French Skin Care is the Best Skin Care

While we all are #TeamUSA, you have to admit, there’s just something about what the French do with their beauty products and regimes. Okay okay, maybe I’m a little bias because of my French heritage but as a Licensed Esthetician as well, there’s honestly no denying how amazing French skincare products are. Seeing as how I grew up with a French Esthetician mother, I have never strayed away from French products, like ever. It’s seriously embedded into my routine no matter if I try to steer away from it or not.

My mother has been an Esthetician for as long as I can remember so I’ve always grown up with the attitude that good skincare comes first. I was one of those weird kiddos at the age of 12 that would religiously wash their face and moisturize nightly and never missed a beat. My mom would drill it into my mind that it was SO important and boy am I glad she did it.

After I went on and did my own soul searching in school and such, I realized there was nothing I wanted to do more than to enter into the world of beauty and do exactly what she did as well which is when I went back to school to become an Esthetician myself. Once I got my license I immediately began working with her and learning the ins and outs of how and why she was so successful.

Long story short, I fell in love with skincare and all things beauty which is eventually how this blog came to be. I have to admit, I’m extremely picky when it comes to finding skincare products that I like which is why I very rarely talk about it here because I truly want to give you the BEST and most professional advice that I can. Until recently, I haven’t found another skincare line other than what I had been used to that I really felt WORKED. That is, until I was introduced to Vichy Laboratories.

I had heard about Vichy in the past because they extremely popular in Europe, in fact they are the #1 Anti-Aging brand in European pharmacies so I have always been intrigued yet never tried it. Their products are extremely unique because they contain Vichy Mineralizing Thermal Water from the French Volcanoes in Vichy, France.

I had an opportunity to take a trip and visit the Vichy laboratories in Vichy, France (this post) and see everything in person which was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had! For those of you who don’t know, Vichy Mineralizing Thermal Water is rich in 15 rare minerals. It cannot be reproduced by science and is a natural source of the skin’s health and beauty since it soothes, fortifies, protects and regenerates the skin. As an Esthetician, I have to admit I was kind of nerding out with all this information because to me it is SO interesting and I believe in the process so much!

I don’t want you guys to think I’m just saying this because. I TRULY fell in love with the products. So much that I even raved so much to my mother about it and told her she NEEDED to try a few of my favorite Vichy products. Of course, she loved them as well!

So today rather than just give an overview of a brand, I wanted to go a little more in depth on my favorite Vichy products to showcase for you guys and most importantly list WHY. Beware, the nerdy esthetician is going to come out while discussing but I think it will be helpful in giving you an insight into what products could be best for you too!

Pureté Thermale Fresh Cleansing Gel

This cleanser is a very nice gel cleanser that gets rid of all makeup and impurities while counteracting the skin-damaging effects of hard water. I usually use a milkier cleanser (which Vichy carries as well) but I really liked this one for when you feel like you’re wearing a lot of makeup and need a GOOD cleansing. It leaves the skin feeling soft and fresh without any tightness. I will say however, gel cleansers are always better on more oily skin so if you are on the dry side as I am, stick with a milky cleanser and use this one from time to time when you really need that squeaky-clean feeling!

Aqualia Thermal Dynamic Hydration Rich Cream

Okay, this was one of my favorite Vichy moisturizers. I’m EXTREMELY dry so I’m always on the lookout for rich creams that can help keep me hydrated. This one gives you 48 hours of moisture (amazing) while still being gentle and does not break me out! Super important for me to find products that help with my issues while not causing pimples at the same time! I’m sure you all know what I mean!

It also featured the Dynamic Hydration technology which helps to distribute & lock water in all facial zones and of COURSE contains the soothing Vichy Thermal Spa Water! Win-Win.

Ahhh. Serums. They are a thing that everyone forgets to use and/or is confused what they are for yet are SO important in my opinion. I remember when I worked as an Esthetician my clients would ALWAYS ask, “What is the point of a Serum?!”

Just know you’re not alone. Everyone asks.

A serum is a product that you apply to your skin AFTER cleansing but before moisturizing. It is supposed to deliver powerful ingredients directly into the skin. It is made up of smaller molecules that can penetrate deep into the skin and give you a higher concentration of active ingredients so you can target specific skincare concerns like wrinkles. Kind of make sense?

I personally have an obsession with serums, I think they add SO much to a skincare routine and every time I use a good one I totally notice a difference which is why I thought it was important to talk about one of my favorites from Vichy!

Idéalia Life Serum – now the Idéalia Radiance Serum

This serum is freaking amazing. It targets skin aging, which common we all want to prevent! After using it for about a week you see that your skin is more vibrant, pores are refined and you have a more youthful look to the skin. Plus, the product itself feels amazing, almost like you applying silk to your skin. It is super lightweight; one-two pumps should do the trick and you apply it evenly to your face and neck area. You’ll feel like it just melts right on!

Minéral 89

Don’t get me started on Minéral 89. If you are going to use only ONE product on your skin, it should be Minéral 89. I happen to include it in my daily skincare routine (which I recommend to all of you) but if you only want to pick one, do this one. This stuff is beyond.

