15 Beauty and skincare essentials I can’t live without (including a few French ones!)

Man oh man, here’s another long overdue post I should’ve written years ago. The other post I finally published is my no BS guide to how to dress in France that I hope you’ll check out. Today, I’m sharing my top beauty and skincare recommendations. I get asked about what French beauty products I use regularly via YouTube comments, so that’s what we’re getting into here. Read on for my top beauty and skincare essentials that I can’t live without! Some are French skincare products and a bunch actually are not.

OK, first up, let me note that I have sensitive skin, so when I find a product I love, I stick with it. Like, all you have to do is look at me the wrong way and I get a big red blotch. Hahah. Only half joking.

After learning the hard way over the years, I don’t experiment too much with new products (sorry French beauty essentials). That’s why only a couple of my top beauty and skincare essentials are beauty products from France despite the fact that I live in France. I didn’t switch over to French everything just because I live here although there are so many amazing French products. I bought almost everything below in France though, so these aren’t hard-to-find brands.

Second, everything I mention below is something I own and use regularly and, in many cases, have for years. These are my OG faves and I consider them all must-haves in my overall beauty, skincare, and wellness routines. Tried, tested, and approved and not just some random beauty essentials I compiled into a list. So rest assured you’re getting quality recs here. 

Also, this isn’t a comprehensive list of every beauty and skincare product I use regularly. It’s just a list of the ones that are absolutely amazing and I truly love. These beauty and skincare essentials have all stood the test of time and continue to be ones that I reach for again and again. As you can see, I take skincare realllllly seriously. 😉

// Bioderma Micellar Water | BUY HERE

// Grown Alchemist Age-Repair Eye Cream | BUY HERE

// Skinceuticals Vitamin C E Ferulic Serum | BUY HERE in the U.S. (in Europe)

// Milk Makeup KUSH Lash + Brow Serum | BUY HERE

// Benamor Jacaranda Hand Cream | BUY HERE

// Malibu Hard Water Hair Packets | BUY HERE

// BareMinerals Matte Powder | BUY HERE

// Kiko Milano Eyeliner + Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pencil | BUY HERE + HERE (Brow pencil)

// Crunchi Hydrogloss | BUY HERE

// ZIIP Beauty Nano Current Skincare Device | BUY HERE

// Lela 4-in-1 Ultrasonic Skin Spatula | BUY HERE

// Mito Mobile FLEX Red Light Device | BUY HERE (10% off w/code Ouiinfrance)

// LeBon Toothpaste | BUY HERE

// Cocofloss Dental Floss | BUY HERE ($10 off via my link)

// Crest Whitestrips | BUY HERE

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Skin & Hair

Bioderma Micellar Cleansing Water

This is my favorite French skincare essential. Truth be told, France has hard water and my area is particularly bad. I try to avoid cleaning my face with tap water whenever possible and opt for Bioderma instead. Tom introduced me to Bioderma when I first came to France and it is one of my favorite French beauty brands. Their super gentle micellar cleansing water is something Tom and I have both used daily for over 10 years now. Just wet a cotton round with it and wipe over skin until it’s clean.

I love that there’s no fragrance, that it comes in a few formulations, isn’t harsh at all, and leaves your skin feeling clean and refreshed — never tight or oily. Honestly, this is one of the best French beauty products I’ve come across. And more good news! In recent years, Bioderma products have become more and more available in the U.S. I found this cleansing water at Target and Walmart (love this mini for traveling)!

Grown Alchemist Age-Repair Eye Cream

I’ve tried so many eye creams over the years to moisturize that delicate under eye area and so many leave a lot to be desired. The texture is either all wrong or they make you break out. But not this one from Grown Alchemist!

Grown Alchemist’s Age-Repair Eye Cream is the perfect consistency — not too creamy or too gel-like — absorbs well and leaves your under eye area ready for concealer or whatever comes next. It also doesn’t separate over time, nor does it have a strong odor. Perfect in every way, despite that it’s not a French skincare brand. 😉

Skinceuticals C E Ferulic Serum

The Skinceuticals C E Ferulic Antioxidant Serum is admittedly a splurge and a newer addition to my routine. You apply a few drops to your dry face and neck in the morning after cleansing and let it work its magic. Designed to prevent free radical damage and improve the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and loss of firmness, this serum has 15% pure vitamin C and is great for pretty much all skin types (including sensitive skin like mine!). It keeps my complexion looking bright and vibrant. Must. Have.

P.S. I like the moisturizing Hyaluronic Acid one too that really locks in moisture.

Milk Makeup KUSH Lash + Brow Serum

Eyelash extensions are really popular but too much maintenance for me so I’ve never gotten them although I love the look. I’ve also tried popular eyelash serums to give my lashes a boost but stopped after a lot of irritation from the questionable main ingredient in most of them — prostaglandin. They work, but at what cost?

