Born from the belief that beauty goes beyond what you can see, L’OCCITANE (that’s pronounced Lox-ee-tan, FYI) was founded in 1976 by Olivier Baussan. Hailing from Provence and powered by the region’s world-renowned ingredients, the brand blends nourishing formulas with tantalising aromas to transform your daily beauty routines.
From L’OCCITANE’s signature skin care saviours to its moisture-locking hand care, each and every product provides an encapsulating experience for both your skin and senses to enjoy.
Bridge the gap between self care and beauty and bring the spa home as Cult Beauty brings you everything you need to know about the oh-so luxury French label. Sit back, relax and enjoy all things L’OCCITANE…
THE STORY BEHIND L’OCCITANE
L’OCCITANE’s story began when its founder, Olivier Baussan, took nothing but an alembic truck to the markets of Provence. Here, the creative began distilling rosemary essence to sell to the locals. Expanding his inventions from oils to creams, the young entrepreneur used an old factory to revive the traditional art of Marseille soap-making before opening its doors to the first L’OCCITANE store in 1981. Fast forward to today and not much has changed. The powerhouse continues to expand it production, celebrating its native’s natural beauty through wellness and beauty.
WHAT IS L’OCCITANE FAMOUS FOR
In short, L’OCCITANE is renowned globally for establishing award-winning skin and body care inspired by the Provençal art-de-vivre. With over 40 years of experience under its belt, the brand’s curated collections include the lauded Almond, Verbena and Shea Butter edits – that we are in no doubt feature on every beauty aficionados’ shelf.
5 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT L’OCCITANE, UNTIL NOW…
- L’OCCITANE was the first major skin care brand to include braille on its packaging: after meeting with a blind customer who was smelling the brand’s fragrances intensely on his shop floor to discover which collection to buy, Olivier wanted to find an easy and accessible way to make the experience easier for everyone. Therefore, in 1996 it became the first ever brand to use braille on all its product’s packaging.
- The brand was aptly named after the women of Occitania: literally translating to “The woman from Occitanie”, L’OCCITANE referred to an ancient province that spanned from southern France to northern Italy in the Middle Ages. Here, women and nature played leading roles in everyday life and were celebrated and cherished.
- A tube of L’OCCITANE’s Shea Butter Hand Crem is sold every three seconds: holding the crown as the brand’s bestselling product, this nourishing formula has remained unchanged since 1993 (as they say there’s no point fixing somethings that’s not broken).
- The brand uses over 200 different botanical ingredients: L’OCCITANE hand selects its ingredients based on their effectiveness and the way they react with your skin. Every ingredient is used at its ideal concentration. Plus, instead of using petrochemical-derived oils, its formulas consist of vegetable oils that work better with our complexion.
- Each product is tested on real skin: hear us out… Working with professional plastic surgeons, L’OCCITANE tests its products on human skin for up to 72 hours, before deciding on their efficiency and if their results are good enough.
THE BEST L’OCCITANE PRODUCTS
Discover the best L’OCCITANE products – as picked by our Cult Concierge experts – that will keep your skin and senses happy, healthy and in harmony.