It’s no secret that the world has always been obsessed with the way French women live their lives.  They have a very special trademark that is pretty hard to beat.  Let’s face it, they are renowned the world over for their signature ‘je ne sais quoi’.

So, why do French women appear to age with such style and elegance?

Interestingly enough, their secret to graceful ageing does not involve Botox, eye lifts or lip fillers. In fact, their rules for ageing with class are much simpler and far more economical than you may think.

According to French women, the key to ageing gracefully is to start nurturing the skin at a very young age.  A large percentage of French girls aged between 15 and 19 years introduce anti-ageing or anti-wrinkle creams into their skin care routine.

French women also recommend facials, massages and spa treatments in their campaign against wrinkles and cellulite.

Vive les Traitements

One spa favourite is Thalassotherapy, a seawater-based treatment that originated in France.  It involves water jets, seaweed wraps, mud baths, sand and basically all substances coming from the sea.  It is also used for therapeutic and preventative purposes.  It claims to improve circulation, tone muscles, promotes sleep and reduces cellulite.

As for make-up, French women operate on a ‘less is best’ strategy.  Their philosophy is straightforward, they’re the ones in control of beauty and not the other way around.  In other words, they wear make-up, the make-up doesn’t wear them.

Heavy foundations have a tendency to emphasise lines and pores, and most women avoid it in favour of just a hint of blush.

Those who do use foundation make sure that it blends well with the skin, often by applying it just after moisturising or simply using a tinted moisturiser for a sheer, natural coverage.

For French women, ageing seems to be a matter of mind over make-up.  If women feel good about themselves, right down to their Christian Dior underwear, they look good too.

Expressions of Francophile grandeur aside, the confidence of an older woman comes from a love of being herself and never forgetting her sense of style despite the passage of time.

There is no magic bullet.  At the end of the day, one of the best ways to age gracefully is to avoid gaining weight.  Despite French women’s success in the anti-ageing process, obesity rates are rising in France, though they are still far lower than in Australia.

It’s worthwhile remembering a beautiful French expression, ‘la beauté n’a pas d’âge’, which translates to ‘beauty doesn’t have an age’.