The French cosmetic industry has always been a flagship of the national economy, symbolizing luxury, innovation, and artisanal expertise. And the figures don’t lie: over the past year, exports of French beauty products recorded record growth of 18.8% (estimated at 19.2 billion euros in exports), reinforcing its position of excellence on the international stage (FEBEA study).
While the United States ranks as the top importer of French cosmetic products, the European Union remains a significant export market, with growth of 24.2% compared to 2021 (Germany being the main destination).
An impressive expansion was also observed in the Middle East, with a 33.8% increase in exports of French beauty products, mainly to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
But the rise in demand for Made in France beauty products is not enough to guarantee a successful expansion (in other words, sustainable AND profitable) in a foreign market.
Besides the cultural differences and consumption trends specific to each country, here are the 7 determining factors that French cosmetic brands must consider in their international strategy.
Table des matières
Standing Out in the Beauty Sector: Combining Innovation, Quality, and Effectiveness
Innovation at the Heart of Consumer Expectations in Beauty
In the beauty sector, innovation is an essential driver of differentiation and growth. Constantly seeking novelties (in terms of products, formulas, packaging, or experiences), consumers, regardless of their country, expect from brands innovative AND more responsible products. While France remains a pioneer in terms of sustainability of beauty products (recyclable cardboard packaging, refillable products, etc.), this trend seems to be “exporting abroad”! Playing with textures and formats is also one of the avenues that many brands are “exploring today”.
Clean Beauty
, which emphasizes natural and environmentally friendly ingredients, continues to gain popularity worldwide. And while fragrances and makeup categories (representing over 85% of French cosmetic product exports) remain at the top of product categories exported worldwide, body hygiene and skincare products (serums, lotions, oils) also record the strongest growth (36.7%): it’s probably in these categories that it’s time to stand out!

When Quality of Cosmetic Products Rhymes with Effectiveness
Quality is a determining factor for the success of a French cosmetic brand in the international market. While it’s obvious that transparency about ingredients and compliance with current standards are essential, proof of effectiveness is THE differentiating marker in consumers’ minds.
However, proving the effectiveness of a cosmetic product requires conducting usage tests on consumer panels, most often through survey institutes. This option is possible, but costly. With Trustt, brands can send a questionnaire after tests conducted by consumers selected during a product mission (also called a campaign). This usage test allows for collecting proven effectiveness data compliant with current regulations, and thus to affix them on packaging, product sheets, or any other communication medium.
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Community Storytelling: When Consumers Speak for the Brand
Also called storymaking, community storytelling involves integrating the customers’ voice into the brand’s discourse. In other words, telling the relationship that consumers have with the products or services offered. This narrative communication technique encourages creativity and consumer involvement in the process of creating the brand’s story, while creating a strong bond with them.
In this community storytelling approach, it will be in the interest of French cosmetic brands to highlight their local ambassadors, both on the e-shop (or reseller sites), as well as in newsletters, advertising campaigns, or on their social networks:
- Highlighting customer reviews, a key element of reassurance
- Sharing the best UGC (TikTok videos, Instagram posts, video reviews, etc.);
- The story of a brand co-creation with consumers and their feedback.
With Trustt, implementing an ambassador program allows brands to recruit volunteer consumers to contribute to the adventure. By launching product missions (or campaigns) for reviews and/or social media UGC, brands have their new products or best-sellers tested by an engaged community, which in return provides authentic and detailed reviews in text or video format directly on product pages.
Recruited ambassadors are also called upon to share content on social media according to provided briefs (type of content, social network, hook ideas, etc.).

These high-value UGC help improve brand awareness among foreign consumers, while allowing them to envision themselves using the products. Implementing ambassador programs with engaged consumers who already have an audience on social media (such as nano-influencers) offers great prospects for brands.
A great example of Blissim ambassadors in the Spanish market:
Understanding Cultural Specificities and Expectations of Target Audiences in Foreign Countries
Breaking into the international market or facilitating expansion requires ADAPTING. Communication methods are constantly evolving, as are trends, and it’s obviously not possible to transpose your commercial strategy from France to a foreign country, even if it’s a European country! It’s necessary to offer products or services that consider the specific expectations of the country and its cultural differences.
For example:
- The United States is experiencing a real boom in “Clean Beauty”: brands like Manucurist or Melvita have quickly won over American distributors and consumers. French reputation, sustainable commitment, and clean formulation: a winning equation in this market!
- On the luxury brands side, young Chinese executives are leading buyers in terms of sales volume. It is therefore necessary to adapt communication methods, packaging, and claims to meet their expectations.
But to be able to define a marketing strategy, it’s essential to precisely understand the consumers’ needs, which are constantly evolving and vary according to the chosen segmentation. A mature woman will not have the same sensitivity towards a day cream as a young student interested in organic products, even if they live in the same country! Whether it’s about packaging, refillable aspects, or applied labels.
This is why it is essential to conduct targeted market studies continuously to understand the purchasing motivations of foreign populations, know the strengths of established competitors, and have data on consumption habits.
Did you know? The Trustt solution allows brands to conduct market studies with different sampling methods throughout the year, to better understand their targets while collecting authentic and comprehensive consumer feedback in bulk.

