When it comes to French haircare, the French have a totally different approach than us Americans. Since I moved to Paris, I’ve learned a ton of new tips on French haircare routines and discovered some amazing products. I’m going to share all my French haircare secrets with you today so you too can have amazing healthy French girl hair!
1. Wash Your Hair Less
French girls wash their hair far less than us Americans – only three or four times per week, max. The thing is that our scalp produces more oil because we wash it so often, and our body thinks it needs to be replenished. Wash your hair less often and your body will adjust over time. Don’t rush the process – it can take a few weeks for your hair to get used to a new routine!
In the shower, French women use shampoos without harmful ingredients like silicones and sulfates and they switch up their shampoo fairly often. I personally have two different shampoos that I alternate each time I wash my hair.
The famous French actress Isabelle Adjani claims she washes her hair every two days using Leonor Greyl Crème Moelle de Bambou shampoo!
Try these top recommended French shampoos to wash your hair like a French girl.
So what do French girls do on off days?
Enter the best French dry shampoo of all time: Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk! I have seen this product recommended countless times and for good reason – it truly works. Spray it at your roots and gently rub it around your scalp. The light and powdery formula will absorb any excess oil in your hair like a charm!
I have tried countless American dry shampoo products and none work as well as this one. If for some reason you cannot find it, try one of these French dry shampoos.
2. Apply Leave-in Conditioner
After shampooing, you can use a traditional French hair conditioner applied on the ends of your hair (not the roots), or you can go with a leave-in conditioner.
I started using a leave-in conditioner by Klorane after I got out of the shower and wow has it made a difference! Not only does it smell divine, but it leaves my hair silky-smooth and well-moisturized.
A good French hair cream is another smart way to give your locks all-day moisture.
3. Air Dry the Hair
Another post-shower hair care tip is to let your hair air dry! Jeanne Damas shared the secret to her gently wavy hair – letting her hair air dry while loosely twisted into a low bun. She makes breakfast and gets ready for the day while her hair dries and lets it down loose once it’s dry. Air drying your hair gives it an effortlessly tousled look and protects it from heat damage. Sounds like a double French win to me!
4. Don’t Brush Your Hair Too Much
One of the biggest French haircare secrets is to ditch your hairbrush! Brushing the hair can cause it to tear and break, so instead, use a wide-tooth comb to tame your strands the French way. Did you know France is famous for its plastic tortoiseshell combs and hair accessories? Many American brands sell these hair products that were made in France!
5. Do Weekly Hair Treatments
From overnight oil treatments to keratin masks while bathing, there are so many ways you can give your hair some extra love – the French way, of course. French women do special haircare treatments to their hair about once or twice a week when they have extra time. Most everything is closed on Sundays in France so it’s the perfect day for some self-care and wellness!
Hair Masks
Quality French hair masks can give your hair that extra boost of moisture, a must during the dry Parisian winters. I adore hair masks and I use them before I have any type of special event because they make my hair feel like butter.
Here are a few top French hair masks to try:
- Christophe Robin Scalp Scrub with Sea Salt
- Leonor Greyl Masque Quintessence
- Sisley Regenerating Hair Care Mask
- Kérastase Resistance Length Strengthening Mask
You can use these in the shower, after your shower, or even overnight. I tend to use a hair mask in the shower while I shave my legs and wash my body before rinsing it out.
Hair Oil
Oil can be used more frequently than masks, but be sure to use it sparingly and only on the very ends of your hair. Regular use of French hair oils at the tips can help with split ends and dry hair.
- Kérastase Elixir Ultime Oil Serum
- Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil
- Sisley Hair Rituel Precious Hair Care Oil
- Christophe Robin Regenerating Hair Mask with Prickly Pear Seed Oil
Weekly hair treatments are one of the easiest French haircare secrets to integrate into your routine!
6. Cut Hair Every 3-4 Months
For healthy and beautiful hair, you must cut your hair every three to four months! If you can go to the salon often, all the better, but otherwise, giving it a trim at home to cut away the split ends is a great idea. My hair salon in Paris actually cuts my bangs for free, making it easy to maintain them.
French women tend to prefer short, shoulder-grazing cuts with bangs, but you can obviously find exceptions to this rule in many places!
7. Keep Your Natural Hair Color
French women prefer a low-maintenance hair color that gives them the ability to keep their look fresh without the awful roots that begin to show if you don’t maintain the color properly!
Sometimes they simply dye it its natural color to hide the grays. If a color change is needed, it’s typically applied just a few shades off from the natural color. Very few women opt for a drastic transformation when it comes to their hair. We have seen this kind of trend catch on Stateside with ombré and balayage hairstyles gaining popularity, too.
8. Don’t Use Toxic Hair Dye
There is a widespread organic food movement in France and that consumer trend has made its way into the beauty realm as well. Bio is the French word for “organic” and you can find many organic hair dyes popping up in various French beauty shops. One of the top French haircare secrets is to always use natural products on your hair.
9. Use Quality Haircare Brands
French women know it’s better to spend a little more money on a quality brand than save money on a cheap one. That’s why they turn to these French haircare experts for the best hair products:
- Christophe Robin
- René Furterer
- Leonor Greyl
- Kérastase
- Klorane
- Phyto
You can rely on these top French haircare brands to take care of your hair without damaging it!
10. Wear Your Hair Natural
Many French women embrace their natural hair whether it is curly, wavy, or straight. You’ll rarely see a French woman with perfectly straight hair so that means you can ditch your straightener for good! I personally have very straight hair so I like to add a bit of curl to it using a hair iron for a more textured, wavy look. If you’re blessed with naturally curly or wavy hair, then the good news is you’ll save your hair a lot of heat damage!
Do French women wear hair extensions? Nope! Again, it’s all about keeping your hair routine as natural and low-maintenance as possible! Hair extensions can appear fake and inauthentic so French women tend to avoid them. While Parisian hair salons offer them, I suspect it’s mostly foreigners who are buying!
11. Volumize It
The one exception to the French ‘au naturel’ haircare philosophy is a volumizing or texture spray. Since many women have very straight and flat hair, they turn to a texture spray to give it a boost on the days when they wash their hair in the shower. Dry shampoo works wonders for volume as well on the days when we don’t wash with shampoo! Sisley Paris Volumizing Spray is a great product for giving volume to fine hair.
Another trick for getting hair volume? Go to bed with your hair wet! You would have to shower at night for that one to work of course. But if you hold your hair up while you sleep, you’ll wake up with much more volume than you would have if you had let gravity pull it down during the day.
12. Avoid Hairspray
French women almost never wear hairspray to keep their hair in place – thank God! I hated wearing hair spray when I was younger and I don’t know how I used it for so long. Sure, it helped hold my curls for longer but it also made my hair stiff and hard! It was awful to the touch.
I ditched my hairspray when I moved to France and I never looked back. French women want their hair to blow in the wind and look light and breezy. Hairspray ruins all that. It makes your hairstyle look fake like you’re trying too hard. I would only use hairspray for a special event.
And there you have it for the best French haircare secrets and tips! Don’t hesitate to ask me a question in the comments below!
