There are two main reasons that Parisian skincare brand Sisley stands out from the competition. First, in a landscape that’s dominated by large conglomerates that operate dozens of sub-brands and licences, Sisley is still a private concern, owned and run by the d’Ornano family. (The late Count Hubert d’Ornano, whose grandfather was also one of the founders of Lancôme, launched the brand in 1976). Second, if you look at the back of one of Sisley’s elegant bottles, you’ll notice there are often not just one or two, but five or six active (that is, functional) ingredients in every product. Believe it or not, this is rather rare in the wider world of cosmetics, in which many products come packed full of substances that affect little except their fragrance and consistency. Such practices are not good enough for Sisley, though, which has had a mission since its inception to seek out the best plant-based active ingredients and concoct formulations that are as efficient, fast-acting and superlatively effective as possible.

It’s for this reason that Sisley has a reputation that precedes it, and a somewhat fanatical following among those in the know. (In 2012, according to Forbes, the brand’s Sisleÿa Extra-Rich Cream was so in demand that it was subject to online rationing at Sak’s Fifth Avenue.) And it’s for this reason that we’re thrilled to announce that, as of today, a comprehensive range of Sisley’s best products will be available to buy on MR PORTER. The only catch here is that, for newcomers to the brand, the sheer breadth of Sisley’s offering, refined over three decades, might seem a little overwhelming. So, we’ve put together a handy guide that highlights some of the brand’s key products, depending on your particular concern and skin type.

Sisley’s Tropical Resins range is a neat compendium of products that target the key concerns of combination and oily skin: blocked pores, shininess and blemishes. The key ingredients here are benzoin extract, which purifies the skin of microbes, and incense and myrrh extracts, which help to reduce irritation, but in the individual products additional plant-based ingredients are added for varying effects. If you’ve got oily skin (or suffer from any of the above concerns), start with the Gentle Cleansing Gel, which is additionally loaded with D-panthenol (an anti-irritation agent) and marshmallow root (for moisture), to deliver clean, fresh skin without dryness. The Intensive Serum is an exfoliating, but hydrating treatment that, thanks to its sebum-taming java tea extract, will greatly reduce shininess throughout the day and help to mattify the skin.

Most of Sisley’s products can be used by both men and women, but when it came to anti-ageing the brand made an exception and created a catch-all super-product – Sisleÿum For Men Anti-Age Global Revitalizer – that particularly targets the ageing process in men’s skin, but also helps to reduce the wear and tear of shaving and razor burn. Use it in the morning and evening and enjoy the effects of active ingredients including olivine, which recharges the metabolism of skin cells, and extract of padina pavonica, which stimulates the skin to synthesise hyaluronic acid and so retain water more effectively. One of the first places to show signs of ageing is the eyes. For this area, Sisley has a targeted (and massively popular) night cream, Supremÿa Yeux, which targets dark circles and puffiness as well as wrinkles with extracts of acai, yeast and oat kernel.

If you’re looking for the ultimate everyday moisturiser, few come as customer-approved as Sisley Ecological Compound, one of which is sold somewhere in the world every 45 seconds. This cream, which comes in a handy, pump-action bottle, offers not just superior moisturisation, but firming and toning properties as well as protection from environmental pollution, via natural extracts including ginseng, rosemary and, slightly strangely, hops (it turns out they have a stimulating effect on the skin, unlike the gassy drink they’re so often used to make). Add it to your routine with Sisley Buff And Wash Facial Gel (the brand’s number-one-selling cleansing product in the UK), which with daily use will provide gentle, but effective exfoliation and perk up the skin, thanks to its brightening dash of lemon extract.