Meet the brother and sister behind one of our new favorite skincare brands CODAGE,  Julien & Amandine Azencott.  During this conversation with Julien, we had the chance to discuss the brand history, their philosophy and how their products are connected with  modern women.

Why did you decide to create CODAGE with your sister?

The idea of CODAGE is born first from our family background. We grew up in our uncle's pharmacy dispensary. Hidden in the back room, we listened to him talk to his patients, understand their needs, make them custom products. Our parents are both surgeons and they have repeatedly told us that we must understand the symptoms before prescribing any medication. We wanted to apply this same approach of service and listening to cosmetics: we must diagnose the needs of each skin, before manufacturing a tailor-made, 100% adapted treatment.

But it also arose from our own experience. We worked for different cosmetic brands in France and in the United States, such as L'Oreal, and we felt disconnected with the way we developed products: age / skin type and we had to develop a product that could be sold to everyone. We have seen marketing take precedence over innovation, opacity over honesty. We returned to France with the conviction that we had to put the skin and the customer back at the center of cosmetics. Get back to basics with products made on demand, based on each person and their unique needs. This is why our first product was made to measure!

This was our dream: a brand based not in the universal, but in the personal. A product that is suitable for every skin and every need.

What is CODAGE's biggest asset as a brand?

We made the science of formulation accessible to everyone so that they can understand and be co-creators of their own skincare. We were the first one to offer that personalised approach 10 years ago. We became a contemporary apothecary that offers a wide range of targeted treatment solutions and intelligent, all-in-one products. For us, each beauty is unique, each one deserves its own formula, its own solution, its own codage. The "CODAGE" is this unique skincare "formula" that meets the particularities of each skin and that sets us apart from other brands.

How is CODAGE reflecting the strong empowering women of today?

Today, women no longer buy cosmetics blindly. They want to be intelligent and responsible consumers. They want to know if the products they use are as beneficial to their skin as they are to the planet.

Our products are over 90% natural, made in France (by us) vegan and cruelty free. The names of our products are simple, based on their results, to be immediately understood by them. No false promises. All our ingredients are listed in a clear and honest way.

We are therefore allowing women to keep up their search for transparency and sincerity and to purchase ever more intelligently.

Last, but not least, our system is very sharp (3 steps routine) and our formulations provide ultimate efficacy, yet with great safety (we don’t list any allergen) and with textures easy to wear, not sticky, for a real pleasure of use on a daily base.

What is the best comment you heard about a CODAGE product and who was it from?

We have received so many “life changing” testimonials from our customers, who’ve been suffering for strong skin issues affecting their personal and social lives. Hearing from a customer that our products have changed their life fills us with great pride and happiness.

Nowadays, we feel so passionate and proud to be collaborating with the best facialists and beauty professionals around the globe, who use every day our methodology of care to treat their patients. That really is also what drives us to keep bringing the best grade of cosmetology.

But I always keep remembering our early days, working so hard with my sister to deliver the best possible formulations. Trying to be credible “young designers of beauty” in an industry, back then, led mostly by powerful companies. Our first retail partner was Colette concept store in Paris. We were already very proud of that. During the Vogue Fashion Night out, the beauty editor in chief of VOGUE Paris said (on camera) that to her CODAGE was the best skincare she ever tried, as we even managed to remove a dark spot she had on her face after only 3 weeks of using Serum n°06.  To receive this compliment from a woman who received every day all the best possible skincare that exist on the planet was the biggest reward we could get back in the time.

If there is one CODAGE product that shouldn't be missing from any routine, which one is it?

At the core of a healthy skin is hydration. Everyone needs to maintain enough moisture level within every skin layer. Dry skin even more than combination to oily skin but they all need hydration support.

The Serum n°01 Intense Moisturizing is definitely a product everyone should have if their bathroom! Its 99% natural composition provides skin with intense nourishment, in depth and on the surface, making it softer, suppler and more resilient. Composed of 2 types of hyaluronic acid, it penetrates the different layers of the epidermis to hydrate skin from deep down up to its surface. Soothing active ingredients and a powerful blend of antioxidants help prevent sensitivity and redness, while strengthening the skin’s natural defenses and improving its integrity… All that with a light and fluid texture that makes it very suitable for most skin types. A real must-have, for any routine.

Find out more about their amazing products here.