During a recent trip to Paris, I found myself at a cafe eating pain au chocolat and people-watching, two of my favourite pastimes. Like most other tourists, I can never help but marvel at the effortlessly chic parade of French people going about their everyday lives. The same old questions cross my mind: How are they so stylish? What makes them look so confident? And, of course, how is their skin so perfect? My skin has been feeling stressed, tired and uncomfortable tight during the previous weeks, so I did what any Francophile would do and scoured the internet for French skincare tips. Unfortunately, I couldn't fill up my luggage with the pharmacy favourites of French icons like Jeanne Damas while I was there (thanks to 100ml airport restrictions), but Maltese pharmacies are luckily a great place to find trusted French skincare brands. So I headed to my nearest one and stocked up on products to test out for a while to see if they would restore my skin to its former glory. After a few months, the results were in and my skin was finally feeling rejuvenated, energised and hydrated!
So, here's the routine which saved my tired, stressed and sensitive skin:
There's one rule we should keep in mind when it comes to French beauty; less is more. Keeping it simple is a core rule of both French style and skincare. You'll rarely see people wearing outlandish clothes or makeup on the streets of Paris, and the same goes for their skincare routines. You'll find that most French brands don't advertise overly complicated, 19-step skincare routines; instead, they have a few signature products which target different skin concerns. The trick is to keep your daily routine down to no more than 4 steps.
Step 1: Cleanse
A good cleanser is essential in any skincare routine, and this is where I think French brands have given us the perfect product for Maltese climates, Micellar Water! This is a beauty product with a cult following, so you've probably heard of it or have one in your bathroom right now. The reason why it works so well in Malta is because of how hard our tap water is. Hard water is not only very drying, but it can also leave a build-up of soap residue in the pores, which clogs your pores and makes your skin oily and dehydrated at the same time. Micellar Water takes tap water out of the equation completely, allowing your skin to retain hydration and not causing any damage to the skin barrier. In the evening I follow it up with a cleansing milk in order to thoroughly cleanse my skin. My favourite Micellar Water is Uriage Thermal Micellar Water for Sensitive Skin. In the evenings it is important to double cleanse the skin with products which respect sensitive skin, and so I've been trying out the Tolederm Make-Up Removing Milky Gel as my first cleanse, followed by the Uriage Micellar Water to double cleanse and tone my face at the same time.
Step 2: Serum
Serums are great for treating specific skin issues because they penetrate deeper than a moisturiser and work beneath the surface of the skin. Since I've been suffering from sensitive skin lately I went back to one of my favourite products of 2022, Uriage Bariederm-Cica Daily Serum. This serum combines the healing superpowers of Centella Asiatica, Hyaluronic Acid and Thermal Water with a prebiotic complex to deeply repair the skin. It also sinks in immediately and keeps the skin hydrated all day long.
Step 3: Moisturiser
I didn't want to overwhelm my skin with ingredients, and so I paired my serum with the corresponding Uriage Bariederm-Cica Daily Gel-Cream. As someone who has extremely oily skin, I was getting frustrated with the lack of products which treat sensitive skin that are also suitable for oily skin. All the Cica products on the market seemed to come in the form of thick creams which would have clogged my pored in the space of an hour. That's why I was so happy when I discovered Uriage Bariederm-Cica Daily Gel-Cream. Because of its gel-cream texture, it sinks in immediately while delivering all of the benefits of its thicker counterparts. When combined with the serum, this cream left my skin feeling smooth, soft and deeply hydrated, and my skin was much less oily throughout the day than it's been for the past few months.
Step 4: Sun protection
Protecting your skin from UV rays, pollution and external damage is so important when it comes to treating sensitive skin and maintaining a healthy skin barrier. Since simplicity is key here I stuck with my favourite ISDIN Fusion Water Colour (technically cheating since this is a Spanish brand, but I can't live without this product anymore), which acts as a foundation and keeps my skin matte all day long.
After 2 months of this routine, my skin was glowing and I wasn't experiencing any painful tightness or oiliness anymore. It was also nice to reduce the number of products I used on a daily basis to the bare minimum and see what my skin really needed. Feel free to leave any tips and tricks which have helped your skin in the comments below!
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