Morning care à la manière française? French women rarely find a place in it for such a mundane activity as washing their face – and for a good reason. We checked why they often skip this step and what they do instead to keep their skin healthy, smooth and radiant.
We have been exploring the secrets of French care for years, so the fact that French women treat morning face washing as superfluous did not surprise us. It is not from today that they are credited with a frivolous approach to make-up or clothing. But the reluctance to wash their face in the morning is not a matter of their innate nonchalance, but concern for the good condition of the skin. French pharmacist Natacha Bonjout explains it more precisely .
Why do French women skip washing their face in the morning?
In an interview with American Vogue, Natacha revealed that her Parisian friends do not cleanse their skin in the morning because they do not want to dehydrate it and weaken the hydrolipid barrier.
” Washing your face in the morning removes the fine layer of sebum that your skin produces at night to protect itself from harmful external factors such as pollution and bacteria, ” explains the pharmacist. ” This moisturizing film benefits the skin, so it’s a shame to wash off such a unique, natural protective barrier .”
In fact, the detergents contained in washing foams and gels wash away most of the lipids from the skin and leave it without any protection . Hard water present in every Parisian apartment also does its job . It’s no secret that the capital of France has poor-quality tap water, which dries the skin even more. And from dryness to wrinkles is a very short way – because moisturizing the skin cells is of great importance for the rate of its aging. The more dehydrated the skin, the faster it loses its elasticity and “paper” wrinkles appear on it. These deepen over time, resulting in a tired, dull look.
How do French women cleanse their face in the morning?
Instead of reaching for a face wash, French women spray thermal water, usually Avène, on their skin when they wake up . It has a soothing and refreshing effect. After a few seconds, they gently press a handkerchief to the face to dry the skin (do not let it dry, because then the skin will be pulled).
French women also love to use natural cosmetics, the recipes of which are passed down from generation to generation. ” I will never forget how my mother – who inherited this habit from my grandmother – washed her face every morning with rose water , freshly prepared by the pharmacist, before moving on to the next steps of the skincare routine.” – betrayed Natacha Bonjout. In the past, when methods of preserving plant-based cosmetics were unknown, you always had to have a freshly prepared recipe at hand. But today, in the era of safe, natural preservatives, you can reach for a ready-made rose petal hydrolate without fear. The cosmetic can be sprayed on the face like thermal water or poured onto a cotton pad and washed off the skin. Such a ritual has a moisturizing effect, perfectly refreshes and stimulates the senses with a floral fragrance.
Beauty waters are also extremely popular in France . What is that? These are ready-made mixtures of floral waters enriched with moisturizing and brightening substances. In the past, this cosmetic was eagerly used by aristocrats and even queens to give the skin exceptional softness and radiance. Perhaps the most famous example of such a product is the beauty water of the Queen of Hungary – several French beauty brands have cosmetics inspired by it. One of them is the Parisian brand Embryolisse , which offers Rosamelis Beauty Water . It is based on 4 organic floral waters: rose, witch hazel, cornflower and orange blossom. They have moisturizing, rejuvenating and anti-inflammatory properties. Thanks to them, the water pleasantly soothes and softens the skin, and its relaxing aroma makes the morning routine more pleasant.
The French brand Caudalie also has its equivalent of beauty water . The formula of the Beauty Elixir mist uses green grapes, rose essential oil, rosemary oil and lemon balm essential oil – they have anti-aging, brightening and moisturizing properties. Today, many celebrities are fans of cosmetics, including Victoria Beckham and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
The mineral tonic from Oio Lab will also be perfect as a refreshing and toning mist . The Polish brand is becoming more and more popular in the world and in France – in Paris you can buy its products in the prestigious Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche department store. The brand’s novelty, i.e. the tonic as mentioned earlier, contains an innovative ingredient – fulvic acid . This precious ingredient provides the skin with a wealth of micro- and macroelements as well as trace substances with proven anti-inflammatory properties, increasing the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid. In addition, it perfectly prepares the skin for the next stages of care, increasing the penetration of active substances into its deeper layers. Fun fact? You can also use the tonic on the scalp- because it is rich in minerals important for the health of the bulbs (zinc, iron, silicon, copper, magnesium), it inhibits hair loss and stimulates baby hair growth.
Instead of a mist, we can also choose a tonic with additional care properties. This slightly forgotten cosmetic is still extremely popular in France – there it has not been abandoned for a moment. Kombucha Cleansing Treatment from the Fresh brand is perfect for washing your skin in the morning . It is a very popular (also in Poland) toning and cleansing water, enriched with natural kombucha (a source of rejuvenating antioxidants) and chicory inulin , which strengthens the skin microbiome. The cosmetic works similarly to micellar water, but it has better nurturing properties and takes care of the proper microflora of the epidermis.
