Five Of Our Favorite French Beauty Brands For Radiant Skin

In the world of beauty, there’s nothing like the French. Since the days of Coco Chanel opting for an effortlessly natural look while lounging in St. Tropez to ‘It Girl’ Bridgette Bardot strolling along the Seine in full brilliance, French beauty icons and beauty products enjoy a cult-like status.

Known for effective products that lend themselves to elevating your natural beauty with equally natural ingredients, we can’t get enough of French skin-care brands and beauty rituals. To help channel your inner French girl, we’ve rounded up our favorite French skincare brands (and which products to buy from each) to help you say au revoir to subpar skin.

Bioderma

Built on the premise of eco-biology with an approach aimed at preserving the health of the skin ecosystem, Bioderma has long been a favorite of those looking to treat their skin holistically. Developed by French pharmacist and biologist Jean-Noel Thorel, Bioderma boasts a long list of products worth carrying in your medicine cabinet but there’s none we love and lean on as much as Bioderma’s Micellar Water. This Ph-balanced, alcohol and fragrance-free formula is the perfect non-rinse cleanser for sensitive skin or for a gentle refresh while removing your makeup.

Embryolisse

Created by a dermatologist in 1950 at a leading Parisian hospital, Embryolisse is equal parts science and nature. Famed for their lait-crème concentrate, we are truly obsessed with this tube of goodness - one of the most crème de la crème of all French skincare. Formulated with skin elasticity in mind, this cream is a must-have for any fully equipped anti-aging arsenal. C'est magnifique!

Caudalie

Formed in Bordeaux, Caudalie’s skincare range owes its potent antioxidant benefits to the humble grape seed. One of the leading skincare companies and pioneers to focus on polyphenols in the early 90’s, Caudalie owes its success to husband and wife wine makers, Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas of Château Smith Haut Lafitte who saw a second life in skincare for their wine grapes. Our obsession lies in their brightening serum. We highly recommend working this skin-saver into your routine. Especially if you’re looking to even out your complexion. And, they dedicate 1% of global sales to funding reforestation projects to boot!

Sisley

Sisley uses botanic ingredients to create some of the most luxurious French beauty products. While we’re huge fans of everything from their silky eye gel to their grab-and-go All Day All Year moisturizer formula, what we can’t live without is the Black Rose Cream Mask. Rich in natural anti-aging plants like the namesake black rose and padina pavonica, a layer of black rose mask instantly reduces signs of fatigued looking skin for a visibly plumper, more youthful looking visage.

Avene

Be it a hot day or mid-flight skin pick me up (remember flights?), Avene is a staple in any beauty fanatics bag for a quick refresh and boost of hydration. With the healing benefits of mineralized water at the core of the brand, this Parisian dermatologist lab uses thermal spring water that travels deep underground for 40 years collecting skin-boosting minerals like silica before being conveniently bottled in an easy aerosol spray. Of course, it makes sense that the French have also figured out the ultimate refreshing face spritz.