24 French Beauty Buys With Seriously Amazing Ratings

You learn something new every day, and today, we’d like to enlighten you to the fact that Dermstore—our first-stop shop when it comes to the most-wanted indie and dermatologist-backed beauty products—has a high-key-amazing selection of French beauty buys. Plus, in even better news, thanks to Dermstore’s 20th Anniversary Sale, the majority of said French beauty buys are up to 25% off through August 25. (Just use the promo code CELEBRATE to reap your savings at checkout!)

In celebration of Dermstore’s site relaunch, which makes it easier to peruse and shop its amazing array of must-haves, and because of the soul-shaking deals happening right now, and because we just really, really love French beauty products, we created the ultimate shopping guide to help you navigate Dermstore’s hundreds of product offerings.

Unfortunately, some French-born favorites like La Roche-Posay and Vichy aren’t part of the sale, but there are plenty of other in-demand, on-sale formulas hailing from such names as Bioderma, Leonor Greyl, and Caudalie to get excited about. Ahead, 12 obsession-worthy French brands currently on sale and the two top-rated formulas from each. Yep, we’ve basically become dizzyingly caffeinated and done all of your shopping for you. Keep scrolling!

Number of customer reviews: 10. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: Loaded with bamboo marrow and strengthening proteins from collagen, silk, and wheat, this $51 shampoo is indeed a splurge. However, now that it’s 25% off in honor of Dermstore’s 20th Anniversary Sale, there’s no better time to add this mane-changing cleansing potion to your self-care routine.

Number of customer reviews: 6. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: FYI, This multipurpose oil is one of the most-wanted and iconic beauty products of all time. It blends nourishing oils from sunflower, almond, and apricot seed with therapeutic scents of yucca and lemongrass to achieve and all-around blissful moisturizing routine. Plus, you can apply it from foot to root.Did we mention the packaging is also beautiful?

Number of customer reviews: 30. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: So many makeup removers are harsh, greasy, and damaging to our delicate eye area. However, this oil-free conditioning formula is specifically formulated to remove every last trace of eyeliner and mascara while conditioning both your lids and lash line to be healthier and stronger over time.

Number of customer reviews: 7. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: Truth—this is one of the most effective wrinkle-busting formulas on the market. It’s brimming with rejuvenating, anti-aging ingredients like advanced peptides, soothing active botanicals, floral waters, and vitamin F, which altogether plump and repair the eye contour for a tighter, perkier, perfectly hydrated gaze.

Number of customer reviews: 175. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: No joke, almost every makeup artist we talk to (or stalk on Instagram) keeps this rich, comparably affordable skin cream in their kit. It boasts a quick-to-absorb, light, milky texture and is loaded with everything your skin craves, from antioxidants to nutritious essential fatty acids. Skin is left toned, plumped, hydrated, and perfectly primed for a glowing makeup application. And on sale, it’s only $21 a pop!

Number of customer reviews: 7. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: Meet the epic (and equally luxe) bodycare version of Embryolisse’s best-selling face cream above. It’s velvety and soothing and can be used to treat a variety of issues apart from just your scaly, sun-parched skin. Think of it as your all-in-one body cream, makeup remover, shaving cream/aftershave, and sunburn antidote.

Number of customer reviews: 458. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: We doubt you’re surprised. Again, this is one of the most recognizable and cult-loved beauty products in the game. (The French sure have a knack for that, don’t they?), and with over 400 glowing reviews, it’s easy to see why people completely freak out over this sensibly priced no-rinse micellar water. It’s especially essential for those with sensitive skin. It’s on sale for just $11, so there’s no better time to stock up on your lifetime supply.

Number of customer reviews: 36. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: The second-top-rated product? Hydrabio, Sensibio’s sister micellar cleansing water specifically formulated for those with drier skin. It features the same cleansing agent (PEG-6 caprylic/capric glyceride) but contains glycerin as an additional humectant to keep skin especially dewy, plump, and moisturized.

Number of customer reviews: 68. Average rating: 5. Why you need it: Makeup artists, beauty lovers, and, yes, apparently Dermstore shoppers covet this luxe French lip balm above all others. Highly concentrated, the delicate melding of essential rose wax, floral oils, vitamin E, and bio-ceramides works synergistically to calm, moisturize, protect, and restructure the look and feel of your lips. Trust us when we say it’s one of the dreamiest beauty products you can own.

Number of customer reviews: 28. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: A) It’s unique, and B) it just might transform your skin. This ultra-fine, colorless powder is infused with hyaluronic acid to reduce blemishes and surface imperfections of the skin. You can use it as a setting powder of sorts post–makeup application or just after your skincare routine. It’s basically the OG pretty filter, creating the illusion of a poreless, pristinely smooth complexion.

Number of customer reviews: 48. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: This alcohol-free tonic is the ultimate savior for those of us struggling with dull and depleted end-of-summer skin. (So sorry to remind you.) Key ingredients include soothing and redness-relieving oils from cypress and thyme, while glycerin rebalances the complexion with hydration.