Every day, our skin is attacked by elements like pollution, stress to skin, and fatigue which causes the skin to be dehydrated and dull. Just like your body needs vitamins to be healthy, skin needs minerals to strengthen its moisture barrier and defend itself. Minéral 89 combines 15 mineral rich water with Hyaluronic Acid to make it more resistant to aging caused by these factors. It also includes an unbelievable 89% Mineralizing Thermal Water which is insane! It gives you that extra boost of hydration and an amazing glow! Did I mention Hyaluronic Acid helps plump the skin?? You can thank me later.

Personally, I use it after I cleanse my skin and before I use anything else. To me I think of it as a barrier to harmful factors such as pollution etc.. Once I have applied this, then I move onto my serum and moisturizer. You of course, do not have to do it this way and instead could opt to use this as your sole moisturizer but in my opinion the skin looks even better after being combined with a good serum/moisturizer.

Aqualia Thermal Eye Balm

So, another product that is often forgotten in the skincare world is an eye cream. A lot of people think well isn’t an eye cream a regular moisturizer sold in a smaller package? Nope. The skin around the eye is extremely fragile, much more prone to dryness and quicker to show signs of aging and fatigue. We tend to squint our eyes and move them a lot which causes even more lines and wrinkles. Eye creams can help with all of these issues and they are specifically made to target the sensitive, fragile skin.

You never want to go too heavy with an eye cream because they can increase fluid retention and show eye puffiness even more. What I love about the Aqualia Thermal Eye Balm is that it is a lightweight eye gel that gives a ton of hydration without that heavy feeling. It targets the appearance of under-eye puffiness and dark circles as well (and let’s be honest, who DOESN’T have those?!). For those of you who aren’t familiar with an eye cream and how to apply it, start at the inner corner of your brow bone and tap or press the product into the eye area gently. Don’t go too close to your lash line. Products will always travel downwards and spread so start a little higher so nothing gets in your eyes.

Now, I saved my ABSOLUTE favorites for last – the Vichy Masks. True life, I’m addicted to their masks. No joke, I literally have been using them everyday and I’m obsessed. A lot of people ask me what I do to my skin to have it looking the way it does and I swear I owe it to one, being on top of my skin care routine but two, I’m ALWAYS using masks. Because I work from home you can usually find me in the middle of the day with a mask on my face. It’s just what I do. I have to say, I am extremely picky with what masks I use. Up until I found the Vichy masks, I was literally only loyal to about 2 other masks. Now I’m so happy to have found these.

Face masks are the perfect treatment to help you with any skin care concerns you might have. They can help hydrate, remove excess oil, improve the appearance of pores and help pull out impurities. They can be used independently or together (multi-masking) plus, they are just so fun to use!

Plus, they are just so fun to use!

Double Glow Peel Face Mask

Ok this is the pink one that you see in my above photos. This is Vichy’s first face mask with volcanic rocks and AHA fruit acids which help to peel off dead skin cells through a double-peel action. Don’t worry or be scared by the word “peel.” You won’t actually peel the skin but what it does is helps slough off dead skin which in turn leaves your skin glowing!

All you do with this one is apply the mask on your face, leave it to set for 5 minutes so that the AHA has time to work. After 5 minutes, massage it add water and rinse off. Voila!

Quenching Mineral Face Mask

Hands down my favorite Vichy product! This mask is seriously to die for. For anyone who is dry like I am and looking for an extra boost of hydration, you will die for this one. This is a complete hydrating face mask with has 10% Vichy Mineralizing Thermal Water and soothing Vitamin B3 to act as a hydration boost. It literally is amazing you guys and I’m not just saying this. I probably use this mask about 3 times a week (if not more)!

It totally replenishes the skin and gives you about 24 hours of hydration. I have to admit, after using this product my mother even came up to me and asked what I had been doing to my skin because it looked so nice and felt SO soft. Anyone who is dry I highly suggest using this one!

Mineral Pore Purifying Clay Mask

I’m going to admit, usually I’m not the biggest fan of clay masks because they tend to dry you up a lot. They are made more for oily skin, which I understand because they are supposed to draw out all the impurities and excess sebum but in my experience some of them are way too drying even for someone who is oily. Because I wanted to give you all my honest opinion about all the products here, I tried the clay mask and actually REALLY liked it. For someone who is not a huge fan of clay masks, this one changed my mind. It wasn’t one of those masks that you feel so tight you can’t move but you still felt like it was doing its job, if that makes sense.

This mask acts like a magnet to draw out excess sebum and impurities from the skin which is usually what causes acne to begin with. It has that amazing Vichy Mineralizing Thermal Water and helps strengthen the skin’s moisture barrier function. Even though I am dry, I use this about once every two weeks. If you were on the oilier side you could definitely use this more often. I have to also mention that I LOVE the directions on all the Vichy products. They are completely CORRECT and don’t lead you to do anything that could harm your skin. For example, on this clay mask it says, “Application tip: Never let your clay mask fully dry. When it does, the skin underneath is dried out as well. Five minutes is all the Vichy Pore Purifying Mask needs to be efficient.” This is EXACTLY what I was talking about earlier. I trust the Vichy products because they know that you don’t want to dry your skin out completely because it can backfire while some brands insist on drying you out to the max. Just a little thing I wanted to point out!

I hope you guys enjoyed this roundup of all of my favorite Vichy products and why! I truly love the entire line and highly recommend you all check the rest of their products out here! As usual, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy to help!

Thank you to Vichy for sponsoring this post.