Clarins vs L'Occitane 2024 (The Definitive Guide)

When it comes to luxury French skincare, two names instantly spring to mind: Clarins and L'Occitane. Famed for their age-defying serums and nourishing hand creams (among other best-sellers, of course), both brands are more than worthy of occupying some shelf space in your bathroom.

Come with us as we compare the two side-by-side to help you decide which is best for you and your skincare routine. Enjoy!

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Clarins vs L'Occitane Serum

First up, a comparison of the Clarins Double Serum and the L'Occitane Immortelle Serum. Beyond the obvious similarities and differences between the containers, we're going to have to dive straight into their formulas to start seeing any differences of note.

First and foremost, it's worth stating that both serums boast a seriously impressive list of anti-aging benefits; with consistent application your skin will feel young and rejuvenated, with a visible reduction in wrinkles and a restored eye-catching radiance. This obviously makes them more than worth the splurge, but with both having almost exactly the same price per fluid ounce, how can we decide between the two? Let's dig a little deeper.

Both serums have luxurious botanical ingredients (aka plant extracts) to thank for their success. The Clarins Double Serum contains *21* plant extracts in its formula, whereas the L'Occitane Immortelle Serum contains a more modest five.

This leads us onto the first major difference between the two; the Double Serum's ingredients list is more than twice as long as the Immortelle Reset Serum.

Serums with longer ingredients list typically also offer a longer list of benefits, however, the concentrations of the active ingredients will be lower than those of a serum with fewer ingredients. In our opinion, this is a major plus in favor of L'Occitane's Immortelle Reset Serum.

While we're on the topic of ingredients, let's take a brief look at a few of the key actives inside each serum. The L'Occitane Immortelle Reset Serum contains Immortelle Essential Oil which is known for its powerful anti-oxidant properties, with the power to boost collagen production and aid cell renewal and skin firmness. It also contains an active called Acmella Oleracea, also known as the 'natural alternative to botox'. When applied topically this plant extract relaxes muscle tension under the skin and eases the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

The Clarins Double Serum Age-Control Concentrate contains far too many actives to list them all, but the main ones include: Turmeric (improves cell communication), Avocado (promotes skin regeneration), Oat (firms skin), Banana (stimulates collagen production), Beautyberry (enhances radiance), Huang Qi (combats oxidative stress), Red Jania Extract (eliminates dead skin cells), Leaf of Life (intensely hydrates), Orthosiphon (regulates sebum production), Quinoa (strengthens skin barrier).

The final major difference to compare is the serum delivery. As hinted at by the name, the Clarins Double Serum is actually two serums in one: a hydric serum and a lipidic serum, pressing down on the button mixes the two into perfectly measured droplets. Also hinted at in the name of the L'Occitane Overnight Reset Oil-in-Serum is the fact that L'Occitane's serum contains the Immortelle Essential Oil in tiny, golden bubbles within the serum (alas, the oil in the serum).

All in all, the differences are plentiful yet the similarities reign Queen. We love them both. A couple of factors to help decide between the two, though, are as follows:

If your existing skincare routine already includes several Clarins products, you may find the Clarins Double Serum to be more effective (and likewise if you already use L'Occitane products, your skin will prefer the L'Occitane serum). If that doesn't help you choose, we tend to err on the side of short ingredients lists because typically fewer ingredients means a lower likelihood that your skin will disagree with one of the actives. So in that case, our pick would be the L'Occitane Immortelle Overnight Reset Oil-in-Serum.

Clarins vs L'Occitane Hand Cream

Though we much prefer the packaging of the L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream, of course what matters more is the contents of the products - so let's get into it!

Whether you have dry, cracked hands desperately needing some tender love and care, or just looking for a bit of added smoothness, both hand creams aim to restore your naturally clean, soft, and youthful-looking hands.

Incidentally, both creams achieve this in precisely the same manner: by forming a protective, invisible 'glove' of emollient Shea Butter to shield your hands from the elements and deeply hydrate the skin.

In addition to Shea Butter, the Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream also contains soothing Sesame Oil and fortifying Japanese Mulberry extract, however this will find you paying a slight premium compared to L'Occitane's Shea Butter Hand Cream.

Trusted and loved by thousands across the globe, both creams seriously deliver on their promises.

Honestly, the difference in results between the two is negligible, so save yourself a few dollars and go for the L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream. (We have nothing against the Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream, though, if that's taken your fancy!).

This article was originally published on May 6th 2022, but it has been reviewed and updated with the latest available information on February 5th 2024 by Sara Mckay, MA.