13 French skincare and beauty brands you can shop online in the US
Skin like a Parisian’s without the plane ticket? Oui, merci.
The French know a thing or two about amazing skin, so we set out to learn their secrets, tapping experts to find out which products they love most and why their formulas are so effective.
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“French brands [operate under the] very strict regulation of the European Commission, which is very rigorous with any ingredients that are potentially allergenic or endocrine disruptors,” Laure Seguin, a French wellness facialist, tells us.
“French women tend to be attracted by products that are efficient [and] science-driven, but with enjoyable scents and textures.”
Below, peruse the top French skincare and beauty favorites to find a line you adore, add complementary products and, voilà, you’ve built your personal regimen. (We even found a few under-the-radar A-lister favorites.)
Plus, keep reading (or click here) for more of Seguin’s tips for building an optimal routine, as well as ingredient insights from Dr. Jennifer Levine, MD, an NYC-based double board-certified facial plastic surgeon.
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré
Made with shea butter and aloe vera, this multifunctional under-$20 wonder can be used as a makeup remover, mask, primer or moisturizer. No wonder one tube reportedly sells every 13 seconds!
Scarlett Johansson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Lady Gaga and Karlie Kloss are among the stars who’ve praised its powers — and it’s the only skincare product French icon Jane Birkin would allow near her face, according to her daughter, Charlotte Gainsbourg.
Aside from the original cream, the brand makes additional versions including a hypoallergenic Lait-Crème Sensitive and an anti-aging Lait-Crème Rétinol-Like.
Key Ingredients: Shea butter, aloe vera, soy proteins, beeswax
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Fluide+
Everything you love about the original Lait-Crème in a face and body formula. The skin-soothing properties make it a good choice after shaving or time in the sun.
Key Ingredients: Aloe vera, soy proteins, beeswax
Avène Thermal Spring Water
In summer, it’s like a glass of water for skin; in winter, it replenishes moisture lost to harsh conditions.
Seguin also name-checked it, saying, “For mature skin, it is important to keep hydrated throughout the day, and one should always have a mist, which is very French too. Avène has a great one.”
Gwyneth Paltrow and Irina Shayk have both been linked to the formula, and Spencer Pratt once told Refinery29 he spritzes it on about “five times a day.”
Avène brand fans also include Hailey Bieber and Sofia Richie, who both use the soothing Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream.
Key Ingredients: Postbiotic microflora, minerals
Avène Gentle Exfoliating Gel
Exfoliating regularly is not just important to encourage skin cell turnover, but also “to ensure perfect absorption of the [skincare] products,” according to Seguin.
“French women love applying products with their hands and working their skin with their fingers. There is a form of exfoliation that is very French called gommage, and it uses your fingers manually to gently ‘erase’ impurities,” added the expert, who recommends exfoliating after an evening cleanse.
Made with biodegradable exfoliating beads, Avène’s gentle, sensitive-skin-friendly vegan formula promises a brighter, smoother complexion — at a wallet-friendly price of under $30.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, glycerin, jojoba esters
Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum
Seguin suggests using a targeted serum daily in the morning, then waiting 10 minutes before applying creams.
Using a concentrated form of vitamin C, Avène’s anti-aging serum is aimed at boosting skin radiance, smoothing wrinkles and reducing the appearance of dark spots.
Even a sensitive-skinned shopper who has seborrheic dermatitis gave this serum a big thumbs-up in her Amazon review, writing, “My skin looks healthier, my complexion is more even, and I even have some color back in my cheeks.”
Key Ingredients: Vitamin Cg, niacinamide, bakuchiol
Yon-Ka Paris Eau Micellaire Micellar Cleansing Water
Spa brand Yon-Ka Paris’ skincare is used for facials at the legendary Printemps spas, and its micellar water is formulated to trap impurities, tone skin, protect from free radicals and provide anti-aging benefits. It also has a delicate scent of chamomile, geranium, lavender, rose and thyme.
According to the brand, Martha Stewart and Tracee Ellis Ross are among the famous fans of its products.
Page Six Style’s review: “I’ve never loved a micellar water until now. Yon-Ka’s doesn’t leave any residue, yet softens and brightens my sensitive skin — and it works shockingly well at removing impurities. It’s now a must-have in my daily ritual.” — Erica Radol, Page Six Commerce Reporter
Key Ingredients: Sea lavender, polysaccharides, sodium PCA (a humectant), rose and chamomile essential oils for soothing
Yon-Ka Paris Lotion Phyto-Aromatic Treatment Mist
Made with soothing botanicals, this 99% natural-origin mist is a French skincare mainstay and multitasker, promising toning, hydrating and radiance while also working as a makeup setting spray.
Seguin calls it a morning and evening “essential,” while one of over 360 five-star Amazon reviewers wrote that it “smells divine” and is “super refreshing for tired skin.”
Though this one’s designed for dry or sensitive skin, there’s also a version for oily or combination complexions.
“Smells divine, balances skin PH, super refreshing for tired skin,” reads one five-star review.
