A French pharmacy is a weird place, in that it’s more an extension of a doctor’s office than a CVS-style one-stop-shop for medicine, lawn chairs, sunscreen, milk, frozen dinners, eyeliner, magazines, and Diet Coke. You can get sunscreen and nothing else on this list. Well, medicine, too.
A typical French pharmacy will have plenty of “beauty” products, but you may be surprised to discover that they’re entirely skincare products.
At only a handful will you find so much as mascara. Lip balm, maybe, not lipstick. And exactly zero products with glitter.
What that means is that even at a skincare product mecca like City Pharma, you’ll be faced with walls filled with products — mostly in rather plain white packaging. Most of them look more or less interchangeable, so it helps to have a little of intel on what’s worth buying and what’s just another boring day cream. Here, my picks.
This is Caudalie’s killer product, actually. Much, much less intense than even the light Isle of Paradise, Caudalie’s self tanning drops are more like the the equivalent of a good night’s sleep than a day at the beach. Super great, and as clean as ingredients can be given that you’re using chemicals to change the color of your skin. (Love them.)
I went to a Caudalie spa on a press trip once and it was probably the best skincare experience of my life. I see their brightening Vinoperfect line as an experience equitable to the necessary Good Genes, just gentler. Note that while it’s official a “peel” mask, it doesn’t actually peel off, I think it’s a translation issue. It’s just a regular, gently exfoliating mask.
An icon! I think Americans generally disfavor combo products — shampoo and conditioner in one bottle??? This product is subject to no such prejudice over there, and it does it all: prime, smooth, moisturize, makeup removal — “multi-fonctions,” like it says on the front. I like this as a single product away from home — I used it every day in Marseille.
Truth: My favorite French sunscreen is from Lierac, but it’s hard to find in the U.S. — if you see it there, grab it! In second place: La Roche-Posay’s 60 SPF flagship sunscreen. The Ultra Light formulation absorbs well, dries matte, and feels protective without clogging (and causing breakouts). There’s a reason this is the brand picked up by so many French travelers on their way to Greece or Italy — it’s trusted, and it works.
An icon of French bathrooms nationwide. This dry oil smells incredible — it’s like the equivalent of Bobbi Brown’s iconic (and tragically discontinued) Beach oil but lighter. Also comes in a d’Or edition with tiny gold shimmer that’s extremely aesthetic.
This is another product that’s every list like this — but if you’re recovering from a burn or injury and want something a little more powerful than the Cicalfate, this is your deal. And you don’t need something to rise to the level of a serious burn to get something from it — I last used it on small spots of discoloration (after getting splattered from cooking oil like a moron) and it healed faster where I had applied it than elsewhere.
Of all the micellar waters, this is the micellar water. Less stripping than a regular cleanser, less oily than a cleansing oil, micellar water is a terrific happy medium. Gentle, effective, chill — it’s French beauty in a nutshell.
I know a million people who swear by Avène’s Thermal Water, but this is harder to find in the U.S. and the better buy. Cicalfate is great for super-dry skin that hurts due to dryness, a scrape, etc.
Early on I would bring home La Roche-Posay’s Iso-Urea MD Baume Psoriasis to help treat my dad’s psoriasis — I’ve shifted to this product, which seems like it better hands the intense itching and dryness.
There’s something incredibly satisfying about these moisturizing sticks. Rub them on, wash them off — just applying them feels like a nice little bit of self care. Not surprised to see this stylish brand for sale at the big, new Printemps store in New York.
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