The rise of plant-based skin care in recent years has proven it’s more than just a trend. But there’s one name you may not be familiar with has actually been at the forefront for centuries. French skin care brand, Olivier Midy, has roots that go back to 1718, with the founding of the family’s Paris-based pharmaceutical company that specialized in botanical remedies. More than 300 years later, that expertise has evolved into luxury skin care products that pair the best of plant-based beauty with scientific breakthroughs.

Olivier Midy’s lineup includes just three staples: a cleanser, an essence, and an oil. Each one was developed with the brand’s commitment to clean beauty in mind, which means formulas that are cruelty-free, vegan, and made without synthetic fragrances, in addition to following the European Union’s regulations for product safety. But that doesn’t mean they skimp on the luxe factor. All of the products deliver multiple benefits (think hydrating, smoothing, and collagen-boosting), are backed by clinical trials, and are housed in apothecary-inspired glass bottles.

I put each of the Olivier Midy products to the test to give you the full scoop on the standout ingredients and how they really work. Keep reading to discover the line.

Lait Midy

This sweet-smelling cleanser starts as a silky, golden oil that transforms into a milkier texture as you massage it over damp skin. Not only does it prevent your skin from feeling stripped post-wash, but the cleanser was specifically formulated to hydrate and strengthen the skin barrier with ingredients like jojoba oil, evening primrose oil, and collagen amino acids. There are some more exotic ingredients in the cleanser, too, like fatty acid-rich cacay oil from the Amazon Rainforest, fermented green tea (which, according to the brand, helps promote a healthy skin barrier), and Icelandic glacial micro algae to support skin elasticity and collagen production.

Because it’s not as heavy-duty as some other oil cleansers out there, I’d say the Lait Midy is best reserved for a gentle morning cleanse or nighttime wash on no-makeup days.

Essence Midy

Like how a primer sets you up for a smoother, longer-lasting makeup, an essence gets your skin prepped for the rest of your routine. The Essence Midy takes things a step further by packing in active ingredients that tackle skin concerns like hyperpigmentation, excess oil production, and fine lines, while also enhancing the efficacy of the rest of your products.

Among the ingredients is a 10% concentration of exfoliating acids, which work to brighten skin and allow other products to work better by sloughing away the dead skin cells that can otherwise contribute to dullness and clogged pores. There’s also a 1% concentration of the PHA gluconolactone, a gentler exfoliator that has hydrating and collagen-stimulating properties. But it’s the brand’s proprietary BA106™ complex that really sets the essence apart. A mix of amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, the complex features astaxanthin-rich Icelandic glacial microalgae to hydrate, strengthen, and provide antioxidant protection from environmental aggressors.

Its many benefits make the essence more of a serum-essence hybrid, but it still has a water-like consistency. While the Essence Midy is free from synthetic fragrances, the botanicals in the formula do give it a noticeable medicinal scent, though it isn’t strong and dissipates quickly.

Éclat Midy

Finally, there’s the Éclat Midy, a face oil that, in my opinion, felt like the most luxurious product in the line. A blend of 24 plant-based oils and extracts make up this golden oil, which is also formulated with Olivier Midy’s BA106™ complex for antioxidant protection. Included among the commonly seen meadowfoam seed oil, sunflower seed oil, and grape seed oil are ingredients that are less often talked about (carrot seed oil, pumpkin seed oil, prickly pear seed oil, and rooibos leaf extract), and which boast brightening and collagen-boosting benefits.

As someone with oily and acne-prone skin, I’ve never been a facial oil person, but this one didn’t feel heavy or greasy in the slightest. Plus, it even contains anti-inflammatory and potential acne-healing ingredients like turmeric root oil, evening primrose oil, and centella asiatica extract. It has a barely-there scent that, to me, is most reminiscent of a vegetable garden, and the smallest drop is all you need to leave skin immediately moisturized. Perhaps most impressively, the oil leaves behind a noticeable glow that isn’t greasy (possibly from the oil’s orange tint, which I’m guessing comes from the turmeric root oil).