Last year, I found Milk Makeup’s KUSH Lash + Brow Serum and it’s the perfect alternative, not to mention cheaper. It’s a safe option that’ll boost your lashes in a natural way. The results aren’t quite as dramatic, nor as dangerous, as prostaglandin-containing lash serums, but you’ll still see results. You apply it twice a day and one wand lasts a long time. Be consistent and you’ll see results in about a month.

Benamor Jacaranda Hand Cream

OK, this one isn’t one of my French beauty product picks, but it’s close… it’s Portuguese! I only first heard of Benamor in January when I walked into one of their stores in Lisbon. I picked up their jacaranda hand cream as a gift for my mother-in-law and fell in love with it myself. Jacaranda is Lisbon’s iconic lilac-colored flowering tree and this scent is calming and light.

Pleasant would be a good word to describe it. The cream isn’t greasy at all and really does leave your hands feeling moisturized and soft. Best one I’ve ever tried and outshines the L’Occitane one I used to use by far.

Malibu Hard Water packets

Hard water is not good for hair, so to make sure I’m getting all the mineral buildup out, I use Malibu’s Hard Water packets. I use one every couple of months (even though I wash my hair only with filtered water when I’m home. Yes, still. I’m a bit over the top with that but it’s easy enough to do and the results are worth it.). If you’re traveling or just live in an area with crazy hard water, these affordable treatments are well worth it to save your locks from damage.

Makeup

BareMinerals Matte Powder SPF15

Since I have sensitive skin, I don’t wear heavy foundation or anything that’s likely to clog pores. The only makeup product I put on my skin is this BareMinerals Matte Foundation Power SPF15. It provides light, natural coverage and is what I’ve used for years.

Kiko Milano Black Eyeliner + Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pencil

Affordable and easy to use, this Kiko Milano Black Eyeliner is the only eyeliner I’ve used for years. It goes on smoothly and it doesn’t smear or smudge. I used to use a Urban Decay one but the Kiko eyeliners are a fraction of the price and just as good.

For my brows, I love the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Ultra-Slim Pencil in Dark Brown. It goes on smoothly and easily and perfectly fills out your brows in a natural way. The spoolie on the other end helps tame and finish the look.

Crunchi Hydrogloss

I always get comments on my YouTube videos asking about my lip gloss and this is it. Vegan and cruelty free, Crunchi is a clean beauty brand that makes really high-quality products. Their Hydrogloss lip gloss is my fave and I like to layer it over lipstick for the added effect. I was a huge fan of MAC Lipglass but I try to go for cruelty-free options whenever possible.

Devices

ZIIP Beauty Nano Current Skincare Device

Sidebar, my philosophy on skincare is prevention and that’s what these three devices do. They put out fires before there’s even smoke. It’s a lot harder to fix skin damage once it’s already appeared. So with that, read on…

I’d heard all about ZIIP in the summer of 2021 and pulled the trigger on their Nano Current Device that August. It’s a handheld microcurrent device that has a variety of skin treatments you can do in under 10 minutes. Choose from energize, sculpt & lift, and a bunch of others to keep your face in tip-top shape. 

You have to apply ZIIP gel first (I use the silver gel) and then zip away by gliding the device over your face as you follow along via a video in the ZIIP app. I used it religiously three times a week for the first year and have cut back to 1-2 times a week (the gel is $$!) and still see results.

Just like the red light device below, you have to use it consistently to see results and can’t do it every now and then and expect a night and day change. Stick with it — they’re worth it, I promise. Anyway, this one makes my face feel great and has sealed a solid spot in my skincare routine.

Lela 4-in1 Ultrasonic Skin Spatula

I bought my own ultrasonic device after getting ultrasonic facials to the tune of $110 a pop and figuring I could probably save myself some cash and stretch out the time between facials if I had my own device. The Lela 4-in-1 Ultrasonic Skin Spatula uses high-frequency vibrations and has four different modes that help clean pores, exfoliate, help your serum absorb better, and lift your skin. It doesn’t hurt and you just glide the spatula over your wet skin. I’ll update you after I’ve used it for six months, but so far so good.

Mito Mobile FLEX

Oh boy, do I love my red light therapy. I wrote a whole post about red light therapy here so I won’t repeat everything again, but wow does MITO make power-packed lights. In addition to their anti-inflammatory, wound healing and immune-boosting properties, red light therapy is amazing for anti-aging, collagen production, and all that good skin stuff. I have the Mito Mobile Flex handheld device and hit my face with it twice a week. Get 10% off w/code Ouiinfrance at checkout.

