Tried & Tested: Institut Karité Paris 100% Shea Butter, Ultra Rich Hand Cream & Rose Hand Cream review

Heads up my fellow francophiles! Last month saw the launch of Institut Karité Paris into the UK, and I've had the pleasure of trying out a couple of their bestsellers.

Institut Karité Paris are a popular French brand whose products all have shea butter in them. I am a big fan of the moisturising properties of shea butter, so naturally my dry skin was drawn towards them. They have ranges of skincare, bath, shower, bodycare and a men's line, and everything is clearly labelled with how much shea butter is in them. This is something that I really respect because so many brands are quite happy to plaster the name of a star ingredient on their bottles, and then when you read down the inci list, you find it's actually like 0.04% or something! As a consumer, I want clear labelling, and with Institut Karité Paris you get this.

Institut Karité Paris are very, very similar to L'Occitane (as you may have already guessed!) in terms of their use of shea butter, packaging designs and scents/fragrances used, so I was interested to see how their products compare, though it's worth pointing out that they both operate at similar price points anyway.

Institut Karité Paris 100% Shea Butter* (150ml, £26.50, link) 

Sometimes it's the simplest of ingredients that yield the best results, and this big tin of pure, unscented, just 100% shea butter is a testament to that philosophy. My dry, eczema prone skin loves plain shea butter as it's naturally very hydrating and soothing. This one is virtually the same as most others I've tried, though I would perhaps say the texture is slightly smoother. Comparison wise with L'Occitane's pure shea butter that I have used in the past, I was disappointed to see that Institut Karité's is neither fairtrade or organic (whereas L'Occitane's is both) and for the price, I was expecting to see at least one of these certifications, if not both.

Institut Karité Paris Ultra Rich Hand Cream* (30ml, £7, link) & Rose Hand Cream* (30ml, £7, link)

I have been a long time fan of L'Occitane's Shea Butter Hand Creams and I have to say that these ones from Institut Karité Paris are again very similar! Both are made with 20% shea butter, so they feel very moisturising, and both sink into the skin quickly without any greasiness or stickiness. The Ultra Rich Hand Cream has a lovely fresh, almost milky scent to it which smells wonderfully comforting and the Rose Hand Cream is fresh and floral but not too overpowering, so I'd say I'd prefer the Institut Karité Paris rose scent over the L'Occitane one, just for personal preference.

Institut Karité Paris are available in the UK online via LookFantastic, BeautyBay and BeautyExpert.

Have you tried anything from Institut Karité Paris?

Follow me on: BlogLovin' | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest