Between June 2025 and February 2026, CreatorIQ tracked Earned Media Value (EMV) across skincare brands in France. EMV a metric that assigns a monetary value to earned media, effectively measuring the financial impact of creator-driven visibility. The nine-month data reveals but a shift of which brands hold influence in the French market.
In June 2025, zero brands with Korean roots appeared in the top ten. By February 2026, three were in the ranking: Yepoda, MEDICUBE, and Erborian. K-beauty’s penetration of the French social media landscape is real. Erborian clearly separated itself from competition. Not only the French-Korean brand held the top position in seven of the nine months but its EMV nearly doubled from €4.6M in June 2025 to €8.8M in February 2026 a rate of acceleration unmatched by any other brand in the ranking.
Beyond K-Beauty, Aroma-Zone is quietly building momentum. Starting at number 8 spot in June 2025 (€2.1M), it climbs to number 2 in February 2026 (€2.8M). Its consistent presence in the top 5 from October onward reflects the growing power of the “natural & DIY” beauty segment in France.
There is a real contrast with established heritage brands. La Roche-Posay, France’s most globally recognised dermatological brand, began the period with €3.8M EMV and peaked in July at €4.5M. By February 2026, its EMV had fallen to €1.8M, less than half its peak and was out of the top-three positioning. This suggests a widening gap between traditional brand equity and creator-native brands.
The reshuffling extends deep into the ranking. Four brands present in the June 2025 top ten: L’Oréal Paris, Biotherm, The Ordinary, and Aroma-Zone had dropped out in February 2026. Their replacements Yepoda, MEDICUBE, Mixa, and a resurgent Caudalie underscore how rapidly visibility is evolving on social media today.