Dying to know all the French skin care routine secrets that make up a French skin care routine? I had been curious for a long time and was determined to find out. During a recent trip to Paris, I was amazed by the skin of almost every French woman I met. Almost every one of them had glowing, radiant, beautiful skin. None of them wore very much makeup and many of the ladies in their forties and beyond had wrinkles, but their skin just glowed. I loved how chic their minimal makeup look was and how they clearly embraced aging gracefully. We’ve all heard so much about how French women don’t get fat, French women don’t age, French women are so chic, and blah blah. I know we are all sick of it, but as always, there is truth to the cliche. French women truly have beautiful skin. I decided to find out their French skin care routine secrets and the secret was simple. They take care of it with a consistent French skin care routine.

Determined to come back home with better skin care habits, my sister and I visited a Caudalie store. We asked the charming {and of course, lovely} saleswoman to teach us her French skin care secrets and set us each up with a French skin care routine. She gave us a simple regimen to follow and we came home with our luggage considerably heavier and dreams of glowing skin. As we were starting this routine, we also read The French Beauty Secret, a book by Mathilde Thomas, the founder of Caudalie, on French skin care routines. Not a lot of the information was new to my sister or me, but we thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Reading the book was like having a lovely chat with a french women giving away all her secrets. Mathilde {pardon to address you on a first name basis madame, but I feel like we are BFFs now}, encourages women to set a simple French skin care routine and stick to it. She emphasizes that the routine should feel wonderful and pampering, with textures and smells to delight. This is very different from the American philosophy of dozens of steps, products that may sting or smell, and looking for a “quick fix”. Mathilde made me realize how wonderful it should feel to take care of myself and that the results take time. I am grossly simplifying her advice and the book contained many other wonderful secrets, but the reason I am highlighting this point is because this is the first time I have actually stuck to a skin care routine and I think it’s because of this way of looking at skin care.

The Perfect French Skin Care Routine You’ll Want to Steal

Here’s my current French skin care routine:

Lena’s French Skin Care Routine:

Just a warning, this looks like a LOT. Had you told me a month ago I’d be religiously doing this French skin care routine daily I would’ve thought you’re crazy. But it honestly takes me 5 minutes max. I will admit, sometimes I’m too tired, too lazy, or too busy and I don’t actually follow all of this, but when I stick to this religiously I notice a huge difference in my skin. {Here’s my new simplified version if you find this to be too much. It’s super quick but follows the same principles as a French skin care routine}

AM French Skin Care Routine:

• I start with a gentle foaming cleanser. I’ve tried this cleanser in the past and didn’t like it, but I realize now it’s because I was so used to a squeaky clean feel, that I didn’t realize that’s not how my cleanser should leave my skin feeling. Stripping the skin too much of its oils actually causes skin to produce MORE oil, so it’s better to leave some of the natural oil to keep skin feeling balanced
• Spray my skin with beauty elixir, a a pore tightening and refreshing toner. This is my first time using a toner as I’ve always thought of them as a marketing gimmick. I’m not sure if this is actually doing anything for my skin, but it does feel lovely using it. I’ll let you know if I decide to repurchase. I also keep this next to my desk and spray it throughout the day while I’m working to refresh my skin. Update: I didn’t really see a difference in my skin by spraying the elixir, but I did see a bigger difference spraying it on a cotton pad and then wiping my face with it
• Use an eye cream. This is such an important part of a French skin care routine because under eye skin is so sensitive and easily prone to wrinkles. I love this Caudalie one, it’s specifically formulated for fine lines and dark circles and it’s one of the most potent eye creams they carry. The formula is surprisingly light and I find it works really nicely under my makeup. Sometimes I’ll use this eye cream instead in the morning only because I like to use something with SPF during the summer. It also contains mineral pigments which instantly brighten my eyes, which I love. Make sure to tap it on gently with your index finger, which is your weakest finger
• Then, I prep my skin with this radiance boosting serum. I wear this daily, whether I’m planning on wearing makeup or not. This serum is my favorite Caudalie product. I have dark spots, which I HATE, and ever since I started using this serum, the dark spots have faded. I also feel glowier. The serum also doesn’t make me break out or irritate my skin
• Finally, I use a moisturizer with minimum SPF 50. I’ve been using this one from Clarins for years. I love how lightweight it is. My makeup goes on well over it and I don’t feel greasy like other facial sunscreens can sometimes make me feel. I will admit, I can sometimes be lazy and just use this cc cream with SPF 50 and full coverage so I can skip a step in my makeup routine
• If I’m working from home that day, sometimes I’ll put on this overnight mask instead of moisturizer. It leaves my skin really soft, moisturized, and glowy by the end of the day

