HAUTE so FABULOUS

Biologique Recherche; A Longtime Love Affair

WellbeingRebecca O'ByrneComment

Disclousre : I have been gifted the experience of three facials with this brand.

Like each of us as beings, our skin is such a uniquely individualised part of who we are. As unique almost as our very DNA, it’s something we have to take care of, not just from an aesthetics perspective but from a whole 360, internal + external point-of-view.

Something I find so strange + completely off-putting in life is the blanket approach sold to us all as though we’re literally all the same people with the same problems that the same, simplified solutions will fix. The truth is that beauty + skincare are easy, quick sells for many creators + so much money + product is wasted on skin that needs something that speaks directly to it’s own precise needs instead of to millions of people all at the same time. Not all ‘hero’ products are for everyone regardless of what we’re told. From influencers sharing their ‘favourite’ products to brands promising a life-changing experience in that one size fits all product they are trying to get you to buy, it’s so tiring + quite frankly feels so hollow when actually wanting to see legit results instead of wasting your time + money. The reality is, we have to do the work ourselves to find what works, there are no quick fixes in anything.

Hands up, I get sold to too. Of course I do. I’ve wasted money + time on products that were meant to be amazing for ‘all skin types’ yet sit in my bathroom unfinished. But back in 2018/2019 when I sought to become a little more educated in what my skin actually needed itself, I went to a spa in Dublin who works with renowned French skincare brand Biologique Recherche to offer their facials as I’d heard such amazing things about Biologique from a few trusted friends. It was then that I learned more about how unique each of our skin really is + how just because everyone might be talking about Vitamin C products today or Retinols tomorrow, it does NOT mean I need those too. Nor might you. It’s actually pretty obvious but I had been using a cocktail of pretty much whatever I was sent by brands at the time or thought was supposed to work for so long that I have overlooked the idea of getting a bespoke routine tailored for my individualised needs; something I very much value in every area of well-being is the practice of seeking out what works for the individual, less prescribed by the media or creators constantly selling to us. However, needless to say, I fell in love with Biologique Recherche from the start + have been using their products ever since.

Stepping into anything of the world of BiologiqueRecherche is soothing from every direction, from the skin to the soul. While using it at home has been an absolute staple along with different facials from other retailers + spas in Dublin + around Ireland, a super treat is always that when I travel I tend to seek out a local stockist, having been lucky enough to have experiences in both their Paris + Stockholm Embassy's - New York is next on my list when it opens next Spring; I was there this month + it’s looking set to be just as wow as you’d imagine, right in the heart of SoHo. And while this isn’t an exclusive brand for me to the literal enth degree - I fully love different facials with a couple of wonderful facialists who I return to + love + have tried many other brands for my skin - equally truthful is the fact that Biologique Recherche has remained a firm + trusted essential within my daily routine since we became acquainted all those years ago. Being back fully engaged with the brand morning + night the past few months, I have been gifted a series of three monthly facials with their National Trainer Vera Blok who is like an angel skin specialist, I can’t help but share the deep + long love I have for the brand + an appreciation I hold dearly to be working with them this season when they’ve been something I’ve personally purchased (so) many times over.

The brand is grounded in the philosophy of respecting the skin’s natural processes with a very distinct approach that emphasises an understanding + appreciation of each individual’s unique skin condition at each specific moment in time, rather than categorising skin into static types which I think is all too often what goes wrong as we are often many types all at once. I love this as skin changes so much, not only in our lifetime but with seasons, environments, stress levels, life circumstances, hormones, + our internal wellbeing which also ebbs + flows as much as the ocean. The formulations are highly concentrated, incorporating raw, active ingredients without unnecessary additives like artificial fragrances (IYKYK… amirite?). This results in potent products designed to restore the skin’s health + balance. Biologique Recherche was founded in the 1970s by the Allouche family — a biologist, a physiotherapist, + a doctor who, through innovation + a respect for the truest act of our biology, cultivated a reputation for delivering results that are as transformative as they are enduring.

While, along with my own philosophy of being really conscious about not prescribing to an audience what they should do as I can only seek to find + speak to what works for me + share with you more broadly, I don’t feel it’s appropriate to share the specific products I use as what your skin needs will be entirely different to mine, yet I can’t recommend enough treating yourself or a loved one, where you can, to a Biologique Recherche experience in one of their HQ’s or associated spas + delving into a journey of understanding your own specific needs, finding a new relationship to + confidence in the skin you’re in.

Something of importance to note too is the brands Irish distributors Real Skin Solutions who very beautifully have partnered with the charity ‘Wellness for Cancer’ whereby they offer those going through cancer treatment a 90 minute complimentary experience in their elegant HQ in Dublin City Centre. Carried out by highly qualified therapists, the treatment incorporates the best of gentle, therapeutic techniques, designed by Wellness for Cancer to be skin-appropriate for highly sensitive skin. You can find out more + book a spot by contacting megan.byrne@realskinsolutions.ie.

You can find a full list of where to book in something fabulous, wherever you are in the world, with Biologique Recherche here.