You just can’t leave France without a trip to the pharmacy. And no, I don’t mean for over-the-counter medicine. In France, it’s all about the SKINCARE. While my stay in Paris last month, I hit up CityPharma, the legendary pharmacy that people from around the world flock to for the best French skincare, haircare, and pharmacy must-haves. I’m walking you through my ENTIRE pharmacy haul!
Let’s Start With The French Girl Holy Grail
I came home with not one or two but FOUR Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oils. You will no doubt find this at the top of most “Top 5” French Pharmacy finds, and most French women do actually own this. It’s a powerful oil that can be used on the body, face, and hands with a delicate, beautiful scent.
Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre is another multipurpose product that’s a must. Use it as a moisturizer, make-up primer, or as a deep hydrating mask (just use a tad more than when moisturizing). I typically do use primer, but I was pleasantly surprised to find how smoothly my makeup went on with just this moisturizer on.
I was not a huge fan of micellar water… until I tried Bioderma. This stuff really takes the day off and it’s powerful enough to take off eye makeup. I chose the Sébium H2O formula, which is made for oily skin.
Finally, Klorane rules the hair space in France. I chose to purchase a two-pack of their dry shampoo. It’s perfectly suited to knock out oil from hair or adding texture to my hair – my personal favorite usage of dry shampoo.
The Rest of the Haul
The rest of my haul consisted of some additional pharmacy must haves like Klorane Shampoo and Conditioner, Le Petit Marseillais soap, Vicky and La Roche Posay products, and a few more Nuxe items. I did want to try a few more, lesser known products as I browsed around the store.
- Mavala Double Lash Serum: Doubles as both a lash and eyebrow serum
- Phytodéfrisant by Phyto Paris: A heat activated serum that reduces frizz. I have been using this with my at-home blowouts and love how sleek and shiny my hair looks!
- L’Occitane Hand Cream: I honestly can’t believe this is available at a pharmacy. I always thought of L’Occitane as a premium or luxury brand. I absolutely love the delicate scent of the neroli + orchid cream.
- Marvis Toothpaste: I ran out of toothpaste while in France and LOVED this one. Isn’t the packaging so pretty?!
Click through the collage below to see and shop all the items! You can find many of these items on Amazon, Jet, Ulta, Anthropologie, and Dermstore.
What I Missed
I bought A LOT of stuff (I spent about 200 Euros!) at CityPharma, came away with a lot, but still had to leave behind quite a few items. Unfortunately, my luggage was already overweight as it was, so I had some decisions to make when deciding what to get. I was actually surprised to see such high quality products – what would be department store quality & price point items in America – at a pharmacy. Makeup artist favorite Caudalie Beauty Elixir was one sale. I somehow missed seeing Avène Eau Thermale. Finally, Darphin products range on the luxury side of pricing. I also snuck a peek at the medicine cabinet at the Airbnb I stayed at, and saw multiple Darphin products. Should I return, I may save up to bring back a few of these goodies.
Paris was such a magical city, and I cannot wait to return! I will for sure stock up again, and try to have enough room to try some more items.
Have you every tried French pharmacy skincare products? Let me know which is your favorite!