Aging Lessons From French Women

Photo courtesy of nytimes.com.

Catherine Deneuve makes 66 look pretty darn good. Yesterday’s New York Times highlights “Ten Ways to Age Like A Frenchwomen” and although there were no big surprises, the list seems to encompass a more general philosophy of how French women approach taking care of themselves. A related Nytimes.com article, “Aging Gracefully the French Way,” quotes Françoise Augier (a friend of nytimes writer Ann Morrison) as saying:

“For Parisiennes, maintaining their image is as natural as tying a perfect scarf or wearing stilettos on cobblestone streets. Beauty is a tradition handed down from generation to generation. “My grandmother always told me, ‘Never neglect yourself, not even in the tiniest details.”

Of the ten ways listed, the one I’m going to start adding to my beauty regime (as of today) is #4 THE WONDER OF WATER: Frenchwomen swear by cold-water rinses – after face-cleaning, shampoo or shower. They say it improves circulation, bringing all-important oxygen to the skin cells.

Seems like an easy enough practice and who couldn’t use improved circulation and more oxygen in their cells? If French women say that’s important, I’m taking their word for it — they certainly make aging look a lot less scary than it appears on this side of the Atlantic.

#10 seems a little sexist, but French writer Françoise Sagan does sort of have a point. THINK SEXY “A dress makes no sense unless it inspires men to take it off you. Buy some fun, new underwear.”

Click here for the complete list.