As the CEO and founder of Pour Moi Climate-Smart Skincare, I’ve experienced firsthand why French skincare is held in such high esteem. When I set out to create the world’s first Climate-Smart skincare, I knew I needed to partner with the best in the industry. That search led me to a world-class lab just outside of Lyon, France—a region often referred to as the “Silicon Valley of Beauty.” This area is home to some of the most prestigious skincare innovations and formulations globally, making it the perfect place to bring the Pour Moi vision to life.
Creating skincare that truly works means understanding the science behind the skin—especially the stratum corneum, the outermost layer. While many American brands focus on quick fixes and immediate results driven by marketing strategies, French beauty scientists invest in long-term improvement. They aim to build skin health from the outside in, creating products that optimize the stratum corneum for lasting radiance, smoothness, and resilience. Here’s why French skincare, and Pour Moi in particular, stand head and shoulders above the rest.
Focus on the Stratum Corneum for Long-Lasting Skin Health
French skincare's effectiveness lies in its focus on the stratum corneum—the outermost layer of the skin, which serves as a protective barrier. French beauty scientists recognize that while cosmetic skincare can only impact the stratum corneum, this layer plays a crucial role in skin health. As Dr. Iffie Okoronko, Pour Moi Climate-Smart Skincare Medical Advisor, perfectly states, “The lipids in your stratum corneum are more than just molecules – they are the guardians of your skin's health and vitality.” By optimizing its flexibility, moisture retention, and smoothness, French products deliver real, lasting improvements.
French skincare brands like Pour Moi are not just concerned with quick fixes. Instead, they create formulations that work over time to fortify the stratum corneum, resulting in healthier, more radiant skin. This is in stark contrast to the American market, where products are often designed for immediate results, even if they compromise the long-term health of the skin. With Pour Moi, the focus is on delivering consistent improvements in skin quality, ensuring that the outer barrier remains resilient and healthy despite changing climates or environmental stressors.
Our Focus: The Stratum Corneum—The True Gateway to Healthy Skin
As a beauty innovator, I’ve always been fascinated by the skin’s biology, particularly the stratum corneum. It’s the outermost layer of our skin and is the key to healthy, glowing skin. What’s unique about French skincare is that it embraces the reality that cosmetics can only affect this layer. Instead of overpromising with exaggerated claims, French skincare is designed to optimize the function of the stratum corneum, improving its moisture retention, flexibility, and protective abilities. That’s why at Pour Moi, we focus on supporting this crucial barrier with our unique Climate-Smart formulations.
The science behind it is clear: the stratum corneum acts as the skin’s first line of defense against environmental stressors like pollution, UV rays, and extreme weather conditions. Pour Moi’s products are meticulously crafted to strengthen this barrier, allowing the skin to adapt to varying climates while maintaining its health and appearance. Our patented approach is not about instant gratification—it’s about nurturing the skin to be its best over time.
Premium Ingredients Sourced From the Heart of France
French skincare is synonymous with quality, and much of that comes down to the ingredients. I made a deliberate choice to develop Pour Moi right outside of Lyon, in the beginning of the Rhône-Alps region, known as the “Silicon Valley of Beauty.” The rich, fertile landscape provides some of the world’s best natural resources. One ingredient that I’m particularly proud of using in Pour Moi is the luxurious French White Truffle extract, sourced locally from the area. Truffles are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and essential fatty acids, which are incredibly effective in maintaining skin hydration and elasticity.
By choosing this ingredient, I ensure that Pour Moi’s formulations don’t just look good on a label—they work in synergy with the skin to improve its health and resilience. The local expertise in the Rhône-Alps region, combined with these high-quality ingredients, results in products that deliver consistent, visible improvements. Unlike American brands that often rely on artificial additives for quick effects, Pour Moi’s use of authentic, potent ingredients ensures that your skin receives real nourishment and long-term benefits.
Made in France at a World-Class Laboratory
It was crucial for me to engage the best in the world to develop the first Climate-Smart skincare, and there’s no better place than France. Pour Moi’s products are manufactured at a top-tier laboratory just outside Lyon, with over 60 years of experience in skincare innovation. This lab is known for producing some of the world’s most prestigious beauty products, setting the highest standards for quality and efficacy.
The expertise and precision of French beauty scientists are unmatched, and working with them allows Pour Moi to leverage state-of-the-art technology and research to create truly innovative formulations. Every product goes through a rigorous development process, ensuring it meets the stringent quality requirements of French skincare. By choosing to base Pour Moi’s manufacturing in this region, I’m not just tapping into a long tradition of skincare excellence—I’m partnering with the best minds in the industry to create products that really work.
High Regulatory Standards That Ensure Superior Safety and Efficacy
French beauty products are held to some of the strictest regulatory standards in the world, and I wanted Pour Moi to meet and exceed these requirements. French regulations require extensive safety and efficacy testing, treating beauty products with the same rigor as pharmaceuticals. This attention to detail and commitment to safety is what drew me to France in the first place. I didn’t want to create a product that just looked good—I wanted one that had been proven to work and was safe for every skin type.
For Pour Moi, every formula is subjected to multiple layers of testing to ensure it can withstand changing environmental conditions, maintain stability, and deliver on its promises. This meticulous approach stands in stark contrast to many American brands, where speed to market and marketing hype often take precedence over thorough testing. French regulatory standards ensure that our customers receive products that are safe, effective, and reliable.
A Luxurious Experience with Proven Results
When I created Pour Moi, I wanted to offer more than just functional skincare—I wanted to provide an experience. French beauty is about luxury, pleasure, and the joy of taking time to care for your skin. From the elegant textures to the subtle scents, French skincare turns your daily routine into a moment of indulgence. Pour Moi captures this essence, with products that feel as good as they perform.
The richness of our creams, the lightness of our serums, and the nourishing properties of our masks—all come together to deliver a sensorial experience that’s backed by science. This is what sets French skincare apart: it’s not just about the immediate result but about how you feel every time you use it. With Pour Moi, you’re investing in skincare that cares for your skin in the long run, without compromising on luxury.
Conclusion:
For me, creating Pour Moi Climate-Smart Skincare was about merging the best of French beauty science with a revolutionary concept that recognizes how skin responds to its environment. Most skin conditions—whether it’s dryness, oiliness, or sensitivity—are often not inherent skin types but rather reactions to external factors like changing climates, pollution, or even unsuitable products. That’s why Climate-Smart skincare is so groundbreaking: it dynamically adjusts to the climate around you, ensuring your skin stays balanced, hydrated, and radiant, no matter where you are or what the weather is.
French skincare is about more than just looking good—it’s about feeling good, knowing that your products are safe, effective, and tailored to your skin’s unique needs as they change with the climate. That’s why I chose France as the birthplace of Pour Moi: because when it comes to skincare, only the best will do.
Much love and light, Ulli
References:
Murphrey, M. B., Miao, J. H., & Zito, P. M. (2022). Histology, Stratum Corneum. StatPearls. Last update: November 14, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK513299/
Okoronkwo, I. (2024, August 16). Lipid love: The essential story of your skin's stratum corneum. The Beauty Forecast, Pour Moi Climate-Smart Skincare. Retrieved from the Beauty Forecast https://pourmoiskincare.com/blogs/beautyforecast/lipid-love-the-essential-story-of-your-skins-stratum-corneum