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“[Americans'] skinhasto be over-clean, cleansed like you clean your sins,” Strobel says.
“They take a long, long time in the bathroom, and they have a precise routine.
That doesn’t exist here in France!”
Meanwhile, theFrench skincare regimenis “less controlled, more natural, and instinctive.”
As Strobel says, “We like to take pleasure in every task we do (like eating!
), we don’t like pressure, and we tend to criticize the rules.”
The French embrace imperfection and consider spending more than a few minutes on their daily routine a waste.
French women also tend to perceive American girls as overly made-up and fixated on looking flawless.
(So the infatuation does go both ways.)
Generally, the French like to avoid prescription products whenever possible in favor of natural, plant-based formulas.
That’s not to say they don’t seek professional skincare advice.
All others are considered extraneous.
But the French way is “less is more.”
But the French are way more relaxed about blemishes.
“Over-exfoliating can lead to irritation and broken capillaries,” says Erin Gilbert, MD,Vichyconsulting dermatologist.
Vichy Purete Thermale 3-in-1 Cleansing Micellar Solution
“No layering,” Strobel advises.
“Less is more.
The less you overwhelm your skin, the better it will be.”
Andalways follow up with a moisturizer, arguably the most important step in the French-girl skincare routine.
Thus, in the winter, French girls rarely wear any sunscreen at all.
But French dermatologists insist on applying sunscreen in the summer.
“French formulas almost always have antioxidants, vitamins, or plant extracts,” Strobel says.
Try La Roche-Posay’s tried-and-trueSPF 50.
Want more French beauty tips?Don’t miss the seven things French women never do to their hair.
