeaux-born brand utilises antioxidant-rich grape-seed polyphenols in its range of cult-beauty products. It’s no surprise that the three products it first brought to market are still available today. They’re just that good.
This isn’t exactly a skincare line, but no conversation about French beauty buys would be complete with mentioning the now-iconic haircare range. This is definitely one of the buzzier brands to hit our radar, but French women relied on it way before these chic bottles flooded the collective domestic Instagram feed.
If you’ve ever found yourself in the chair of a professional makeup artist, this brand’s famous Lait-Crème is something you’ve likely seen before. From French women’s vanities to highly publicised placements on just about every It girl’s top shelf, this brand is the ultimate in cult-beauty favourites.
If you’re looking for clean, Earth-friendly products that actually get the job done, look no further than Klorane. It’s the perfect embodiment of the French beauty philosophy in that it prioritises natural formulas without sacrificing efficacy.
From French spas to vanities across the globe, this chemist-formulated line is all about results. The goal? To offer a more personalised approach to helping all achieve beautiful skin.
This brand’s origins in medical eye care during World War II–era France have influenced its present-day reputation as a go-to eyecare brand among French women. Your eyes, eyelashes and eyebrows will thank you for getting acquainted with it!
This science-backed dermo-cosmetics line was developed in France in the 1930s, and it’s a go-to for French women to this day. It utilises Vichy Thermal Spa Water, a mineral-rich substance originating from volcanoes to help all skin look and feel its best.
This post was originally published at an earlier time and has since been updated.
Up next: I’m 53, but people think I’m in my 30s—here are the products I swear by.