Shop the French Skin Care Morning Routine:

PM French Skin Care Routine:

• Take off my makeup and cleanse my face with this oil from Caudalie or this cleanser that I love. Both of them take my off my makeup really well, even my eye makeup. Since I’m so lazy about washing my face {I know, I know}, I take a shower every night and wash my face then. #lazygirlskincare. You’re supposed to use the Caudalie oil on dry skin, but I find that it works just fine on wet skin. I have to say, I do occasionally still have a little bit of eyeliner left over after washing my face with either of these cleansers. If I’m wearing a lot of makeup that day, I’ll usually use this cleansing balm first. It feels really luxurious to use but it also takes everything off. I promised my Caudalie saleswoman that I wouldn’t use makeup remover wipes anymore, so I rarely rarely rarely do anymore. Makeup remover swipes are apparently not a part of a French skin care routine and I’ve noticed a big difference in my skin since I stopped using them
• Spritz my face with my beauty elixir. Sometimes I’ll spray it on a cotton pad first then wipe my face with it just to be extra cautious that all my makeup has been removed. The French don’t wear a lot of makeup. Not wearing a lot of makeup and making sure it’s all thoroughly cleansed off are both French skin care secrets
• Use the this radiance boosting serum from morning
• Next up in my French skin care routine is eye cream. I’ve been loving this one for night
• Follow it up with this Caudalie moisturizer. Initially I found that this moisturizer was making me break out, but a tip I learned from Mathilde is that sometimes when you break out from a moisturizer it isn’t because it’s not right for your skin, but you’re putting on too much. I tried putting on less and the breakouts have stopped. My skin definitely seems softer in the morning. Since my major concerns are not wrinkles {not yet anyway} and I’m more concerned about dullness, redness, and occasional breakouts, I don’t think I’ll repurchase this moisturizer. I think it’s better for someone who is focused on dullness, sagging, and fine lines {Here’s my updated skin care routine based on the French skin care secrets I learned but with mainly American products}
• A big part of the ultimate French skin care routine is to pay attention to your neck and decolletage as those are the areas that tend to show the first signs of aging. I use a separate cream for my neck because I hate wasting my expensive face cream on my neck and decolletage. It’s really important to treat those areas well, but I find I can use a cream that’s cheaper and thicker than my face cream to save some $$ and also treat that area better. Right now I’m using this Caudalie cream because it’s too thick for my face. If you have dry skin, you might love it. I generally tend of use any creams I’ve gotten samples of or creams that I didn’t particularly like on my face. I don’t find that the cream I use on my neck and decolletage needs to be consistent, while I do find the cream I used on my face does need to be to prevent breakouts and see results

Shop the French Skincare Night Routine

Twice Weekly French Skin Care Routine:

2x/week I do an exfoliation and mask routine. I used to not really prioritize masks but after learning about French skin care routines, I learned that they are an extremely important part of the process, both for your skin and your mental relaxation. I typically do this after a long shower so my pores are “open” and I can skip the steaming step that Mathilde recommends. {I know, so not French of me, but I’m lazy and busy and so this is my version of a French skin care routine simplified for an American lifestyle} I LOVE the way my skin looks after this routine and I’ve started to find this routine so relaxing. I’ve told Bassam I can’t talk while I have a mask on, so I use it as an excuse to have some me-time and read a book and light a deliciously scented candle. Here’s what I do:

