What L'ARGILE does

L'ARGILE, operating commercially as Argiletz, is a privately-held French S.A.S. founded in 1953 and headquartered in Lizy-sur-Ourcq, Seine-et-Marne. The company specializes in clay-based cosmetic, therapeutic, and home care products, extracting clay from quarries and drying it naturally in sunlight to preserve its active mineral properties — a proprietary process it has operated for over 70 years. Its core product portfolio spans 129+ SKUs across argilotherapy powders and pastes (green, white, red, pink, yellow, and ghassoul clays in multiple granulometries from 20-micron ultra-ventilated to 2-cm crushed), ready-to-use face and body masks, hygiene products (shampoos, soaps, deodorants, toothpaste, mineral chewing gum), home cleaning items (Pierre d'Argile, odor absorbers, dishwashing liquid), and books on clay use. The patented Textilit® technology — developed over 20+ years of R&D — sprays a fine layer of natural clay onto biodegradable 100% French vegetable cellulose to produce ready-to-use clay bandages, sheets, and face masks, representing the company's main technical differentiator from traditional DIY clay preparation.

The business model is direct-to-consumer e-commerce (argiletz.com) complemented by a wholesale network of 255+ physical retail points of sale across France and internationally. Products are sold as one-time unit purchases with prices ranging from €3.71 to €15.25 per SKU; free shipping applies in France for orders over €35, with international delivery via Colissimo and Mondial Relay. The primary customer segment is health-conscious individual consumers seeking natural skincare, body care, hair care, oral care, and eco-friendly home products, with a secondary B2B wholesale channel supplying pharmacies and natural product resellers. The company is family-owned and led by Présidente Nadia Kotchenko-Heitz, has no disclosed institutional investors or funding rounds, and reports registered capital of €480,000. Certifications include COSMOS NATURAL on powder lines and a BIO-certified articular soothing paste. Sub-brands include Textilit® (patented technology line), Sublime Argile (daily skincare creams), and a Gamme Nomade travel range (single-dose berlingots and mini masks).

Name

L'ARGILE

Legal name

ARGILETZ S.A.S.

Website

https://argiletz.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Argiletz is a privately-held French family business founded in 1953 that extracts and sun-dries natural clay to manufacture therapeutic, cosmetic, and home care products across 129+ SKUs, selling direct-to-consumer via argiletz.com and through 255+ retail points of sale in France and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lizy-sur-ourcq

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. E-commerce Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of clay-based cosmetic, therapeutic, and home care products through the company's e-commerce website argiletz.com. Products include argilotherapy powders, ready-to-use pastes, face masks, body care, hair care, oral care, and home products.
2. Retail/Reseller Distribution: Wholesale distribution through a network of retail partners and physical stores. Products sold to resellers for final consumer sales. Free shipping for orders over €35 in France.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Argiletz manufactures and sells 100% natural clay-based products for cosmetic, therapeutic (argilotherapy), hygiene, and home-care applications. The portfolio includes green and colored clays in powders, ready-to-use pastes, and the patented Textilit® clay-on-cellulose strips, as well as face masks, hair and body care, oral care, deodorants, and home cleaning products. Products are sold directly to consumers through argiletz.com with worldwide shipping, and through a network of 255+ retail partners.

Product overview

Argiletz is a French specialist in clay-based care and cosmetic products, operating since 1953. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio centered on natural clay in various forms (powders, pastes, strips, masks) for three main applications: argilotherapy (therapeutic clay treatments), cosmetics (face/hair/body care), and household cleaning. Key product lines include Green Clay (Illite) and colored clays (white, red, pink, yellow, ghassoul), the patented Textilit® technology (clay-coated cellulose strips), ready-to-use masks and pastes, hygiene products (deodorants, shampoos, toothpaste, chewing gum), and home cleaning products. The company emphasizes 100% natural ingredients without preservatives, sun-drying processes, and French manufacturing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Textilit®: A patented technology involving spraying natural clay onto 100% vegetable French cellulose to create clay bandages, sheets and ready-to-use masks. The technology required over 20 years of research and development. Products are biodegradable, water-saving, and less messy than traditional clay applications.
• Sublime Argile

