7 Silent French Skincare Products that deserve more attention

I don’t know about you, but I always look at which country my skincare is made in — I’d be lying if I said it didn’t matter to me. Most of the skincare I use is made in Japan and South Korea. I have an automatic impression that products made in these countries are of high quality. Recently, my skin has been acting up (I think it’s due to all the rich creams I reviewed for my third beauty book), and I only just realised that the skincare I’ve been turning to, to calm my skin down and clear it, is French. There’s the obvious Lancôme Génifique Concentrate, but there’s also a host of other products that I’ve been using that really work for me and that I highly recommend. I believe the following products deserve a lot more attention; they are well formulated, have proven themselves on my sensitive skin days, and this week, I just realised… they are all French.

1. CHANEL BLUE SERUM, $216 (50ml)

I’ve gone through at least five bottles of this since it launched. This serum is actually a pre-serum; it’s meant to be used as the very first step of skincare — before anything else — and it acts as a booster for all other skincare that follows after, helping them absorb better into the skin. The formula includes a powerful combination of Green Coffee from Costa Rica (this has exceptional antioxidant properties that protect skin), Olives from Sardinia (balances, replenishes and strengthens skin), and Lentisk from Greece (heals skin, reducing lines and evening out skin tone). For me, it calms my skin down immediately upon application, and makes it healthier the more I use it. If your skin is acting up and you’re shopping around for something to soothe it, it’s definitely worth giving this product a try.

2. CHANEL LA SOLUTION 10, $166 (50ml)

This is my go-to on sensitive skin days, and whenever I get rash on the face or body. There are just 10 ingredients in this product; all of them good and simple for all skin types — including sensitive skin — and with no added ingredients that are unnecessary, like fragrances or oils. This quiet but hardworking skincare product has been on Chanel’s roster since 2016, and is very dependable; a friend with bad eczema gets no reactions from it at all, and I find that it’s incredibly soothing on skin. Chanel doesn’t do any marketing for this product so I believe it really sells by word of mouth recommendations; it’s not a “trendy” product, but like I said — it’s dependable. I return to this and the Blue Serum whenever I need my skin to destress.

3. DIOR CAPTURE TOTALE DREAM SKIN CARE & PERFECT, $150 (30ml)

This is one of those skincare products that I swipe for the first time and go… WOW! The smoothing results are instant! This skincare has a very unique formula and texture that smoothes over skin, instantly improving its texture, evening out skin tone, and comforting and moisturising it at the same time. It’s very addictive applying this emulsion; I use it after my moisturiser as a final step in my morning and nighttime skincare regime — and I can’t get enough of it. I’ll buy this again when I run out.

4. DIOR PRESTIGE LA MICRO-HUILE DE ROSE, $370 (30ml)

You can see the individually encapsulated micro-pearls through the clear glass bottle; these pearls are made from the brand’s famous Rose de Granville, which has powers of skin regeneration. The web page on this product describes it as offering “the penetrating power of a serum and the comfort of an oil” — and it’s true! It’s a beautiful silky smooth texture and finish, that is delightful on skin and transforms it over use and time. I did notice my skin become more luminous and reenergised after a few days of using this serum, which does explain the product’s cult following.

5. SISLEYOUTH ANTI-POLLUTION, $245 (40ml)

I wrote about this product in my book and we had a few friends of NYLON review it for our blog. There’s nothing bad I can say about this moisturiser; it does a stellar job of moisturising and hydrating my skin, and acts as the perfect makeup base with no pilling even after layers of skincare. It also smells wonderful! Like a high-end spa where everything’s natural. It’s rather pricey for a 40ml bottle, but I truly look forward to applying this on my face every day.

6. SISLEY HYDRA-GLOBAL SERUM, $320 (30ml)

Similar to the Sisleyouth moisturiser, this serum has a silky-matte texture that glides over skin like a dream. It feels like a burst of moisture on skin and I can actually feel my skin become more supple over time. Unfortunately I have expensive taste in skincare and will splurge on this one again.

7. LANCÔME ABSOLUE THE REVITALIZING OLEO-SERUM, $410 (30ml)

This is the priciest item on my list. I wrote about the entire line of Lancôme Absolue skincare a few months ago, and the one product that stood out for me was this serum. There was a day my skin felt and looked exceptionally dull and dehydrated, and I gave this serum a go; it transformed my skin overnight! The next morning, my skin looked refreshed and clearer! I continued using it until the bottle finished and it’s as though my skin was given a new lease of life — it took years off my skin. Expensive, but truly a miracle product for me.

 

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