What we have to learn from the French about beauty – in one great book!
We’ve always been rather jealous of French beauties. Seemingly effortlessly well put-together, generally with great skin and an insouciant attitude. We’ve also always been jealous of their access to amazing pharmacies, with wall upon wall of scientifically-sound haircare and skincare (and pharmacists on hand to steer you towards the correct purchases).
Dr. Marine Vincent, who has been UK-based for over a decade, has worked to bring some of that beauty philosophy to London, with her Marylebone store The French Pharmacy – a cult favourite among beauty editors, showcasing many of the finest brands from across the Channel. And now, she’s distilled her wisdom into a book: The French Skincare Bible. Charmingly, each section is titled in French (along with a translation), and the book is peppered throughout with her recommendations for the best products from teen spot treatments to body oils via toners, eye creams and more. It’s good stuff.
Earlier this week, Marine chatted to us to explain some of the cultural differences between French and British beauties – and gave us permission to share a few invaluable words of wisdom, from her excellent book. ‘My observation is that beauty is more of a trans-generational thing in France,’ she told us. 'I never saw my mum going to bed with her make-up on; it’s just not a question that you take care of your skin, and it’s passed down: grandmother to mother, mother to daughter…’
At the same time, as grown-ups, Marine explains that the French have amazing access to the knowledge of pharmacists, as well as ‘dermo-cosmetics’ (ranges like La Roche-Posay, Avène, Bioderma, etc.) ‘And more than that, we tend to go and see our dermatologist once a year for a check, just to share concerns and make sure everything is OK. It’s not a big thing, and we can deal with problems as they happen.’ (By contrast, in the UK, almost nobody we know would head to a dermatologist if they didn’t already have a concern…)
Meanwhile, skincare often disappoints, she believes – as we do – because people don’t give it a chance to work. Here, many women tend to chop and change their skincare – sometimes even on a daily basis – while products are actually formulated to work when used ritually. (Something we have always observed with our Beauty Bible trials, gathering brilliant results from women who’ve done just that.) ‘I would say French women are actually a bit more boring about skincare,’ she smiles, ‘but it probably pays off…’
What Marine is encouraged by, however, is the importance now being placed on the skin barrier, which really took off when COVID (and all those masks) wreaked havoc with our skins. ‘Those layers are there for a reason!’, she says. (And that’s us cheering, in the background…)
The French Skincare Bible is published by Bloomsbury, price £16.99, and you can find it here…
But for now? A few more words of Marine’s wisdom, from the book…
THE MORNING CLEANSE... Even if you’ve gone to bed with perfectly clean skin, you will probably sweat overnight and so it’s a good idea to clean your face, neck, bust and décolleté before you apply skincare. Massage your chosen cleanser in well, then gently wipe it away using a flannel, or muslin cloth, soaked in warm water.
SERUMS... Your serum must always be applied to perfectly clean skin, in other words, right after cleansing and the toning steps in your routine. Also, serums take time to deliver visible results, so choose one or two and stick with them. Constantly swapping and changing products can confuse your skin and disrupt its natural balance.
SUNBURN… If you are French, the first and only product that comes to mind when suburned is Biafine Emulsion. This medicinal-looking white cream was created by a French pharmacist in 1971 using paraffin, avocado oil and trolamine to treat burns suffered by his daughter-in-law, and today it is synonymous with skin and burns S.O.S.
If you suffer from sunburn, cool the affected area with cool water, gently pat the skin dry, then apply a good thick layer of Biafine to the skin, gently massaging after the skin is saturated with the cream. You can reapply the Biafine two or three times a day, or as needed, especially after showering or swimming, to maintain hydration and comfort. While Biafine helps to ease the pain of sunburn, it’s important to avoid further sun exposure during the recovery period to avoid further damage.
