San Francisco’s Newest Eco Beauty Sanctuary: The Detox Market

San Francisco has always been at the forefront of environment, and the gamut of local, provincially packaged beauty products proves it. But a new generation of eco goods, united by both ethics and aesthetics, has emerged with a luxe, international spin; The Detox Market calls the cross-cultural Mission district its new home.

Just six months old, The Detox Market celebrates the finest, curated selection of good-for-you beauty, skin, and home products. Pairing California’s bathroom love affair for all things green with a healthy dose of Parisian sophistication, we couldn’t wait to discover the chic treats in the store.

Following the launch of their freshly-made organic skin care line Odacité, cofounders Romain Gaillard and Valerie Grandury quickly started getting requests from clients asking for product recommendations with the same level of efficacy and purity as their own line. In an attempt to offer a short list of recommendations they felt comfortable with, Valerie and Romain tested thousands of products, and soon decided to create a pop-up store with like-minded brands for the 2010 holiday season. Their first Abbot Kinney pop-up in Venice quickly gained traction among press and the industry, even though it had an original life span of two months. They kept the original Los Angeles shop, then expanded to West Hollywood; San Francisco marks its third location on the west coast. The only difference between their stores, Valerie reveals, is the popularity of artisanal jams, teas, and chocolates in San Francisco—sometimes more popular than anything else.

“All great movements start in California,” Valerie tells Beautylish. “The organic industry suffers from a ‘granola’ image, and often lacks efficacy in its products. There’s a lot of green-washing, the choices are overwhelming, and often they’re deceptive. In the end, we find only a handful of products we feel confident about using and recommending.”

Selling products that combine true California “green” with the elegance and refinement of Parisian chic is no easy task. The team only works with small companies, managed by passionate entrepreneurs. Their criteria are strict. Products need to be safe to use, but they also need to perform even better than their toxic equivalent. “And in the end, they have to look good,” she adds. Amidst the flurry of European imports arranged along the minimally rustic decor (featuring acclaimed French eco fragrance line Honoré des Prés and Valerie’s very own made-to-order Odacité) come a bevy of Beautylish eco makeup favorites, including coveted lip line Ilia, Scandinavian mineral powerhouse Kide (the line’s first introduction to the American market), and Paris-based 3-free nail lacquer Kure Bazaar (in a word, amazing!).

But the west-coast takeover isn’t enough for the duo, who are looking to grow their eco footprint with extra pop-up shops at the end of the year in Toronto and New York City. “Response has been fantastic and very rewarding,” raves Valerie. “We get daily emails from clients all over the country thanking us for finding such great products. We hope to inspire change one product at a time, while setting new standards of purity.” Will the French deux-some ever take California’s green dream to their European hometown? “Paris is a dream we are following,” hints Valerie.

The Detox Market, 969 Valencia Street, San Francisco, 415.826.1600; thedetoxmarket.com