Valley cosmetics in the Middle Ages and Renaissance

Cosmetics and perfumery evolved gradually during the Middle Ages

and the Renaissance.

These two activities were driven in particular by advances in distillation

distillation, and the discovery of new fragrances and raw materials

imported from the Orient, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

France's international influence in the luxury goods, fashion,

perfumery and cosmetics has spanned generations.

Cosmetic Valley is the heir to this centuries-old tradition.

Cosmetic Valley between 1970 and 2000

From the 1970s onwards, the development of the perfumery and cosmetics sector
prompted many of the world's leading brands and their suppliers to locate their factories an hour south and west of Paris.

An industrial fabric gradually developed.
Created in 1994 by Jean-Paul Guerlain, Cosmetic Valley was originally focused on areas with a high concentration of players in the cosmetics and perfumery sector.

Cosmetic Valley today

Now the beating heart of the global cosmetics industry, Cosmetic Valley
is a reminder of France's strength and industrial leadership in the perfume and cosmetics sector.

It is the world's leading cosmetics cluster.
The biggest names and brands in the sector belong to this competitive cluster: Guerlain, Dior, Hermès, Lolita Lempicka, Chanel, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Veet, Dove, L'Oréal (via its subsidiaries Gemey-Maybelline and Yves Saint Laurent Beauté), Shiseido (via Jean Paul Gaultier, Issey Miyake, Serge Lutens), Caudalie, etc.

This formidable ecosystem fosters both local synergies and collective initiatives to promote "made in France".
Looking to the future, Cosmetic Valley is committed to ethical projects

and sustainable development.

In 2025, the French luxury cosmetics brand Sisley will be part of the Vendôme landscape.