How to use Biafine like the French?

Not as an anti wrinkle cream! French parapharmacies are full of cosmetics and wellness treatments. Among these products is a white and green tube for which many American influencers envy us: Biafine. It is on the platform TikTok that these influencers praise the benefits of this French cream and communicate a misuse of it. Here’s my article to tell you how Biafine is used by the French!

What is Biafine ?

Biafine is considered a medicine & is available for purchase without a prescription. Made in France, it is a protective and soothing cream in an emulsion form. And… This is your French teacher’s trick : I use it a lot when I get a sunburn or an accidental burn while cooking etc. It’s miraculous! Biafine is a thick, greasy cream to be applied to the body or face in case of burns or sunburns.

The French are fans of it! We all have at least one tube of this cream at home. It is essential in the first-aid kit. This cream is used for 1st and 2nd degree burns, non-infected skin wounds and secondary erythema (redness on dry skin due to a dermatological lesion) related to radiotherapy treatments. 

How is Biafine used? It is applied in a thick layer on the burned areas and superficial wounds that have been cleaned. In addition to relieving the skin, it promotes healing. It’s not glamorous at all, but it feels good!

Can you use it as a day cream ? bad idea!

We have a little problem… 

Biafine for daily use is a bad idea. However, this is the opposite of what American TikTokers would have us believe when they praise the merits of Biafine and use it as a day cream. 

Biafine is not a day cream or an anti-wrinkle cream. It should be used for a short period of time, and only on the areas where sunburns and light burns are present. 

On social networks and in particular TikTok, American women explain that they use this French cream on a daily basis as a moisturiser, to fight against wrinkles. According to them, Biafine would serve to deeply moisturise the skin thanks to its rich formula. This is a wrong use of the Biafine cream that the French TikTokers and the doctors try desperately to stop. 

Biafine contains triethanolamine which is considered an allergen that can be carcinogenic. Using Biafine on the face or body in large quantities and over a long period of time can therefore be harmful to health. Prolonged use can lead to skin, immune system and respiratory tract complications. 

And that’s without mentioning the greasy nature of the product that will give you pimples!  But even worse, this cream makes the skin photosensitive, you should not go in the sun after its application.

Opt for a moisturiser instead !

Biafine helps the skin regenerate and soothes burns, but it is not a moisturiser or an anti-wrinkle cream at all! To moisturise your skin on a daily basis and prevent the effects of ageing, I recommend you use a specific cream, in fact the brand I am using right now!  

In Corrèze, the Bernard Cassière brand has developed a range of products adapted to all skin types, from the youngest to the most mature. I particularly like the range of youth care with spirulina, the high hydration care with bamboo and organic aloe vera. These moisturising products are of high quality, made in France and not tested on animals. This is a brand that I recommend to you with confidence to take care of your skin (and fight against wrinkles!)

Forget the French Biafine cream to moisturise your skin and prevent wrinkles! Used in large quantities, Biafine can be harmful to your health. However, it is ideal to relieve a superficial burn or to treat a sunburn.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article on how the French use Biafine and learned something new. 

If you want to read this article in French : La Biafine n’est pas une crème anti-rides !

Would you like to ask me a question? Don’t hesitate to write me a comment on the Your Online French Teacher blog!

You want to study French ?  Contact me for a quote or for the program of individual & group French classes. 

Sincerely yours,

Élodie – Your Online French Teacher 

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