The Ultimate Guide to Getting French Girl Hair

Wash Sparingly But Condition Heavily

The first step in your French girl hair routine is more of what not to do—and that's washing your hair every day. "It's not worth washing your hair every day, as it's usually on the following day that your hair gains a certain weight that in turn gives it the right volume when tied up in a bun," de Maigret advises.

When you do are ready to suds up, what you leave in your hair might just be more important than what you wash out of it. Jucaud tells us her secret routine when she’s short on time: wash her hair, apply leave-in conditioner, rough-dry her roots with her fingers, then wrap her strands loosely in a bun. “Then I just go to work or wherever I’m supposed to be and release my hair before I get there when it’s dry,” she reveals. “This gives me beautiful waves without any effort.”

She tells us she never—we repeat never—leaves her strands bare post-shower. Leave-in conditioner or some sort of light, smoothing product is always involved (she swears by Kérastase’s Nectar Thermique Cream, which “does not feel oily or heavy” in her hair). Robin has a product—his Moisturizing Hair Oil With Lavender ($35)—that he says helps your strands avoid breakage, maintains the color, and keeps the natural lipidic film that protects your hair; it can also be used as an overnight leave-in treatment.

And Jucaud's rough-dry/air-dry routine is pretty de rigueur for a French routine—two things you likely won't find on a French woman's vanity are a dryer or a flat iron, according to de Maigret. "Do not dry your hair with a hair dryer (in fact, you might as well throw your hair dryer away), but instead use two much more environmentally friendly resources: fresh air in summer and a towel in the winter," she says. Need some help? Here's how to air-dry your hair like a pro.

Be Gentle With Your Strands

Think of your hair like your favorite cashmere sweater. You wouldn’t just throw it in the wash every time after wearing it, right? In the same way, French women tend to choose gentler, natural-based products free of silicones and sulfates to cleanse and treat their hair. Robin says his clients like his line’s Cleansing Mask With Lemon ($49), which boasts a 20-year-old formula that’s never been changed and was one of the first-ever non-lathering shampoos. “It takes a little effort, but it keeps the hair color intact, nourishing the hair and scalp,” he promises. 

Jucaud tells us she swears by René Furterer’s Fioravanti Clarify and Shine Rinse (discontinued): “The line is expensive, but they are very efficient products and natural,” she says.

Dye With Caution

When we asked Robin what he thought was the biggest difference between how French women care for their hair versus how American women do, his answer surprised us: It wasn’t a specific hairstyling technique but rather the act of choosing a hair color itself.

Namely, French women prefer a natural-looking color that suits their complexion and eye color, and they always, always go for the lowest maintenance shades. “They do not want to be trapped in always having to touch up their roots,” Robin says. “In France, a lot of brunettes, when they go lighter, won’t go blonde from the roots but will layer blond only at the ends. They like the kind of blond that forces respect.” (Note to self: Definitely use this description on our next visit to the hair salon.) It seems that recently, American women have caught on to this mindset—hence the rise of balayage, ombré, and tortoiseshell hair. (This editor still gets compliments on her grown-out hair color and has not gone back to the salon in almost a year.)

de Maigret, however, goes one step further, advising you step away from the hair dye (almost) altogether. "Do not dye your hair, or if you do, only in your original color to highlight it or to hide any gray," she says.

Don't Fear the Scissors

“French girls are not scared to cut their hair,” Robin states matter-of-factly. “They’ll do anything to keep their hair quality.” He points to French muses like Inès de la Fressange or Laetitia Casta, but it seems the average French woman follows this mindset, too—Jucaud also says she’s not afraid to cut her hair. “I try to keep my hair as healthy as possible by cutting it just a bit, but often,” she tells us. “When you have healthy hair, any style looks better.”

And chopping ones locks isn't just for hair health: According to Robin, the final step to being truly French is the addition of long fringe.

Carve Out Hair Time During Le Week-end

When we mentioned to Robin that French women seem to spend less time on their hair than American women do, he pointed out an interesting point. French women prep their hair during the weekend so they can spend less time on it during the week—which makes perfect sense to us.

On a typical Saturday or Sunday, his clients will sleep with an overnight oil treatment, rinse it out in the morning (with a non-lathering shampoo, of course), then apply another mask. Afterward, they’ll rinse everything out, spritz their strands with a hair tonic or light leave-in treatment, then bask in their healthy, happy strands for the next few days—three to four, to be exact. So treat your hair during the weekend so you can be super lazy during the week. Genius.

Accessorize Sparingly

Hair accessories are making a comeback in the U.S., but this is one trend to which de Maigret says non. She states plainly: "There's no point in accessorizing your hair." We at Byrdie know the power of a cute bun cuff or claw clip, though, so even though they might not be a thing in France, we say, "Do you."

Never Forget the Power of Scent

According to de Maigret, "a touch of perfume on your hair, behind your ear, or on the nape of your neck never did anyone any harm." We imagine the particular perfume would be Chanel, no less. Speaking of fragrance, here are five cult French fragrances that are perfect for springtime.