Personalizing the Experience: The Differentiating Asset for Cosmetic Brands
Personalizing the customer experience has become a key differentiating factor for cosmetic brands, especially when it comes to French brands aiming to convince foreign consumers. Some cosmetic brands offer, for example, a “customized diagnostic”, based on individual characteristics of their customers’ skin, such as skin type, age, lifestyle, etc. This personalization can also translate into product recommendations or the use of technology (augmented reality), allowing customers to virtually “try” makeup products before buying them.
This unique experience allows brands to connect more “intimately” with customers, help them envision using the products, and thus encourage the decision to purchase.
For example, Clinique offers a personalized skincare and makeup system called Clinique iD. For its lipstick Almost Lipstick Black Honey, it’s possible to use the device’s camera or upload a photo before virtually trying different shades.
Influencer Marketing: An Essential Springboard for Visibility and Trust
It’s no surprise to anyone: social networks have grown spectacularly in just a few years. While Facebook has been abandoned in favor of Instagram and TikTok, the number of users worldwide continues to increase impressively.
In 2022, the influencer marketing market was already worth $16.4 billion. When we know that 87% of buyers were convinced by an influencer before purchasing a product, and that nearly one in two consumers expect product recommendations from personalities they follow on social media, it’s clear that this sector is not about to run out of steam.
With this in mind, brands are now all present on social platforms. Whether it’s to share consumer feedback or collaborate with beauty influencers (content creators), all means are good to get people talking about the brand quickly, at a lower cost and with a high ROI (average ROI of $5.2 for every dollar spent on influencer marketing).
Also read: how to succeed in your partnership with a beauty influencer
“Influencers represent 90% of engagement on Instagram for beauty brands”
With the Trustt tool, it’s possible to address 100% influence missions, whether to introduce the brand’s best-sellers or to invite them to events. The principle is the same as for ambassadors, except that here, candidates are chosen and invited based on the quality of their audience, the relevance of their content, and their involvement.
The result? Viral and engaging content fully aligned with brands’ expectations, and most importantly, comprehensive statistics to analyze campaign performance (engagement rate, social publications shared, number of interactions, potential reach, etc).

For “example, it” is in Brazil, China, and India that influencers seem to have the most influence on consumer choices. In the United States, influencers with an audience of over 5 million followers offer better visibility and real impact for makeup brands. However, in Europe, influencers considered “celebrities” remain on the sidelines and benefit from “a lower” engagement rate. As for Italians, they are the European country with the highest influence rate: 22% of consumers reported making a purchase because a celebrity or influencer promoted it (2022 figures, Statista).
Adaptation is once again the key word! Where a collaboration with a micro-influencer might work in France, it might be necessary to change category
(nano-influencer or macro-influencer) abroad!
An Omnichannel Strategy: Making the Right Distribution Choice
An effective distribution strategy (and thus product showcasing) allows a brand to reach its potential customers wherever they are. Distribution is even more important internationally, where purchasing habits can vary from one country to another.
The distribution method helps determine the nature of the points of sale. They can be physical (in-store or itinerant) or virtual (on the brand’s website or that of resellers).
While a brand in France may be able to use its website as its main virtual distribution method, its international expansion will require using reseller sites that have an established presence and are considered references in the minds of foreign consumers. For luxury cosmetic products, selective distribution is often preferred. This approach implies that the manufacturer sells its products only to selected retailers based on certain criteria.
In the United States, one of the preferred sites remains Sephora USA, notably offering economical multi-brand kits allowing customers to test bestsellers from several categories. Walmart and Target are also popular retailers for purchasing beauty products, often offering promotions on brands such as Revlon, L’Oréal, Maybelline, Opi, or Sally Hansen.
In China, consumers favor sites like Xiaohongshu and Jumei (the latter already held 22% of the online cosmetics market in 2013).
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