The first time I walked into a French pharmacy, I felt like I had died and gone to skincare heaven. It’s literally shelves upon shelves of French skincare products from brands like Darphin, La Roche Posay, Sisley, Claudelie, Nuxe, and much more. It’s become a mandatory stop whenever I’m in France where I stock up on my toiletry essentials. When I was last in France, my husband was horrified at the amount of products that took up a size of a carry-on (my husband was horrified at the carry-on sized amount of products/my husband was horrified that I could fill an entire carry-on with just products). “I can’t find these products anywhere” was my excuse! It’s true though, there’s no one-stop shop for these items anywhere else.
I know I’m not the only person who is under the French beauty products spell so I thought I’d list my top nine French pharmacy beauty products. They do wonders and already have a cult following. Get your pens ready; you’re about to fall in love with these products too. Call this an initiation to the cult.
Klorane Dry Shampoo is my ultimate favorite beauty product. It’s the best brand of dry shampoo in my opinion and I buy them in bulk when I’m in France. It immediately removes oiliness on your scalp without leaving a heavy residue and makes your hair smell and feel clean. It also gives you extra volume and bounce.
Embryolisse Lait-Creme Moisturizer
This is another French cult beauty product that make-up artists and models swear by. I use this moisturizer in both summer and winter (or use the plural – in both the summer and winter seasons). It’s unbelievably light yet rich and nourishing on the skin. It’s suitable for any skin type and skin tone.
I burn pretty easily and can catch a tan within five minutes so I make sure to liberally apply sunscreen every 30 minutes. My mother-in-law bought a big bottle for me and I was immediately hooked. It ticks everything I’m looking for in a body sunscreen: easy to apply, non-greasy and non-sticky.
Can you tell I’m all about sunscreen? Having tested so many different face sunscreen brands, nothing quite beats SkinCeuticals. It’s got SPF 50, goes smoothly on the face and sinks into your skin without it feeling heavy. I never leave the house without it. It’s a great sunscreen to apply under make-up.
Bioderma is already widely available and it’s still the most popular make-up remover for a good reason. This light water texture takes off even the most stubborn makeup without irritating your face. It leaves your skin feeling fresh and clean afterwards. I’ve been using this makeup remover for more than 7 years now.
Oenobiol Hair Loss Food Supplement
Hair loss is very common for people living in Doha (must be the water). I shed hair like a cat and my mother-in-law recommended this to me. It’s a little pricey but works like wonders. My hair is more resistant to heat and daily beatings.
This is a recent purchase that I absolutely fell in love with. It’s a microdermabrasion exfoliant that is super gentle on the skin especially with its small granules and creamy texture. It gives you immediate results and leaves your face glowing all day.
This is not a beauty product but it’s one of the things I religiously pick up at a French pharmacy. Rescue Remedy is made out of natural spring water and wild flowers essence. It’s an immediate life saver for whenever you are feeling stressed, anxious, uneasy or panicked. It instantly relaxes and calms you down. I swear by this stuff – it works wonders!
No French pharmacy haul will be complete without Avene thermal spray mist. It’s a staple in my handbag and I use it to refresh my skin during the day, on the plane, to set my makeup, or after a day at the pool when my skin is feeling parched.
Anthony
Ha.
The RESCUE DROPS work WONDERS!!!
I highly recommend them for anyone that wakes up in the middle of the night thinking of work.
Nami
I love La Roche-Posay <3 My acne disappeared after I started using it