A French Girl’s Secrets For Great Skin That Anyone Can Copy

As you probably know, French women have quite a reputation for having great skin. Now, this reputation is usually merited.

But, I’ll be honest.

Even though I’m French, my skin has not always looked particularly good. In fact, it used to be a mess, and I was extremely self-conscious about it. I wrote more about that here.

As you can probably imagine, I tried everything I could get my hands on to improve my skin.

I tried expensive creams and lotions and scrubs and peels.

I even tried weird homemade remedies that smelled funny but that were supposed to leave my skin looking radiant the next morning.

Well, as you can probably imagine, those remedies didn’t work. Not even close.

But I’m stubborn — I didn’t stop searching for skincare that would work for me.

And my efforts eventually paid off. Over time, my skin improved — to the point where people would actually compliment me about my skin.

At first, I thought maybe people were just being nice. But after a while, I had to admit that maybe my skin had improved a lot.

And it had. Not to brag, but it started glowing, which was completely new for me.

So, since my skin has improved, it’s occurred to me that there are many people out there who are currently where I once was — in other words, their skin isn’t as fabulous as it could be. 

Well, if you fall into this category, this article is for you, mon ami.

French women are all about using less makeup and really focusing on having the best skin they can, and I’m going to talk about some tips that can help you – no matter where you live.

Now, I’m not here to promote any particular brand or product. 

Not at all. In fact, some of the things that have really helped my skin are either completely free or cost almost nothing.

Sound good? Great.

Let’s get started, shall we?

1. Apply an ice cube or frozen globe to your face.

If you haven’t tried an ice facial yet, you’re missing out.

But don’t feel bad — I hadn’t heard of this type of facial until pretty recently. Well, let me tell you — ice can be your best friend if you know how to use it.

A simple little ice cube can reduce dark circles, calm acne, and more.

I like to keep an ice tray filled so I can take an ice cube out and gently rub it against my forehead, cheeks, nose, and neck until it melts — it feels so good.

But, a word of caution – to avoid frostbite, keep moving your frozen tool around your face and don’t do it for too long. If you’re using an ice cube, you might want to wrap it in a thin cloth before applying it to your face to make it slightly less cold.

2. Apply a gentle face wash in circular motions for a minute or two instead of washing it off immediately.

I’m not exaggerating when I say this tip changed my life. I was blown away by how effective it was.

And it makes sense — the longer you keep your face wash on, the more time it will have to gently cleanse your skin. (Within reason, of course. Don’t keep it on for an hour like, ahem, I did).

3. Apply moisturizer to your wet face at night.

Why a wet face, you ask? Because your moisturizer will help trap in the moisture your skin needs, leaving it hydrated and glowing.

Seriously. If you haven’t tried this, you should. It was a total game-changer for me.

4. Apply Vitamin C to your face before bed.

I’ve been applying a few drops of this serum at night, and it has visibly helped my skin.

And it’s no wonder. Vitamin C is known to help reduce the signs of aging and hyperpigmentation, among other benefits. If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend you give it a shot.

5. Apply sunscreen in the morning.

I used to only apply sunscreen when it was 100 degrees outside.

Yikes. What was I thinking?

So, now that I’m older (and hopefully somewhat less foolish), I apply sunscreen every morning. It’s really easy to do, it helps protect my face, and it makes my skin glow. What’s not to love?

6. Drink lots of tea.

During the winter, especially, I drink a ton of tea.

Now, I know you already know how important it is to stay hydrated. But did you know that tea is actually healthier than water?

I didn’t until recently, but I’ve noticed that when I drink a lot of tea, it helps cleanse my whole body and makes my skin glow. So, if you want better skin, focus on the inside out. What you put in your body is as important (if not more important!) than what you put on your skin.

7. Rest.

All the tips I can give you won’t be enough if you’re getting 4 or 5 hours of sleep per night. Okay, you already knew that.

But really, it’s called “beauty sleep” for a reason. Calculate how many hours you sleep when you don’t set an alarm and try to get those hours in as often as you can. Your skin will thank you.

8. Laugh and smile often.

None of the things above will really matter if you aren’t happy. It might sound cheesy, but I really believe you need to be happy on the inside to have clear skin on the outside. 

So, go spend time with people you love.

Smile at strangers (in a non-creepy way, of course).

Laugh until you cry.

I promise that if you’re happy, your face will glow naturally from within.

The original version of this article first appeared on Medium. Want to read more? Check out more helpful content right here.