L’OCCITANE’s Immortelle Divine Skincare collection has been a mainstay of our routines for the past two decades. Powered by the aromatic golden immortelle flower that grows in Corsica, the L’OCCITANE Divine collection has won numerous awards for its natural skin-boosting abilities. I’ve visited the fields in Corsica and met the growers who work with L’OCCITANE to harvest this incredible natural resource; whenever I open a pot of Divine Cream, I’m transported back to the aromatic dry warmth of the maquis, the evergreen scrubland unique to this wild and beautiful Mediterranean island. And now, after 20 years of research, L’OCCITANE has developed a new formula that’s enriched with exclusive immortelle blends, including the Immortelle Super Extract – which has benefits similar to retinol but is entirely natural.

While retinol is generally recognised as the gold standard in terms of anti-ageing, it doesn’t suit everyone. Some people’s skin can’t tolerate this highly active ingredient and it can be desensitising. Studies have shown that L’OCCITANE’s new Immortelle Super Extract can deliver skin volume benefits similar to retinol – while being gentler to your skin and without any irritation.

So what’s so exciting about this new Immortelle Super Extract? It’s a powerful botanical compound made up of 21 active molecules, some of which have never been studied before. L’OCCITANE studies show that this extract can signal to the skin cells to produce more collagen at the dermis level – just like retinol. Tests on this 100 per cent natural ingredient show an increase of 70 per cent in overall collagen fibres and a doubling of the thickness of the skin’s top layer, the epidermis, helping to redensify skin and thus smooth lines and wrinkles. A second new botanical extract, the Immortelle Super Aqueous Extract, features water-soluble active molecules that boost the antioxidant protection of Immortelle Essential Oil and add protection from exposure to blue light, something we have all been more exposed to in recent times.

You’ll find these active extracts in the new Divine Collection, including Divine Cream (€89), a luxurious moisturiser that feels velvety on the skin and is now enriched with the Immortelle Super Extract. Clinical studies* showed noticeable improvements in smoothness, radiance and skin density.** Deeply hydrating, it gives your skin a beautiful healthy glow. If I could only have one thing from this range, I’d go for the Divine Youth Oil (€89), which is formulated with 98 per cent natural-origin ingredients. You only need a drop of this concentrated skin elixir to add luminosity and radiance to the complexion, and protect skin: it’s especially good for softening lines and delivering a nourishing boost of moisture. It melts into skin and has a lovely subtle scent. My tip is to add a few drops into the Divine Cream for a really sensory experience. And for a daily staple, the Divine Eye Balm is a targeted solution for the eye area, and tests showed smoothed eye contour and wrinkles after one month***.

For the most concentrated actives, try the Divine Serum, a really light and effective skin elixir that delivers luminosity and brightness to the skin while enhancing its volume and structure at the dermal and epidermal levels. There’s also an omega-rich Divine Essence in the collection, featuring the Immortelle Super Aqueous Extract and polyphenol, known for its antioxidant properties, crucial for helping to protect the skin against external aggressors.

Sustainable sourcing is a real focus in beauty now. It has always been vital to L’OCCITANE to trace its ingredients from seed to skin, and the brand has worked with specialist growers in Corsica for decades, supporting them, creating a community and respecting biodiversity. All the Immortelle fields in Corsica are certified organic by Ecocert, and L’OCCITANE use eco-extraction processes to harness the extraordinary ingredients within the immortelle flower: the new molecules were extracted using a process free from synthetic solvents in order to deliver 100 per cent natural-origin extracts.

The new super-powered Immortelle Divine Collection is available in boutiques nationwide and online at ie.loccitane.com now. Visit ie.loccitane.com to discover more about the Divine Collection. If you need personalised advice on what’s best for your skin, you can now book a 45-minute skin consultation on Zoom with one of their experts online at ie.loccitane.com.

*Clinical scoring on 32 women after 3 months.
** Efficacy test by echography on 32 women for 84 days.
*** Consumer test results on 31 women.