• Wash my face with a good cleanser that gets everything off. This one also feels so luxurious to use which is a big part of what makes a French skin care routine extra special
• Exfoliate with this Caudalie exfoliator. I find it’s very gentle while still being very effective
• Alternate these two masks {use each once per week}, this purifying mask and this glycolic peel mask. I’m really loving what both of these have been doing for my skin. It’s so much clearer, softer, and glowier. Sometimes if I have time and feel like extra pampering, I’ll use this cucumber mask after. It helps calm my skin since I get red easily.
• Follow with my regular PM routine

French Skin care Routine for the Body:

Don’t forget about your body! A good French skin care routine also I’ve also been using some Caudalie body care products, which I’ve very much enjoyed.

• This body scrub which smells and feels amazing. I probably wouldn’t repurchase but would get this one instead. It’s made out of crushed grape seeds and is more exfoliating. My skin was insanely soft when I tried it. If you don’t feel like buying a body scrub, you can also make your own out of ingredients in your pantry, such as oatmeal or sugar
• This body wash smells amazing and I enjoy using it, but I haven’t really noticed any benefits. I’ve continued to repurchase only because it feels so luxurious and makes me feel happy. Scents that are delightful to you are a big part of creating your own French skin care routine and I definitely see the difference in how pampered I feel when I use it. A big basis of a French skin care routine is making yourself feel pampered
• I’ve been loving this body butter. It leaves my skin so soft. I’ve also been using grape seed oil after my nighttime showers, a trick from Mathilde. I put it on my skin before toweling off and my skin is left so soft. Tip: if you’re leaving it in the shower, find a grape seed oil that’s not in a glass bottle just in case you drop it! This tip is from experience, as I’ve dropped my own bottle once or twice 😆

Here is a complete list of all the French beauty products you need to try

Extra tips to enhance your French Skin care Routine:

It’s not just about what you put on your skin! A good French skin care routine also pays attention to your lifestyle and what you’re putting in your body. Here are a few changes I decided to make after reading the French Skin Care Secrets book and deciding to adapt my own French skin care routine:

• I vowed to never ever go to bed without washing my makeup
• I’m savoring one glass of red one most nights {red wine contains polyphenols, a very power antioxidant, that can improve the health span of cells} – ugh so hard to stick to just one glass, but the French are all about moderation! I’m working on hard on this one! {Here are some more French living secrets for a happy life}
• I’m trying to get rid of any beauty products with bad-for-me ingredients like parabens and choosing beauty products with good-for-me ingredients like grape seed oil and polyphenols. Thankfully, Caudalie and most European made products make this easy, but I did have to get rid of a lot of products I loved {Here’s a complete list of French beauty products I love}
• I’m adding foods to my diet that contain antioxidants and vitamins for glowing skin like butternut squash, tomatoes, berries… And I’m doing my best to savor my food when I eat. It’s really hard for me not to multitask but I’m at least slowing down, really trying to taste the flavors, and present it prettily
• I was already using sunscreen daily, but I bought a powder sunscreen that I can easily apply over my makeup throughout the day.
• I’m taking some time to relax every day, like sitting in my favorite room in the house and reading a book. I’ve added flowers and candles to that room and it feels so luxurious to sit there
• I’m trying to add a bit of pampering into routine activities, like sprinkling a few drops of a delicious essential oil in the corners of the shower before I turn the water on. Lemon for energizing in the morning and lavender for relaxation at night

Note: Here is the updated (and simplified) routine French skin care routine

I highly recommend the book for a more detailed guide on developing your own French skin care routine.

So there’s my French skin care routine! Let me know what you think and what your French skin care routine consists of.

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