French Skin Care Necessities

Updated: Jul 11, 2019

It's no secret that the French girls (and guys too for a matter of fact) have the most annoyingly beautiful, wrinkle and blemish free skin that glows from ear to ear.

I was never really that into my own skin routine and had such a lack of knowledge on the topic before living in France - The most effort I put in daily was using the cheapest grocery store face wash and applying any old moisturiser before bed.

But being surrounded by a skin and beauty obsessed culture in the skincare capital of the world, this was where my (expensive) & (addictive) obsession was born. I left Paris significantly more knowledgable on the topic of skin, and also with a very heavy toiletries bag that cost me great $$ on excess luggage fees coming home to Australia.

I attribute everything I know to the French British beauty blogger or "skinfluencer" Emma Hoareau - follow her on insta @emmahoareau for skin tips and her blog https://www.lolitasaysso.com When it comes to general skin care, especially for girls in their early twenties like me, the most important staple products to own are - cleansers, moisturisers, sunscreen, a good eye cream, vitamin C and hydrating serums.

The Golden Rules to Golden Skin:

RULE NUMBER 1- CLEANSING.

Never sleep with your makeup on! I mean, I'm sure we're all guilty of passing out in a full-face of glam after a big night out from time to time, but please don't make it a habit.

Ditch the makeup wipes, they are bad for the environment and don't really do much for your skin except move your makeup around. I'm a big fan of using micellar water to easily take my makeup off, then get deeper and remove extra makeup and dirt with a cleanser every night. And if you have oily skin it never hurts to cleanse again in the AM too.

RULE NUMBER 2 - EXFOLIATION.

It's so important to remove your dead skin cells through exfoliation- so your products and serums can be properly absorbed deep into the layers of your skin and give you a healthy and glowing look.

Steer clear of harsh facial scrub products like the infamous St.Ives Apricot Scrub... I exfoliate at least once a week with a face brush and just my regular cleanser, to remove old skin and get a deeper clean.

Chemical exfoliation may sound scary but it's actually amazing! It's to do with AHAs and BHAs which are glycolic, salicylic and lactic acids that are great for anti-aging and will give you the ultimate skin glow.

AHAs will penetrate the top layer of skin to help get rid of dead skin cells - and BHA salicylic acids work on a deeper level to unclog your pores and calm your skin from breakouts if you have more sensitive skin.

RULE NUMBER 3- SERUMS.

Serums work lower down in the layers of the skin to keep your skin properly hydrated - while moisturisers are simply just for surface hydration to lock in the moisture your skin already has. Serums are worth investing in and spending your money on good products because they're most important. You can layer and mix and match different serums with different benefits, such as vitamin c, enzyme or acid serums, because they're of a thin consistency that won't block your pores.

My favourite serums are hyaluronic acid to hydrate my skin in the morning and evening before applying moisturiser, and a vitamin C serum after cleansing in the morning, to help brighten the skin and even your skin tone from dark spots or acne scars. These products are my saviours - and I find it gives my skin a nice dewy glow. Apply these after cleansing and before your moisturiser.

RULE NUMBER 4 - EYE CREAMS.

The skin under your eyes is the most sensitive and delicate area that is prone to thinning with age, stress, pollution and UV rays - so even if you're still young, it's recommended to use an eye cream once or twice daily in your skin routine for prevention! You don't need to use a lot of product, gentry pat in the product and don't pull at your skin.

Many eye cream products also have complexion-brightening powers to get rid of any dark undereye patches and will help de-puff your eyes in the morning too. I absolutely love a good eye cream

RULE NUMBER 5 - SPF.

Don't skip on the SPF! Apply a sunscreen or moisturiser containing SPF in your morning face routine if you know you're heading out in the sun for the day. The sun is the number one cause of premature skin-ageing, so you'll be thanking yourself in the future when you're wrinkle-free and thriving into your 40's, trust.

RULE NUMBER 6- HYDRATION.

Exercise and diet also play huge factors in keeping your skin beautiful - and the most important key to glowing and nourished skin is hydration - so always aim to drink 2-3 litres of water every day!

FRENCH MUST HAVES:

Here are my favourite beauty buys from Paris - if you're visiting make sure you stock up, you can find these products on literally every corner in Paris in chemists and cosmetic stores. The cheapest place to do a skin care haul is at CityPharma in Saint Germain.

The Ordinary - I searched so hard to get my hands on these products! It's so affordable and has nothing but good ingredients that you're skin will love - and amazing news, Priceline Australia now stocks it!

my holy grail products: