Compositions based on oyster flesh, olives, sunflowers, natural or synthetic active ingredients… In recent times, French cosmetics has been proud of its terroir.
Launched between 2020 and 2023, these four unusual labels are aimed at the most sensitive skin with well-thought-out, Made in France formulas, stripped of any fragrance (except that of their active ingredients and natural plants) and any marketing promise.
Non-exhaustive list of products to slip into your toiletry bag.
Also read: Mimetics, treatments that “crack” the skin code
PERS, French-style skin
“'
Mom, how good you smell', my son whispers in my ear every evening when I kiss him before putting him to sleep,”
confides Sophie-Lisa Precheur, co-founder of PERS, the brand in the sights of department stores and
beauty addicts
launched barely four months ago with Quentin Douce.
It is true that when we unscrew the glass jar of the rich cream, a clean smell, signed by the perfumer Sidonie Lancesseur (at the origin of Angel Eau Croisière by Mugler and Chloé Rose Tangerine by Chloé) hits us.
“
A signature fragrance with,
at the top, aromatic notes of rosemary and pink pepper offering a fresh and medicinal effect.
In the background, musks evoking cleanliness, and a touch of sandalwood reminiscent of the creams of yesteryear
, continues the woman who worked for nearly 15 years for major cosmetics groups, from Shiseido to Estée Lauder.
According to a study, it seems that applying a product with which we experience pleasure has an anti-aging effect.
»
From top to bottom
: Retinol serum, 95 euros.
Vitamin C serum 10%, 80 euros.
Rich cream, 85 euros.
PERS
Six years earlier, Sophie-Lisa Precheur met Quentin Douce, then a product developer at L'Oréal.
A period where, more than ever, international brands are extolling the merits of so-called “anti-aging” treatments through slogans, each more advertising than the last.
“
We shared the same observation, namely that marketers put a lot of effort into telling promises to consumers.
The term “anti-aging” actually means anti-pollution, anti-oxidation and anti-UV.
We decided to educate the general public with intuitive products,”
explains the co-founder.
It was then that, supported by a cosmetic surgeon and a dermatologist, the duo unveiled PERS, an acronym for protect, beautify, repair and stimulate.
SPF 50+ protection, 42 euros.
PERS
A bit like a prescription, each product “
respects the chronobiological order of the skin
(the study of biological rhythms in the body Editor’s note)
”
, continues Quentin Douce.
In the morning, Vitamin C (antioxidant), eye cream (fragrance-free) and SPF 50+ sunscreen (with the ideal jelly texture before and after applying foundation) help protect it. .
While the healthy glow balm for cheeks and lips, to beautify them.
In the evening, the face then needs to be repaired from external aggressions, such as pollution, bad or good weather, thanks to the rich, particularly hydrating and regenerating cream with 6% peptide, Allantoin and Panthenol, "
active ingredients renowned in the world of dermatology as the most effective.
» Retinol, to be applied every two days, facilitates the renewal of the skin and stimulates it.
Sophie-Lisa Precheur explains: “
We have not gone further than using the optimal dosage, proven to be effective, of these active ingredients.
In the kitchen, great chefs know how to reinterpret very simple dishes with lots of aromas and flavors.
Like them, we have chosen simplicity of speech with high efficiency.
»
PERS, available on
pers-skincare.com
and at Le Bon Marché and in certain pharmacies in France.
Clarity, beauty of the look
Clarté takes care of the eyes, those fine lines that surround them, “crow's feet” and unsightly dark circles.
It must also be said that this Nice brand was born into the right family.
That of Adrien Claret, son of Martine and Claude Claret, founders of Horus Pharma, a renowned French laboratory specializing in ophthalmology.
“
My parents changed the habits and reflexes of ophthalmologists in France and Europe who, until then, used products composed of preservatives on the eyes.
The healthier technologies implemented by Horus Pharma subsequently proved beneficial in dermatology, such as treating eczema.
»
The young man is not to be outdone and in turn puts on the white coat, specializes in clinical research in cosmetic surgery, before turning to his heritage: eyes.