Dental Health

LeBon Toothpaste

This made-in-France toothpaste brand is heavenly and absolutely deserves its place on my French beauty essentials list. I first tried it after LeBon generously gifted me a few samples. #hookedforlife. Forget your boring old mint toothpaste and treat yourself to an organic, invigorating brushing experience. Yes, it’s a bit of a splurge, but your teeth are worth it.

The scents are created in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, and they have all-natural ingredients. Due to my citrus allergy, I haven’t been able to try all the flavors, but I highly recommend any of the mints or liquorice flavors. Plus, it’s available in the U.S.

Cocofloss Dental Floss

I’m a bit anal about dental hygiene, and when I discovered Cocofloss, I was sold. It’s a woven unwaxed dental floss — so not a flimsy string — that really gets in between teeth and removes way more plaque than traditional floss.  That’s important because dental cleanings in France aren’t as thorough as the ones I was used to in the U.S.

Cocofloss is high quality, made in Italy and comes in really fun flavors like Watermelon, Vanilla, Coconut and of course regular mint. The sampler is a great place to start and you can get $10 off via my link.  

Note: It may not be for you if all of your teeth are extremely close together. It may be harder to get in there with thicker floss.

Crest 3D Whitestrips

You won’t find these in France, but every year I pick up a box of Crest 3D Whitestrips when I’m back in the U.S. Crest Whitestrips let you whiten your teeth at home in just 30 minutes a day. You put sticky strips over your top and bottom teeth and 20 days later… voilà, whiter teeth just like that. They’re easy to use and effective for stubborn stains… what’s not to love? Even Tom is a convert.

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4 Other huge parts of my wellness routine

On top of everything mentioned above, there are four other majorly important wellness components that I don’t want to leave out. I’ve prioritized them even more than usual the past couple of years and will continue to do as I get older because they count for a lot. These four things absolutely affect one’s wellbeing and outward appearance. They are rest, hydration, exercise, and sun protection.

For me, rest means quality sleep but also knowing when to say no, when to take a day off of working out, and just being still. I’m definitely not a night owl and like to be in bed at 10 p.m. and up early, but prioritize whatever works for you.

Next, hydration is so important and luckily something that comes easy to me (unlike my dad who basically needs to be force fed water). I love water and drink a lot of it. I also pee a lot, but oh well.

I finally got myself one of those Insta-famous Stanley FlowState H2.0 Quencher Tumblers last time I was in Florida. Does it live up to the hype? YES, GREAT BUY OMG! They’re amazing in warm climates (iced green tea is my go-to), but I even find myself filling it up every morning with water here in France too. They work for both hot and cold drinks.

I got the 30 ounce and the two best parts are that 1) it fits in car cup holders and 2) doesn’t leak. I easily knock glasses of water over if I’m not paying attention and this bad boy is Diane-proof. 😉 Honestly, great buy and they are out of stock often, so if you see one in a color you like, grab it now. FYI, they’re fiiiiinally hitting the Stanley 1913 EU store at the end of April.

Then, as I told you after experiencing major losses, my exercise routine has been my saving grace — not only because of the fitness component or because I find comfort in my routine (both true) but because it’s been a welcome distraction. Sometimes getting out of our head and into our body is exactly what we need to decompress. The Peloton and Les Mills apps both get two thumbs way up from me and you’ve heard me say that 100 times because it’s true. Movement is truly medicine, and through it all, I’m grateful that my commitment to exercise has never waned.

Lastly, anyone who knows me in real life knows I hate the sun and stay out of it whenever possible. I get an uncomfortable rash from the sun and burn in five minutes flat. After a few bad sunburns as a kid and learning about skin cancer, I know the sun is not my friend.

You’ll never find me sunbathing, and if I go to the beach, you’ll find me under the umbrella. I always wear sun protection, even on cloudy days, in the form of SPF 40+ on my face. I love Supergoop eye sunscreen and this formulation for my face. They’re both mineral sunscreens (not chemical) and are cruelty-free with clean ingredients.

If I’m outside at all — even a 30-second walk from my car in the parking lot into a store — I have a hat or visor on with sunglasses. Tom jokes that I’m always in disguise.

Skin cancer is no joke and the sun isn’t doing us any favors on a cellular level. Hello, pre-mature aging! No thanks! As someone whose complexion matches a white wall, I need to take the sun seriously and my skin thanks me for my continued efforts in that department.

To wrap up, the importance of all four of these — rest, hydration, exercise, and sun protection — has become abundantly clear to me in recent years and absolutely tie into wellness, which includes beauty and skin health. I know I’m extremely fortunate that I’m able to prioritize these things.

If I’ve learned anything, it’s that wellness is not just about the products but the overall lifestyle (including stress levels) that have us looking and feeling our best.

So there you have it, I hope you enjoyed this list of my can’t-live-without beauty and skincare essentials!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links which means I make a small commission on purchases made via my links. Thanks for supporting Oui In France!

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