T.LeClerc

T.LeClerc is a French makeup house founded in 1881 by Théophile Leclerc, a Paris pharmacist who developed a "dermophile" rice powder in his dispensary in the Madeleine district [1]. Also styled Maison Théophile LeClerc, the company built its identity around that loose face powder, which it offered in sixteen shades at a time when nearly all face powders were white. It remains active today, distributing across dozens of countries under family ownership.

The house has changed hands more than once in recent years. It is currently independent and family-owned, having been acquired in March 2020 by Laetitia and Frédéric Poux [1][5].

The brand traces its beginning to 1881, when Théophile Leclerc, described by the company as an avant-garde pharmacist, formulated a rice powder in his pharmacy in the Madeleine quarter of Paris [1]. What set the powder apart, according to the house, was colour: Leclerc offered it in sixteen tints in an era when other face powders were uniformly white. That tinted loose powder became the foundation of the brand and is still positioned as its signature product more than 140 years later [6].

The powder is built around rice starch. The company states that its Dermophile loose powder is formulated with 30 percent rice starch, which it describes as gentle and naturally rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

For most of its history the house was known chiefly for that heritage powder, later expanding into a broader makeup range spanning complexion, eyes, lips and nails. By 2018 the brand, together with its sister brand Innoxa, was owned by Laboratoires Visiomed [5].

In March 2020, both T.LeClerc and Innoxa were purchased by Frédéric Poux, a former chairman and chief executive of Groupe Afflelou, in a deal whose financial terms were not disclosed [5]. Trade publication Women's Wear Daily reported the acquisition, framing the two brands as "sleeping beauties" Poux intended to revive, with a stated development focus on France, Belgium and international online expansion [5]. The brand's own account names both Laetitia and Frédéric Poux as the acquirers and dates the purchase to 1 March 2020 [1].

T.LeClerc describes itself as a French, family-owned and independent company following the 2020 acquisition by the Poux family [1]. Its previous owner, Laboratoires Visiomed, had held both T.LeClerc and Innoxa since 2018; Poux acquired the two together, and at the time of the deal WWD placed the combined portfolio at roughly 200 units across foundations, eye, lip and nail products [5].

The company positions itself as an artisan makeup house, using the tagline "Artisan maquilleur depuis 1881" [1]. Its clean-formulation approach centres on what it calls a restrictive charter: T.LeClerc says it excludes ingredients it considers undesirable, naming silicones, phthalates and parabens, and favours ingredients of natural and mineral origin [1]. That positioning aligns the brand with the classic French pharmacy tradition, a lineage the incoming owner explicitly linked to "clean beauty and natural cosmetics" at the time of the acquisition [5].

The house sells makeup, fragrance and nail products. Its cornerstone remains the Poudre Libre Dermophile, the loose rice powder that the company traces back over 140 years and presents as its heritage centrepiece. Alongside makeup, T.LeClerc runs a fragrance line called Le Poudré, a set of powdered eaux de parfum in scents such as Iris Blanc, Frangipanier and Néroli; the company describes them as evoking "the magic of the Belle Époque," with gourmand and floral notes inspired by its rice powder.

In 2015, Martha Stewart named a T.LeClerc eyeliner as her favourite in an Into The Gloss "Top Shelf" interview, noting that the specific product was already discontinued [7]. Editorial coverage has described the brand's loose rice powder as "still a cult favorite among beauty enthusiasts today" [6].

T.LeClerc is active. Its website and advice blog are maintained with seasonal content, and its product line continues, including a reformulated loose powder. The company states it is present in 35 countries [1]; at the time of the 2020 acquisition, WWD reported distribution through about 1,500 pharmacies across 18 countries, a figure consistent with subsequent international growth rather than a contradiction [5].