Products and services

• Argile Verte Illite (Green Clay Powder) The company's primary clay product, available in ultra-ventilated powder (20 microns), surfine (60 microns), fine ground, granulated, and crushed forms. Used for argilotherapy, poultices, plasters, face masks, and hair treatments.
• Argiles de Couleur (Colored Clays) Various colored clays including white (kaolin), red, pink, yellow, and ghassoul (rhassoul), each with specific properties for cosmetic use on different skin types.
• Argile Ghassoul Ancestral beauty treatment clay suitable for face, body, and hair, marketed as a 3-in-1 multi-purpose product.
• Textilit® (Patented Clay Strips & Sheets) Patented clay strips and sheets made from 100% French vegetable cellulose with a fine layer of natural clay. The technology requires over 20 years of research and enables easy application of clay for cataplasms, body protections, and face masks. The product is 100% biodegradable, water-efficient, and less messy.
• Coussins d'Argile (Clay Cushions) Pre-formed clay cushions for body application, soaked in water and applied directly to skin for soothing treatments.
• Masques Visage (Ready-to-Use Clay Face Masks) Ready-to-use clay face masks in tubes (100g, 150g) available in green, rose, red, yellow, white, and ghassoul varieties for different skin types and effects.
• Pâtes Prêtes à l'Emploi (Ready-to-Use Clay Pastes) Pre-mixed clay pastes for immediate application, including articular soothing paste certified BIO and general-purpose green clay paste.
• Sublime Argile (Skincare Line) Skincare line featuring clay-based face creams and products for daily beauty routines.
• Cheveux (Hair Care Products) Shampoos and conditioners containing clay for hair washing and care.
• Corps (Body Care Products) Body care products including soaps, shower gels, and body scrubs with clay.
• Bucco-Dentaire (Oral Care Products) Oral care products including toothpastes with white and yellow clay, and mineral chewing gums with green clay.
• Gamme Nomade (Travel Range) Travel-sized products including single-dose berlingots (15ml) and mini masks (30g) for on-the-go use.
• Produits Maison (Home Cleaning Products) Clay-based home cleaning products including Pierre d'Argile (clay stone for silverware, windows, mirrors), odor absorbers for refrigerators, vacuum cleaners and living spaces, and clay-based dishwashing liquid with ultra-soft pink clay.
• Pâte Articulaire Apaisante BIO (Organic Joint-Soothing Clay Paste) Certified BIO ready-to-use clay paste targeted at soothing articular/joint discomfort, offered as a distinct therapeutic SKU within the pastes line.
• Déodorant Minéral (Mineral Roll-On Deodorant) White clay and calendula based roll-on deodorant providing natural freshness.
• Coffrets & Trousses (Gift Sets & Kits) Pre-packaged gift sets and kits including multimasking kits and travel cases.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free shipping on orders over €35 in France

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Dr. Hauschka: German natural cosmetics brand (WALA group) with Natrue-certified formulations including clay-based masks. Comparable to Argiletz on certified-natural positioning, premium pricing, and global specialist retail.
• Yves Rocher: Iconic French botanical beauty brand with very large domestic distribution and own retail network. Overlaps with Argiletz on plant/mineral-based skincare sold through French retail and D2C channels.
• Weleda: Globally established natural cosmetics and anthroposophic medicine brand with clay-based face care products (e.g., Weleda skin food / revitalizing masks). Competes in the same 'natural, no synthetic preservatives' positioning as Argiletz at much larger scale.
• Aesop: Australian luxury natural cosmetics brand owned by L'Oréal, with select mineral/clay-based skincare. Comparable on premium natural positioning and global aspirational positioning, though Aesop operates at materially larger scale.
• L'Occitane International: Global French natural beauty group (L'Occitane, Melvita, Erborian). Operates broadly in the same natural cosmetics category as Argiletz with much larger scale, global retail, and acquisition firepower — Argiletz could be an acquisition target.
• Pierre Fabre (Klorane / Avène): Large French dermo-cosmetic group with natural-ingredient brands (Klorane uses clay and plant actives). Operates globally via pharmacy distribution — same French dermo-cosmetics and natural-active channels as Argiletz.

Direct peers

• Melvita: French pioneer in natural and organic cosmetics (founded 1983), owned by L'Occitane Group. Competes directly with Argiletz in natural face/body/skincare sold through pharmacies and organic retail in France.
• Cattier: French family-owned specialist in clay-based cosmetics, hygiene, and baby care since 1962. Closest direct peer: similar French origin, similar clay-led portfolio (green clay, ghassoul, white clay), similar B2B retail pharmacy/organic-store distribution in France.
• Laboratoire de Biarritz: French natural cosmetics brand specializing in sun care and skincare with organic-certified formulations. Overlaps with Argiletz on COSMOS-certified natural positioning, French pharmacy distribution, and clean-beauty e-commerce.

Regional players

• Sanex (Colgate-Palmolive): European personal-care brand with mineral/clay-containing shower and body products. Comparable product formats (deodorants, shower gels) but operates at mass-market scale with broader distribution than Argiletz.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcmeYDqRKp5B0lbhV5ctYsw
• Facebookfr-fr.facebook.com/argiletz
• Instagraminstagram.com/argiletz/?hl=fr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/argiletz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about L'ARGILE