Number of customer reviews: 41. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: Featuring skincare essentials like lactic acid, citric acid, and warm-fuzzy-giving castor oil. This gentle cleansing milk from Yon-Ka is the only cleanser you’ll ever need. It easily removes the day’s buildup, helps slough away congestion and impurities, and gradually reduces other inevitable issues like hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and fine lines.

Number of customer reviews: 200. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: We can count on our fingers the number of clean, naturally formulated dry shampoos we can actually depend on to refresh our strands sans off-putting smells or residues. This top-rated pick from beloved French brand Klorane easily gets the job done, leaving strands soft, detoxified, and fresh-smelling, all while superstar ingredient oat milk encourages optimal hair nourishment.

Number of customer reviews: 63. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: No one needs to know the next time you’ve forgone precious beauty sleep in exchange for a long-winded Netflix binge or night out with perhaps one too many margaritas. These patches are infused with cornflower extract, arnica, and chamomile, and since they’re designed to stimulate circulation, under-eyes are left less puffy, less vampire-y, perkier, and far more luminous.

Number of customer reviews: 6. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: According to Matis Paris’s impressive reviews and ratings on Dermstore’s website, its luxe face creams are what you should be setting your sights on. First up? This featherweight moisturizing cream which utilizes kudzu vine extracts and other key ingredients like castor oil, vitamin E, and ceramides to hydrate and calm an out-of-whack skin barrier. If you have sensitive skin, this formula is a must.

Number of customer reviews: 6. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: Next up? A calming beauty savior that works wonders regardless of skin type—whether your biggest concern is sensitivity, acne, aging, wrinkles, or pigmentation. The name doesn’t lie, and this beauty-enhancing cream is made with rejuvenating Mimosa tenuiflora to help reverse the brunt of the damage to our complexions from our environments or sometimes-questionable lifestyle habits. (Hey, we just don’t always have the conviction to take our makeup off come midnight, okay?)

Number of customer reviews: 10. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: This is not your average brightening face mask. Known for cutting-edge, science-backed skincare solutions, this radiance-enhancing maks features technology, such as the brand’s NCTF (a poly-revitalizing, anti-aging complex), to help tone and tighten the skin while rhamnose polysaccharide keeps skin calm, cool, and collected for a velvety smooth finish.

Number of customer reviews: 5. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: Think of this best-selling face cream as an all-in-one jarred solution for any and all age-related skin qualms. Hyaluronic acid, tripeptides, and vitamin E all help return skin to damage-free homeostasis while minimizing the look of lines, wrinkles, loss of elasticity, and dryness.

Number of customer reviews: 216. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: Whatever your skin is going through, a quick spritz of this refreshing and healing thermal water spray will work wonders. Trace minerals and silica nurture irritated skin and reduce the look of redness and skin aggravation while keeping your complexion glowing, hydrated, and all-around healthy-looking. According to Dermstore’s website, you can use it after shaving, working out, or makeup and/or hair removal.

Number of customer reviews: 151. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: This is probably Avène’s most well-known product, so it’s really no surprise it’s runner-up on Dermstore’s website when it comes to outstanding reviews. Clean, hypoallergenic, and fragrance-free, this is the best cream to pick up if you have hypersensitive skin. The MVP is the brand’s hero ingredient—thermal spring water—which comforts and rehydrates a quick-to-anger complexion. It’s also one of the few formulas out there you can use after more intensive in-office skin treatments like lasers or peels.

Number of customer reviews: 23. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: If you’re looking for a fan-favorite, French exfoliating formula, look no further. This cult-loved pick from Guinot has everything under the sun that stubborn skin needs to help slough off the excess baggage coming between you and a clear, brilliant complexion. As far as its key players, the roster goes as follows: shea butter, titanium dioxide, green tea, glycolic acid, mica, and numerous other AHAs and antioxidants.

Number of customer reviews: 22. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: We’re not sure if you’re noticing the theme here, but the French love their face creams, and this rich formula from Guinot is another great option. A skin-drenching melding of aloe vera, shea butter, allantoin, phospholipids, and urea extract work in harmony not only to relieve dry skin on the spot but to keep your skin hydrated and happy longterm for less application and desert-esque dehydration in the long run. (Winter is coming, folks!)

Number of customer reviews: 72. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: This might not be one of Caudalie’s most well-known products, but the resounding five-star reviews don’t lie, and as it turns out, this gel-cream hybrid of a moisturizer is the most top-rated formula from the brand on Dermstore’s website. It’s great for all skin types and features polyphenols (cough, antioxidants!) alongside the brand’s other signature ingredients like fortifying Vinolevure and organic chamomile and grape water for a soothing hit of face relief.

Number of customer reviews: 45. Average rating: 5/5. Why you need it: There’s no skirting around it. This is the serum of all serums for those seeking a brighter, touched-by-an-angel complexion. It’s a best seller across pretty much every beauty retailer that carries cult-favorite French brand Caudalie and plays host to key additions of moisturizing squalane derived from olives, organic chamomile, and grape water, plus Vinifereine—a natural compound found in vine sap that plays superhero to a dull, tired, and uneven complexion. (In fact, it’s so good, the brand patented it back in 2004.) Up next: These Are the 30 Most-Wanted Serums in History—And They’re Currently on Sale

Source: Who What Wear – Erin Jahns