When you think of France you probably think of the Parisians or the Effiel tower but I think about French pharmacies. You must visit a French pharmacy if you happen to be in France. I am sure you can get a number of these items throughout Europe BUT it would be the cheapest in France especially at everyone’s go to store in Paris, City Pharma.
When people said it was a small little store and that was jammed packed with people, they weren’t KIDDING. The store isn’t actually small at all. It really isn’t. It was one of the biggest pharmacies I visited in Paris, especially with their wide selection. They even have a second floor! What made it seemed small was the number of people! If you don’t like crowds, I wouldn’t recommend this place but it does have great deals. You might just have to push your way through { which I don’t really recommend} for every step you take. Just in case you were heading to France or a French pharmacy, here are some of the things I bought and if I would recommend to pick up.
Vichy deep cleansing purifying gel
Before even going to France, I knew there was one thing I had to restock. I had to restock on the Vichy Deep Cleansing Purifying Gel. It is just a nice simple cleanser, that is great for acne-prone skin. It doesn’t dry your skin out and I really like the smell. It kind of reminded me of my childhood. I would watch my mom apply Biotherm scented products. If you buy it from CityPharama, you can two large bottles wrapped together for a really good price. Great deal.
La roche posay redermic R anti-aging concentrate intensive
Another item I knew I had to pick up was an retinol. I heard that there are many over the counter retinol products that are high concentration. I went to several pharmacies but I couldn’t find any of the ones that were suggested (like avibon). I don’t know if this is higher than normal concentration since you can also buy this in North America but this was all I could find. Although I did not mean to pick up this retinol, I would def recommend picking up this retinol. I saw a difference in the texture of my skin and in my scars. Would def recommend picking this up.
La roche posay redermic r eyes anti-aging concentrate intensive
To be honest, I bought this by accident, thinking it was for the face. I didn’t know that this was for the eyes. I didn’t see that much of a difference but I know that retinol is a great ingredient for anti-aging and I know I won’t be seeing immediate results, so that is whyI am undecided about this product.
Phyto 9 Nourishing day cream with 9 plants
I went traveling with my sister and we didn’t bring a lot of hair products with us. My hair was a little frizzy and dry looking but my sister’s hair was crazy looking. I picked this up and told her to use it, and it made a huge difference in her hair. It looked more sleek and hydrated rather than frizzy and dry. Would recommend if your hair is looking a bit dry.
Nuxe detox detoxifying and youth revealing anti-aging care
I’m not gonna lie this was pretty pricey. I don’t quite remember who recommended this mask, but they said this sleeping mask made her skin looked as if she had a good night sleep. It feels like the lighter version of a sleeping mask, almost like a moisturizer with a slippy feel. It has a light fresh scent which I actually quite like. Would I purchase again? Probably not. I would rather buy a sleeping mask that is half the price with almost the same effect. BUT if you want a more luxurious version you can try this one out.
La Roche Posay Cicaplast Gel B5
I didn’t really use this much since my skin doesn’t get over exfoliated often, so I really don’t have a strong opinion on this product. BUT it is very soothing to the skin, it is silky feeling especially when your skin is feeling a bit sensitive. Worth trying out if your skin is feeling sensitive.
edit: This is a must-have. Recently I used a little too many acids and clay masks and I was pretty sure my skin barrier was damaged. Usually, when this happens pimples immediately form. Somehow, after using this and mixing it with Cosrx Blemish Balm my skin felt better and no pimples! A must have if you tend to over exfoliate!
Cattier Gommage argile aloe vera
Another recommended product from France was this clay mask. I honestly didn’t think this mask was all that special. It felt like a regular clay mask, with exfoliating beads. It dried like a normal clay mask, it didn’t do anything particularly special. I would probably skip if you have tons of clay mask at home like I do.
Phyto Phytokeratine repairing thermal
After liking the Phyto hair cream, I decided to pick up a few more things from the brand. I don’t know if it does anything for my hair but I love the scent. It has a nice fine mist which was quite enjoyable. One thing to be aware of is that it makes your flooring slippery! I always have to make sure I move to a carpeted surface before spraying it into my hair. It was quite pricey, so I don’t know if I would recommend. If you are willing to splurge, you could try it out.
la roche posay effaclar duo (+) corrective unclogging care anti-imperfections
This is probably the most recommended product to pick up from France. I quite like this acne treatment, I like to leave it on my skin like a mask. It doesn’t dry up the skin and works quite well for my acne. Some say that the French version is different than the one they sell in North America from what I see….well from Canadian version some of the ingredients are different. But the salicylic acid is around the same ingredient list order. To me, they feel very similar in texture and on the skin.
Here are the ingredients:
La roche posay effaclar a.i. targeted imperfected corrector
If you can only get one product, I would recommend this one. I saw a dramatic difference in my acne prone skin, my pimples reduced, my scars faded a bit, even my texture was smoother. A must buy when you are in a French pharmacy.
Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum
I knew I had to pick up this Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum. The results are not immediate but I think over time my skin looked brighter after using this. Some people said their skin look refreshed and rested after immediately using this. For me, I only noticed the results after prolong use.
Biafine emulsion
This is a thick cream that is quite moisturizing. It leaves your skin feeling hydrated and a bit greasy. Not like oily greasy but more like silky greasy yet soft? Does that make sense? If you don’t like the feeling of things on your skin, you might not like it. But I think I might continue to use it for my dry eczema prone hands. It doesn’t smell great, it kind of have this herby washroom smell, not the best smell. But def worth a try if you have dry skin.
Conclusion
French pharmacies tend to have gentle yet effective skincare. They have lots of good products if I can only recommend one product you have to try out La Roche Posay Effaclar A.I. Targeted Imperfected Corrector especially if you have acne-prone skin. But really, you can’t go wrong.
A beauty lover that loves everything about beauty and skincare. She is always on the lookout to find the new “it” product. Whether it is budget friendly or high end, she plans to share with others her beauty adventures and beauty experiences on this blog.