If you're looking for a line of skin cream with both a rich French heritage and a focus on the inner balance and harmony of body and soul, look no further than Darphin. An illustrious background is just one of the qualities that makes Darphin a Luxist nominee in the best skin care category.

Darphin's roots date back to 1958, when founding father Pierre Darphin founded one of France's first beauty institutes. At the time, Parisian salons mostly focused on hair; Darphin was among the first who aimed to beautify the whole body. His Daurphin Institute combined a stable of cosmetologists, massage therapists, manicure experts and others with the goal of giving his clients the most all-encompassing treatments possible.

The son of a French hairdresser-to-the-stars, Darphin started all his clients with a mandatory one-hour consultation before deciding on a treatment. After the Institute's experts finished up with a client, Darphin would recommend skin care formulas for daily use at home, sometimes even prescribing a facial exercise regimen.

Today, Pierre Darphin's legacy of wide-ranging beauty products remains intact, with offerings in body care, dental care and skin care, to name a few. Darphin's signature creams include the Hydraskin Light Gel, a pistachio ice cream-colored gel used for moisturizing skin and keeping it supple (1.7 oz: $60), as well as the Stimulskin Plus Divine Lifting Cream, an anti-aging formula infused with green tea, chamomile and mulberry extract and other ingredients (1.7 oz: $295).

Vote for the skin care line that you believe is the best of breed. The voting period runs through May 31st and winners will be announced on June 1.