How to Achieve Effortless French Girl Hair

Here is your ultimate guide to getting French girl hair! If you’ve always wanted to get that low-key yet chic hair, I’ve got you covered. Being French, in today’s post, I’ve compiled a list of the best tips for getting effortless French girl hair, plus all the haircare products French women are utterly devoted to. Keep scrolling below to find out the secret to French girl hair.

This post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own. I only feature products I truly love and personally select. If you purchase through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Merci!

1. Wash Your Hair Twice a Week

First, the French avoid washing their hair every day as excessive washing thins the hair and irritates the scalp. Also, it’s not worth doing so as it’s usually on the following day hair is the best kind of hair: clumpy, thick, and undone. Instead, wash your hair up to twice a week. If your hair tends to be oily very quickly, I recommend using a dry shampoo between two shampoos —I love Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk. Also, instead of using your usual shampoo, opt for an exfoliating shampoo like Christophe Robin Scrub with Sea Salt to detox your scalp once a week. There are a few shampoos that work wonders and that I highly recommend:

• Klorane Softening Shampoo with Oat Milk for all hair types.
• Christophe Robin Cleansing & Volumizing Paste is ideal for fine or thinning hair.
• Leonor Greyl Crème Moelle de Bambou Shampoo for long, dry, thick, or frizzy hair.
• Klorane Shampoo with Cupuaçu Butter for damaged hair.
• Kérastase Blond Absolu Anti-Brass Purple Shampoo for cool-blonde, bleached, or grey hair.

For more details, see my previous post on the cult-favorite French hair care products the French adore.

2. Avoid Silicones in Hair Products

Silicones are commonly used in shampoos, conditioners, and styling hair products. They create a conditioning effect by forming a film around the hair to make it artificially soft and shiny without providing any real treatment. Over time, silicones can build up on your hair, resulting in a dry feel and dull appearance. The occlusive effect of silicones also tends to prevent the scalp from “breathing,” meaning it quickly becomes oily while hair becomes lifeless. That is why French women tend to choose gentler, natural-based products free of silicones to treat their hair. I highly recommend the two French haircare brands, Christophe Robin and Leonor Greyl, that keep silicones away from their formulas.

3. Use a Little Bit of Conditioner

French women generally follow their shampoo with a little bit of conditioner on the length but never on the roots. Using less conditioner will make a huge difference in texture and movement. There are two conditioners that I highly recommend, depending on your hair type:

• Christophe Robin Volumizing Conditioner with Rose Extracts for fine, color-treated, or natural hair.
• Leonor Greyl Masque Fleurs de Jasmin Hair Mask for dry, thin, or limp hair.

4. Treat Your Hair Once a Week

French women know how important it is to take care of their hair. Once a week, they treat their hair by using masks and hair oils to achieve gorgeous texture. There are a few hair treatments that I highly recommend:

• L’Huile de Leonor Greyl for all hair types, even fine hair.
• Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask is for dry, over-processed hair.
• Klorane’s Nourishing Repairing Mask is ideal for very dry, damaged, wavy, curly, or natural hair.
• Leonor Greyl Sérum de Soie Sublimateur Hair Serum is for all hair types, especially those with damaged hair.

You can choose from different types of hair oils for different uses. For example, you can use L’Huile de Leonor Greyl as a pre-shampoo treatment. Just apply and leave on the hair for 30 minutes up to 1 hour before washing out with your usual shampoo. On the other hand, if you’re in a hurry, use a dry oil just before blow-drying for frizz-free, super-shiny, and hydrated hair. Dry oil is particularly recommended for dry and frizz-prone hair as it gives the hair an intense shot of moisture.

5. Add Volume to Your Hair with Rose Water

French women generally don’t flat iron their hair. Instead, they are much more into movement and volume. They love messy hair, and they’re okay with it falling on their faces. To achieve that effortless French girl hair, simply wash your hair in the evening and sleep on wet hair, as it usually gives a naturally tousled texture and a gorgeous body and shape when you wake up. Also, if you have thin air like mine, use rose water on wet hair before going to sleep to create thick hair. I’m in love with Christophe Robin’s Instant Volumizing Mist with Rosewater which protects color, nourishes the hair, and provides body and volume without drying out the hair —the alcohol-free formula is composed of 96% rose water. It doesn’t make the hair feel sticky or greasy. It works like a salt spray, but without the drying effect, and the rose’s smell is absolutely fabulous.

6. Tap into Scents

Hair perfumes are perfect to provide an instant refresh! Unlike the traditional formulas, hair mists are made with lower alcohol content, so they don’t irritate the scalp or dry out strands. Some of my favorite hair mists are from Diptyque:

• Eau Rose Hair Mist—Damascena rose, Centifolia rose, Litchi accord.
• Eau des Sens Hair Mist—a very fresh scent that brings together all the dimensions of bitter orange, from the roots to the top of the tree, including branches, leaves, and fruit.

Just spray the mist directly onto the hair, or coat your brush in the scent before styling. For more, see my previous article on my favorite Diptyque perfumes that will captivate your senses.

7. Blow Dry Your Hair Less Often

First, make sure to use a high-quality hairbrush to avoid split ends and breakage. The Mason Pearson Pocket Boar Bristle Brush is one of the best investments I made for my hair! It stimulates blood flow to the hair roots, and the density of the bristles allows conditioning sebum to be more evenly distributed from the roots to the ends. Also, if you can, avoid blow-drying your hair. Indeed, applying heat to your hair when it is already dry can cause brittleness, breakage, dullness, and dryness. And, if you do blow-dry your hair, do not use a brush. Do it à la française by using your hands to rake through the lengths and massage the roots with your fingertips to get that lift. This provides texture and volume, which gives effortless French girl hair. Another option is to use a diffuser, which is the perfect tool to get that tousled texture and effortless French-girl hair!

8. Visit Your Hair Salon Regularly

French women often go to their favorite hair salon to maintain their hair color or get a new haircut —I usually go to my hairdresser up to once a month. When choosing a hair color, they prefer a low-maintenance shade, a natural-looking color that suits their complexion and eye color. And if they go lighter, they will opt for a balayage, an ombré, or tortoiseshell hair rather than a full head of highlights distributed uniformly through the hair. In terms of haircuts, French women avoid anything that is blunt cut or razor sharp. Instead, whatever the haircut they opt for, they want softness, natural movement, and texture on the ends. The same goes for fringes and bangs: the ends and edges need to be frayed. French-girl hair is all about ensuring hair looks perfectly imperfect. By the way, if you’re heading to Paris soon, here are the best hair salons and hairdressers in the city. And if you’re looking for inspiration, see ten chic haircuts to ask your stylist.