COTTAN, from one century to the next

Let's take a little trip back in time...

In this world of trends, we sometimes forget the benefits of time, beautiful stories, and heritage. 

Yet it is the commitment of several generations that has allowed Jean-François Arsène Cottan's avant-garde genius to stand the test of time and patiently develop the formulas of his original " doctor brand " into skincare products that are as sensorial and natural as ever, but also increasingly effective.

COTTAN: Timeline of the first "doctor brand"

Here is a first century of adventure and innovation:

• 1840: Founding of the Société hygiénique* COTTAN at 5 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau in Paris
• 1842: Dr. Cottan files his first patents, including one for a (soon to be famous) beauty vinegar
• 1858: Move to 55 rue de Rivoli and launch of several landmark formulas, such as evanescent creams (face), kalodermal creams (hands) and philocome balms (hair)
• 1875: Renamed COTTAN & Cie, the company becomes a benchmark in Paris, France, and Europe
• 1908: Creation of a new workshop in Courbevoie, following the success of the approach taken by Dr. Cottan and his successors (including Dr. Soubiran and Dr. Chaumonnot), who worked to perfect the effectiveness of COTTAN formulas
• 1918: The company moves to 40 rue Châteaudun, occupying an entire six-story building with a boutique on the ground floor, design studios on the first floor, and offices on the upper floors. That same year, the Courbevoie factory is destroyed during the war and rebuilt in Asnières.
• 1932: COTTAN perfumery merged with Mouilleron perfumes and accelerated the development of its perfumes, which were already famous in the 1920s, such as Dazy, Sysmée, and Kiou-Li.
• The crisis of the 1930s and the war in 1939-40 marked a pause after a century of history...

After an 80-year absence, a new century begins!

• 2020: Aware of the rich heritage and work of Dr. Cottan and his successors, we revived and adapted these original formulas with the help of Jean-Claude Le Joliff, former R&D director at Chanel and now president of the Cosmétothèque.
• 2023: After three years of work, the iconic products are relaunched at the Cosmoprof trade show in Bologna (the world's leading trade show) and are warmly received by lovers of the art of formulation.
• 2024-2026: COTTAN regains its footing, from chic Parisian pharmacies to New York's Printemps department store, via Korea and Japan, demanding countries where the brand's cosmetic expertise is highly prized!

What's next in COTTAN's wonderful story? 

We are writing it together every day... because we believe that this is only the beginning of a new golden age for the natural, unique, and magnificently effective formulations of COTTAN products.

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Thank you for sharing this journey through time with us! Take care.

*At that time, body and facial care was more about hygiene than cosmetics.