Key Ingredients: Glycerin, essential oils, including lavender, geranium, rosemary, cypress, and thyme
Yon-Ka Paris Hydra No. 1 Masque
Depending on your skin type, Seguin also recommends using a “hydrating or purifying mask three times a week, especially in winter.”
She’s partial to this intensely hydrating mask for the face, neck and décolleté, which rejuvenates dull, wrinkled and parched skin. (Yon-Ka also offers Masque 105 for oilier/combination skin, and the vegan Glyconight 10%, an anti-aging overnight peel.)
The French formula has a nearly perfect 4.6-star average on Amazon right now, with one devotee writing: “My new love potion, wow! Five stars! I’m 62 and have dry, sensitive skin with fine lines around the eyes and upper lip. The results were amazing for just one overnight use. My fine lines have diminished. I couldn’t stop staring at myself in the mirror. I am in awe.”
Key Ingredients: Humectants including Imperata cylindrica, aloe vera, PCA, glycerin
Pharma Développement A313
The balmy texture of A313 comforts skin that may be sensitive to retinol. Celebrities like Sophia Bush, Sienna Miller and Alexa Chung stockpile the cult-favorite French skincare product while in Paris.
A313 helps reduce wrinkles, smoothes irritated skin and prevents acne breakouts — and while it can be difficult to find in America, it’s available on Amazon.
Key Ingredients: Retinyl palmitate, arachis hypogaea (peanut) oil, tocopherol (vitamin E)
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer
From Christie Brinkley to Anne Hathaway, a long list of A-listers use La Roche-Posay sunscreens — but my fellow skincare Francophile, Sarah Jessica Parker, may be its biggest famous fan, telling Today in 2018 that she’d been using Toleraine Double Repair for “at least 10 years.”
“It’s light, unscented and just the greatest moisturizer I’ve ever found,” she raved. “My children use it as well. It’s amazing.”
The sensitive-skin soother has niacinamide to tame redness, prebiotics to restore the skin barrier and thermal spring water to help rebalance the skin microbiome. It’s also earned over 53,000 five-star reviews on Amazon, including from shoppers who have rosacea and eczema.
Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, prebiotics, thermal spring water
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser
This non-drying, fragrance-free, bestselling facial cleanser is formulated to remove excess oil without stripping skin. The brand also makes a Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser for drier skin types — and both versions have earned tens of thousands of five-star ratings.
Key Ingredients: Thermal water, ceramide-3, niacinamide, glycerin
Vichy Laboratoires Mineral 89 Fortifying & Hydrating Daily Skin Booster
Vichy uses volcanic water in this hydrating hyaluronic acid serum, which promises to plump and hydrate skin for a natural glow. English actress and model Poppy Delevingne told Grazia she loves it, saying, “It’s like a glass of water for the face.”
Among the 25,000+ five-star ratings, one devotee raved it’s “lightweight, hydrating and perfect for sensitive skin,” while another wrote, “It makes my face glow without causing any issues.”
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, volcanic water
Vichy Laboratoires Minéral 89 Eye Serum
With a lightweight gel texture, Minéral 89 Eye Serum reduces under-eye puffiness and hydrates, minimizing fine lines and brightening skin.
Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, volcanic water, caffeine
Sothys Vitality Cleansing Milk
Micellar water is ideal in the morning or as part of a double cleanse; however, Seguin told us, “In the evening, [do] a more thorough cleansing to eliminate all impurities (makeup, pollution), using a richer cleansing milk to bring softness.”
She recommends Sothys’ version, which cleanses, brightens, tightens pores, and moisturizes skin.
Celebrity makeup artist Mary Wiles, who works with Sadie Sink, Ana de Armas and Naomi Watts, also used it on Diane Kruger’s skin earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival. (When in France …)
Key Ingredients: Grapefruit extract
Sothys Restructuring Youth Cream
A popular youth cream that tackles multiple signs of aging, including wrinkles and dark spots, this vegan formula deeply moisturizes skin. The brand’s Glow Defense Serum is also a French favorite, formulated to protect skin against blue light and environmental aggressors.
“I have been using Sothys for many years and my skin always looks wonderful with a radiant glow,” raved one Amazon reviewer.
Key Ingredients: Marine exopolysaccharides, saffron and sophora flower extracts, peptides
Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil
This multi-purpose dry oil is so popular that the brand also offers floral and shimmer versions — the latter of which one reviewer called “summer in a bottle.”
The cult-favorite find is made with botanical oils to soothe the face, hair and body; we love that it’s now offered in a travel-ready roll-on bottle for easy application.
Jennifer Aniston, Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes are all rumored to be fans of the brand.
Key Ingredients: Argan, macadamia, borage, camellia, hazelnut, sweet almond
Nuxe Rêve de Miel Ultra Honey Lip Balm
Even the driest, cracked lips could benefit from this honey and beeswax balm with a light citrus scent.
“I have chronically dry chapped lips, but when I remember to put this balm on before bed, it works miracles overnight,” raved one satisfied Amazon reviewer. “It’s thick and luxurious with a slightly citrusy scent that is lovely. Each little jar lasts at least two years.”
Key Ingredients: Lavender honey, propolis, beeswax
Caudalie Beauty Elixir
A long list of A-listers swear by Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir, including Keke Palmer, Margot Robbie, Zöe Kravitz and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
Bethenny Frankel even called it “excellent” on Instagram, while Paige DeSorbo recently told Page Six Style it “resets your whole mood.”
The formula’s natural botanical extracts and floral waters work as a toner to tighten pores, enchance glow, set makeup and give skin a dewy finish.
Key Ingredients: Grape extract, orange blossom water, lemon balm oil, rosemary oil, mint oil
Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Firming Cashmere Cream
A vegan, cruelty-free daytime cream to firm skin and minimize the look of wrinkles, this also has mineral pearlizers to give skin an immediate glow under makeup or alone. Pair with the line’s Firming Night Cream for a complementary set.
Key Ingredients: Resveratrol, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, vegan collagen
Biotherm Lait Corporel Anti-Drying Body Milk
David Beckham and Leighton Meester have both been ambassadors for this luxe French skincare brand, which can luckily be shopped on Amazon.
Thousands of customers rave about this repairing, vitamin E-infused body milk, which supports a healthy skin barrier and is said to provide 48 hours of intense hydration while absorbing quickly.
One fan wrote, “My skin stays smooth and soft and plump for days. You can feel it immediately.”
Key Ingredients: Biotech plankton, vitamin E, lipids
Lierac Body-Slim Firming Concentrate Beautifying & Slimming
Kristin Scott Thomas was once the face of Lierac, a well-known luxe French pharmacy staple.
This slimming body concentrate is designed to help firm skin and sculpt contours. It gets rave reviews, including this bit of five-star feedback: “J’adore.”
Key Ingredients: Peptides, caffeine, ginger
Uriage Gyn-Phy Intimate Hygiene Refreshing Gel
Skincare needs don’t stop at the neck. Uriage uses thermal water from the French Alps in its products, which are said to have soothing, anti-inflammatory properties. The brand offers head-to-toe skincare for any complexion type and concern, but this intimate wash is the most highly rated on Amazon.
“Uriage Gyn-Phy is one of the best intimate washes I’ve tried. It’s super gentle, non-irritating, and keeps everything feeling fresh without drying the skin,” one reviewer wrote.
Key Ingredients: Thermal water
Violette_FR Bisou Balm Sheer Matte Lipstick
With glowing skin, minimal but chic makeup is a must. And quintessential French “It” girl and Guerlain Creative Director Violette Serrat provides just that with her namesake beauty brand.
Bisou Balm is a semi-opaque matte lipstick that comes in eight shades and is meant to look alluringly imperfect on lips — like you’ve just been kissing.
Key Ingredient: French-girl vava voom
Violette_FR Boum Boum Milk
This vegan moisturizer has also earned a cult following, including both beauty editors and facialist to the stars Joanna Czech, who calls it “very light but hydrating.”
The easy spray-on formula is designed to hydrate and rebalance the skin barrier.
Key Ingredients: Squalene, hyaluronic acid
French Skincare FAQs
French Skincare Regimen Tips
According to French wellness facialist Laure Seguin, French women often follow a very strict four-step skincare routine: makeup removal, exfoliation (to ensure perfect absorption of the products) and hydration, followed by anti-aging care and face massage.
Seguin recommends the following:
- Start with a micellar water cleanse in the morning.
- Apply a skin-needs-specific serum, and wait 10 minutes before applying cream.
- Use a toner in the morning and evening, followed by a good day cream and night cream specific to your skin needs.
- In the evening, conduct a more thorough cleansing using a rich cleansing milk to eliminate impurities and remove makeup.
- Exfoliate at least once a week after your evening cleansing.
- Use a hydrating or purifying mask (depending on your skin type) up to three times a week, especially in winter.
French Skincare Ingredients Overview
Curious about the ingredient lists? We asked Dr. Jennifer Levine, MD, about the benefits of the following French skincare ingredients:
- Postbiotic microflora and minerals, thermal waters: “The microbiome for the skin/beneficial bacteria helps keep the skin healthy and maintains skin barrier health. These products can help maintain that and also refresh the skin midday.”
- Hyaluronic acid: “HA is a naturally occurring substance in the skin and is what gives the skin its hydration.”
- Lipids: “Lipids are fats [that] help retain the natural moisture of the skin.”
- Niacinamide: “It can brighten and strengthen the skin barrier.”
- Glycerin: “A humectant and an alternative to HA; some even prefer it to HA.”
Why Trust Page Six Style Shopping
This article was written by Erica Radol, Page Six Commerce Reporter. From identifying the top anti-aging skincare secrets the stars trust to pinpointing the season’s next big fashion trends to finding a great deal on all of the above, Erica has a knack for reporting on – and even testing – Hollywood’s bestselling fashion and beauty products. Before joining Page Six in 2025, she wrote about entertainment, lifestyle and shopping trends for Us Weekly, The Daily Beast, Entertainment Tonight, Well+Good and Hearst.
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