French women are known for their effortless beauty. The key to flawless skin, in particular, is a subject of much curiosity and discussion.
4 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT FRENCH
1. The French women spend on good quality, high end, performance-driven skin care products. French consider their skin an investment and will never skimp on quality.
2. They are consistent and realistic. The French are very committed to their skincare routines: they know they will get results from the effort they have put in through the years.
3. The French don’t have a bathroom cabinet filled with a gazillion different skincare product options, only a couple of good one.
4. For the French, it’s all about aging gracefully and confidently. They won’t take extreme measures to look younger, “Accept who you are, and work with what you have” could be the philosophy. Looking natural is a priority.
MAKE UP
Minimal is the norm—not just a trend. Parisians avoid heavy foundations and emphasize skin care over makeup. We are taught to care for our skin very young and the focus is more on maintaining a clean and healthy canvas rather than covering it up. Of course, women also love their signature rouge lips!
7 FRENCH SKINCARE ROUTINES
For the French women, beauty is not something you turn to in a panic when a wrinkle or pimple appears, rather it's a ritual in figuring out what works best and sticking with it for life. The French way is to take preventive steps so you never need to treat. The three-step routine are cleanse, tone, moisturize. The routine is simple but what’s key to its successful results is the daily consistency and the early start in life.
1.DOUBLE CLEANSE
Start by using make-up removing oils. Wash off the oil, then follow your second cleanse with a regular gel or milk cleanser. This ensures that all makeup and impurities are completely removed, allowing your products to penetrate and absorb more effectively.
Popular French facialist Joelle Ciocco, who has treated the faces of Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and French fashion icon Carine Roitfeld, agrees that double-cleansing is a crucial beauty step. However, she warns against makeup wipes which, while easy to use, are far from easy on your skin.
The French tend to use cleansing lotions versus soaps, gels or foaming cleansers to wash their face. They also love using toners and floral waters but they prefer them to be alcohol-free since this goes along with their gentler “nothing harsh” approach to skincare. They use them to remove impure tap water and refresh the skin.
2. GOMMAGE
French beauties rely on gommage exfoliants to make their face glow. The “gommage” are aimed at removing dead cells and impurities to reveal a fresher brighter-looking skin and to prepare skin for a more even absorption of active ingredients from other treatments.
3. SERUM
The French have long been into using serums and love the benefits that a serum will give. In France, these have traditionally been found in an ampoule which is a glass vial that has to be snapped open to get to the product inside.
4. REST
French women allow their skin to rest, they give their skin some time sans-cosmetics, naked and free.
5. TREATMENT OIL
French women use natural vegetable oil to help form a barrier against everyday aggressors like pollution. Oils have a great affinity with the skin, penetrate easily and give just the right amount of hydration.
6. HYDRATATION
A French moisturizer tends to be rich, very moisturizing and often times will be highly fragranced. As for sunscreen, this is one area where their skincare is lacking. Many French women see sunscreen as something you wear to the beach and are not always diligent about wearing it on a regular day.
7. EATING HEALTHY
In addition to having a good French skincare routine to “feed” the skin, French women will also eat a diet consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables and they tend to stay away from unprocessed foods.
BEST CLEAN BEAUTY BOUTIQUES IN PARIS
Thanks to blogs and beauty articles, Parisian women are more informed. When a French woman is buying a cosmetic product, she needs to understand the formula. To make their skin look très belle, Parisians seek out natural products and good news, there are lovely French beauty brands creating safe and natural cosmetics.
OH MY CREAM
With six stores in Paris, they are dedicated to providing customers with clean and effective beauty products. The retailer maintains a list of ingredients they would never use, and carefully checks the formulations of the products they sell.
HERVE HERAU
This 100-percent-natural skincare line includes high concentrations of active, plant-derived ingredients. La Pommade Corps will save dry skin during the winter, while the Cream Gel Skin Care fights darks spots using brown algae.
ESTHEDERM
Biologist Jean-Noël Thorel founded Institut Esthederm in 1978, and it’s been making products that protect the skin ever since. Originally focused on sun products, this skincare brand has broadened its range to include other items that help combat aging.
PATYKA
In 1922, a Hungarian pharmacist came to Paris to create the formula for an absolute oil that you can still buy today. The line also includes luxurious creams and serums.
LES HUILETTES
Also created by a pharmacist, les Huilettes blends essential and vegetable oils to create cleansing and moisturizing formulas.
SECRETS OF PARISIAN VIP
• For the model Céline Delaugère's skincare essentials include Vitamin E oil and "sleep, lots of water"
• French It Girl Sabina Socol recommends to moisturize everything as her standard beauty rule.
• Thylane Bloundeau's beauty routine includes, "A lot of sleep; washing off makeup at the end of the day is crucial with a lot of hydration."
• For a simplistic morning beauty routine, follow model Marine Deleeuw's easy trick. "In the morning, I wash my face with cold water and then I put on this Vinoperfect moisturizer by Caudalie that has sunblock in it to protect my skin."