Beauty Trip: French Skincare Favorites

French women are blessed in many ways. They don’t get fat, they always look chic in stripes, and they have mastered the art of unfussy beauty. We asked Stacie Fleming, editor at Paris Chérie and Paris Girl Couture for her take: “The French embrace natural beauty and natural beauty begins with good skin. Skincare is a huge part of the French beauty routine. There is practically a la pharmacie carrying high-end skin care goods on every street corner in Paris.” Lucky them! Happily, many of these cult brands are available stateside—here are our favorites.

Avéne

Avéne is the namesake brand of a town in southern France, home to the Saint Odile spring. Since 1743, the spring has been considered a healing source—by both locals and a growing number of international fans. This skincare collection, launched in 1989, incorporates the thermal spring water into all its products. We especially love their hydrating body oil.

Benta Berry

Too often, products targeted to younger skin look anything but sophisticated, and are loaded with harsh ingredients intended to blast away teenage acne. Not so with Benta Berry. Developed by a French mother for her son, the all-natural line is newly available in the states. The G-1 face moisturizer regulates oil levels (oh those teenage hormones), hydrates, and mattifies at the same time. And with its sleek white and black packaging, you’ll never mistake it for Oxy.

Caudalie

We’ve always known that wine was good for us. Little did we know that grapes are bonafide wrinkle-busters. Caudalie loads up their products with grape-based polyphenols, which tackle fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots. Not only that, Caudalie uses every aspect of the grape, from seeds to the vine, in their products. Talk about waste not, want not! For chic effectiveness, you can’t beat Premier Cru, their hero anti-aging cream.

Klorane

Although Klorane is known for their award-winning dry shampoo, we’re equally smitten with their gentle eye makeup remover, which smells lightly of cornflower. The skincare and haircare line, started by French pharmacist Pierre Fabre in 1966, combines the best of natural plant extracts with pharmaceutical advancements.

NUXE

What’s more French than a name that combines Nature and Luxe? Founder Aliza Jabès channels her passion for plants and aromatherapy into all Nuxe’s formulas. Her first creation, back in 1989, was the Huile Prodigieuse, a gorgeous multi-use dry oil that gives hair and skin a glowy effect.

—Lorelei Orfeo