I’m lying on a pop-up table in a St. Barts villa. Beyond its French doors, the private pool and turquoise sea shimmer in the setting sun, and the balmy air bears a salty perfume. I close my eyes as the aesthetician applies a silky cleansing milk in soothing circular motions. After a full hour of cleansing, toning and moisturizing, my skin glows like an anointed saint’s, and I can’t help but conclude that everything the French touch instantly becomes très belle — including my face.
Fortunately, you don’t have to hop on a plane to enjoy this particular island indulgence, because Ligne St. Barth products, which use extracts from Caribbean plants, fruits and flowers, are available online and in select U.S. spas. Based on homespun recipes and natural treatments created by the Brin family, whose French ancestors settled on the island in the 17th century, the line was developed by Herve Brin and his wife, Birgit, who began commercial production in 1988 and still run the company today.
Ligne St. Barth’s signature product is a tanning oil made from the rare roucou tree’s deep-red seeds, which are purported to stimulate melanin production and said to have been used by the Arawaks to protect their skin from the ravages of the tropical sun, mosquitoes and salt water. But the company also offers a wide range of other sun-protection, skin-care, fragrance and men’s products, all manufactured in its diminutive Lorient factory.
For do-it-yourself treatments that transport your face and body all the way to St. Barts and back, try these for size. See product gallery »
WHERE TO BUY IN THE UNITED STATES
Ligne St. Barth online store
Free shipping on orders over $150.
Carnegie Hill Pharmacy
1331 Madison Ave., New York, NY
White’s Pharmacy
81 Main St., East Hampton, NY
Agua Spa at the Delano Hotel
1685 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, FL
Lapis Spa at the Fontainebleau
4441 Collins Ave., Miami Beach, FL
Best of the Beach
2 Straight Wharf, Nantucket, MA
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Ligne St Barth uses homespun French recipes and exotic Caribbean botanicals to produce their signature tanning oils, cleansing milks, and rich creams. But you don't have to hop a plane to enjoy this island indulgence—Ligne St Barth is available at several U.S. locations.