In February 2023, then director of strategic projects at Horus Pharma, he gave birth to Clarté, as a nod to his own identity.
From left to right
: Initial facial serum, 89 euros.
Initial eye contour, 59 euros.
Initial facial treatment, 69 euros.
Clarity
“
The look is the basis of beauty.
The name of the brand refers both to the eyes, to the notion of transparency, because we keep no promises, and to the light of the South.
I used our expertise to launch a range of three very technical products.
»
The creams do not contain perfume, preservatives or
“potentially allergenic” natural ingredients.
He assumes this:
“each product is made from 12 synthetic components”,
whose formulas are slipped into patented Airless technology bottles, which preserves them and protects them from oxidation.
Beauty is in its raw state, without odor.
A single application of the eye contour treatment (named Revelation of the Year 2023 by
Santé magazine
) is enough to enhance the look.
Clarté, available on
claire-laboratoire.com
and in around ten pharmacies from March.
Alyscamps, it looks like the South
Still in the South, this time in Arles, a Provençal town famous for its photography festival and its Alyscamps, this Roman vestige which once sheltered the dead of Christianity.
For Julie Faivre-Duboz, a pharmacist by training, there was no question of not involving “
her region of the heart
” in these solar blue glass bottles, launched in 2020. Even the ingredients prove it!
Texturing agents are derived from olive trees, and some products contain fig, sunflower and apricot pits.
“
I have always suffered from skin problems, and so have my children.
But I realized that the products I bought in pharmacies were not that
clean
... I dissected them one by one before launching a range suitable for sensitive skin, without any substances harmful to health.
»
In this situation, it is difficult to meet the challenge of olfactory pleasure.
Julie Faivre-Duboz, however, executed it by creating a 100% natural and allergen-free perfume with the help of perfumer Maïlis Royer-Richard.
“
Only the Perfection treatment contains 0.3% alcohol, which is very little!
», specifies the founder.
Since then, her 19-year-old daughter, who had never showered with a perfumed product due to her reactive skin, has been using the body and hair wash with notes of garrigue, pine, rosemary, peppermint, bergamot and lavender.
From left to right
: Perfection treatment, 42 euros.
The Complete treatment for Him, 58 euros.
The Complete treatment for Her, 62 euros.
Alyscamps
Body and hair cleansing treatment, 19 euros.
Virginie Ovessian
Alyscamps, available on
alyscamps.co
and at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann at the Wellness Galerie.
Edulis, the power of the oyster
Heading towards the ocean, a few decades earlier, when as teenagers, Jean Julien Baronnet, Philippe Réveleau and François Canac met on the edge of the Arcachon basin.
These three long-time friends never thought they would one day launch a beauty brand, yet they have done so since 2021 by making the most of their origins: the oyster.
“
We were dining around a dish of these shellfish, until Philippe's wife told us about the potential benefits of iodine on the skin
,” explains Jean Julien Baronnet, former deputy general manager, from Los Angeles where he lives. of Rhodia (formerly Rhone Poulenc), where he managed the group's cosmetics business.
Was it possible to create 100% natural products based on this molecule?
My friend François, a cosmetic chemical engineer, took on the challenge of achieving this, before he came back with a formula based on oysters, algae and clay.
»
From left to right
: purifying gel, 38 euros.
Biphase serum, 95 euros.
Night cream, 88 euros.
Day cream, 72 euros.
Edulis
The three-way adventure is launched.
Philippe, an oyster farmer in Cap Ferret, then provides the raw material, before tests on artificial skin reveal the regenerating power of the oyster.
“
We were amazed that this mollusk could be so beneficial for the skin!
According to the studies we have carried out, oysters reduce wrinkles by 14% in 20 days of application
, continues Jean-Julien Baronnet who, accompanied by his friends, quickly filed a patent.
To tell you, Philippe, who did not use any product on his skin, applies his serum and cream every evening.
He can't do without it anymore.
»
Edulis, available on
edulis-cosmetics.com
and at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann at the Wellness Galerie.