Need a new face wash? Wander into your nearest Boots and take your pick from the crowded aisles. And if you’re dealing with a skin condition and need something more targeted, the beauty counters are aglow with premium treatments, all too eager to make a dent in your wallet. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that – but the French do things differently, and there’s a reason (in fact, several) why their approach to skincare is so covetable.
What is the French way to do skincare?
As we recently learned from Dr Marine Vincent, pharmacist and founder of the French Pharmacy in Marylebone, there’s no great mystery to doing it à la française. If anything, the French way is considerably more pared-back than what we’re accustomed to – or made to believe we need – but the science and the method have to be in place. We took to her brand new book, The French Skincare Bible (available now), to reveal some of French beauty’s best kept secrets.
About The French Skincare Bible
We believe in the essentials here at RESET – and we will never steer our readers towards something they don’t truly need or we wouldn’t wear ourselves. So we can confidently back this book’s motto of keeping it simple.
It’s also a celebration of French pharmacies and their unique place in the French skincare culture – sitting at the intersection of healthcare and beauty and offering products that are developed with dermatological rigour, often backed by clinical testing, and recommended by trained pharmacists.
Motto and history aside, this is a true bible for all things skin – packed with nuggets of wisdom we’ve been steadily uncovering since getting our hands on it at the press launch.
How to do your skincare the French way: A few insights we took from the book
1. Focus on prevention
The French don’t treat skincare as damage control – they treat it as maintenance and as a daily ritual. A skinvestment, if you will. Instead of waiting for breakouts, pigmentation or sensitivity to show up and then throwing everything at it, the focus is on keeping the skin balanced in the first place.
That means fewer products, used consistently, and a real respect for the skin barrier. It’s why you won’t see overly aggressive routines packed with exfoliants or constant switching between trends. The goal is understand your skin first, and then develop a consistent, realistic routine to achieve good skin over time. Slow and steady wins the race.
2. Cleanse, forever and always
According to Dr Marine, if there’s one skincare non-negotiable, it’s cleansing your face. And not just when you’ve worn makeup or SPF – every day. It sounds obvious, but it’s also the step people cut corners on the most (especially after a night out). The French approach treats cleansing as the foundation of everything else: if your skin isn’t properly clean, nothing you put on after will work as well.
Double cleansing at night is crucial. The book delves into the differences between cleansers – micellar water, milks, gels, toners – and when to use each. One thing it’s quite firm on: don’t treat micellar water as your final step. Even though many formulas say “no rinse,” they can leave behind trace cleansing agents on the skin, so apply it first, then do a second cleanse to avoid long-term barrier disruption. And finally – don’t stop at your jawline. Neck and décolletage count too.
3. Take care of yourself from the inside out
Skincare is an act of self-love, but it’s just one piece of the self-love pie. In French skincare culture, there’s a real belief that what’s happening internally will show up on your skin eventually – so it’s not just about serums and creams. Diet, hydration, stress levels, sleep – they all come into play.
Collagen supplements are a good example. They’ve become hugely popular as a way to support elasticity and hydration before any real decline sets in – very much in line with the French preventative mindset. There’s no shortage of options either, from powders to elixirs, typically derived from marine or bovine sources (a distinction the book unpacks in more detail). Vegetarians and vegans have to focus on eating nutrient-rich foods and targeted supplements that support the body’s own collagen production.
4. Find the actives
It’s easy to get caught up in whatever new devices or unpronounceable ingredients are trending. But the French don’t like to jump on the bandwagon just because. Instead, they focus on functional ingredients that are scientifically proven to work.
The French Skincare Bible advises us to get familiar with a core group of actives, such as hyaluronic acid for hydration, vitamin C for brightness and antioxidant protection, and retinoids for cell turnover and long-term skin health. Once you understand what these do, shopping becomes a lot more straightforward, as you avoid being swayed by beautiful packaging and empty promises.
Across the book, Dr Marine also recommends specific brands to consider, but the essence of the book is discovering how your skin works and how to choose products based on your skin type, needs, and age. The French Skincare Bible is available now.
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