French beauty is synonymous with L'Occitane. The brand's suite of products—which now range from skincare, to bodycare, to haircare and beyond—are some of the best in their respective categories, and simultaneously provide an efficacious and sensorial experience. But what's lesser-known is the extensive lengths that L'Occitane goes through to source its key ingredients—lavender, verbena, immortelle, and almond oil to name a few—both sustainably and ethically. Rather than mowing down land of its own to grow acres of supply, L'Occitane believes in partnering with local, existing farms to support generations of farmers and foster more sustainable supply chains.
L'Occitane
Founded: Olivier Baussan, 1976
Based In: Provence, France
Pricing: $$$
Best Known For: Luxurious French skin and body care
Most Popular Product: Almond Shower Oil
Fun Fact: L'Occitane was the first major skincare brand to include Braille on its packaging.
Other Brands You'll Love: Origins, Kiehl's
The lavender in many of L'Occitane's best-sellers, for example, is grown by local producers in Provence, France (farms that I personally got to tour in 2023), and the Immortelle collection uses immortelle flowers that are harvested from producers in Corsica, France. It's a dream partnership—L'Occitane gets authentic, expertly-grown ingredients without having to clear additional land, and local agricultural economies are boosted. It's a win-win.
L'Occitane is also the first beauty brand to create inclusive packaging for those with visual impairments. 80% of the brand's products feature labels in Braille, and L'Occitane continuously partners with local and international organizations to fight avoidable blindness. The brand's newest global ambassador is All The Light We Cannot See's Aria Mia Loberti, and in 2022, the L'Occitane Foundation reached its goal of 15 million eye care beneficiaries.(The new goal is to reach 20 million beneficiaries in 2025.)
Basically, L'Occitane offers so much more than delightful beauty products, and it's important to understand the brand's ethos when choosing a product. So with that established, I'm thrilled to share my 13 favorite L'Occitane products of all time—from a brand new self-heating Artichoke Body Scrub to the timeless (and often sold-out) Almond Shower Oil.
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Artichoke Body Scrub
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L'Occitane's newest launch is a tightening body scrub infused with artichoke (an ingredient that's quite popular in France, but just making its way into formulations in the US). The scrub has a delightful warming effect when massaged into the skin, and provides gentle, physical exfoliation without feeling harsh or scraping. After emptying this jar to the very last drop, I swear my skin is tighter, brighter, and smoother all over.
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Body Gua Sha
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Launched in tandem with the Artichoke Scrub (and a corresponding body cream), the Body Gua Sha is a supersized gua sha stone that can be used on the legs and arms. Just like you'd use a facial gua sha to sculpt and massage your skin, L'Occitane's jumbo edition can be used to promote lymphatic drainage and release tension in the body. (As always, it's recommended to consult your physician before using a new body tool.)
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Immortelle Divine Youth Oil
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Most people think of body care when they think of L'occitane, but the brand is quickly becoming a major innovator (and disruptor) in the skincare category—a natural progression for the brand. This face oil contains the brand's proprietary immortelle (an antioxidant powerhouse flower from Corsica) to protect the skin from environmental damage and give you an immediate, dewy glow. A true face oil, use this formula as the final step in your evening skincare routine to lock in moisture and help maintain a healthy skin barrier.
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Almond Shower Oil
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L'Occitane is famous for its luxurious almond oil, and for good reason. As mentioned, the brand partners with local, generational almond producers in Provence, France to help preserve land and boost the local farming economy. And indisputably the most beloved product in the almond family is the Almond Shower Oil. Use it to cleanse, shave, and everything in between—it will make you (and your bathroom) smell like absolute heaven.
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Almond Milk Concentrate
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The Almond Milk Concentrate is without a doubt the thickest, creamiest, dreamiest body cream I've ever tried. I plow through a jar every winter and find that it's the only formula that can relieve the frustrating itch and scaliness I experience during the colder months. If you become a convert like me, there's fortunately a very handy refill you can purchase to refill your jar multiple times.
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Aqua Réotier Ultra Thirst-Quenching Gel
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If you deal with dry or combination skin that's also acne-prone, then this one's for you. L'occitane's Aqua Réotier Ultra Thirst-Quenching Gel features humectants like hyaluronic acid and glycerin to draw water into the skin for the ultimate hydration (sans the pore clogging).
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Shea Butter Hand Cream
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L'Occitane's hand cream consistently makes our editors' lists as one of the best hand creams of all time. Featuring rich moisturizers like shea butter, this chrome tube will immediately nourish the skin for a soft, supple feel and a non-greasy finish.
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Forever Bottle
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Environmental consciousness is at the forefront of L'Occitane's product development, with the brand continuously looking for ways it can package smarter, source ingredients more sustainably, and donate to environmental charities. One such innovation that has come from this 24/7 brand keystone is the Forever Bottle, an aluminum bottle that makes refillables fun. Just purchase the refill of your favorite L'Occitane liquid (shower oil, body wash, you name it), label the bottle, and enjoy a luxurious product experience over and over again. And if you're ever done refilling, recycle the Forever Bottle just like you would a co*ke can.
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Purifying Freshness Dry Shampoo Mist
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This dry shampoo went TikTok viral for its oil-absorbing powers and aerosol propellant, and I have to agree with all of the praise. Unlike your typical dry shampoo, this mist sprays on wet (so be sure to spray very close to your roots), but quickly dries down to leave you with fresh, clean-feeling hair. For me, this is a gym bag staple that never lets me down.
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Immortelle Divine Eye Balm
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Consistently a best seller for the brand, the Immortelle Divine Eye Balm is a fast-melting eye cream that plumps and firms the under-eye area with the omega-rich oils and extract of the immortelle flower (which is considered to be a naturally-occurring retinol alternative).
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Lavender Foaming Bath
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Lavender is one of L'Occitane's most popular ingredients and is sourced straight from the fragrant fields of Provence, France. It's hard to choose a favorite with so many soothing, lavender-scented products in L'Occitane's portfolio, but I savor every drop of this bubble bath. The tiniest drop will fill your bath with lavender-scented bubbles (and not in a perfumey way) and leave your skin feeling soft and soothed.
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Shea Nail & Cuticle Oil
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If your typical lotions and potions aren't cutting it for your dry cuticles, it's time to add an oil to your routine. Occlusives—like oils and Vaseline—work by trapping moisture in the skin, something the Shea Nail & Cuticle Oil does exceptionally well. Featuring ingredients like shea oil, apricot oil, and sweet almond oil, this formula leaves dry, cracking cuticles soft and shiny. That, and the packaging makes it incredibly easy to use on the go. Unscrew the cap and you'll find a built-in brush for easy application—just squeeze the tube for your desired amount and brush on wherever you need extra moisture. We've even gone so far as to say it's the best cuticle oil you can buy.
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Shea Verbena Extra Gentle Soap
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Efficacious bar soaps with skincare benefits (beyond just fragrance) put L'Occitane on the map, and continue to be one of the brand's most popular products to date. The Shea Verbena Extra Gentle Soap is a personal favorite of mine (both to give and receive), and makes for the perfect body cleanser. This particular bar features a zingy citrus scent that always helps me wake up in the morning, and leaves my skin feeling thoroughly cleansed—but not tight or stripped.
Article Sources
Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
Tadić VM, Žugić A, Martinović M, Stanković M, Maksimović S, Frank A, Nešić I. Enhanced Skin Performance of Emulgel vs. Cream as Systems for Topical Delivery of Herbal Actives (Immortelle Extract and Hemp Oil). Pharmaceutics. 2021 Nov 12;13(11):1919. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics13111919
