beauty spot: french pharmacy favourites

I love French pharmacies and when I was in Paris this week, I couldn’t resist stocking up on all my favourite products. While I prefer browsing charming corner pharmacies, this time I was on a mission so I went to the big CityPharma in Saint-Germain. I should warn you that it’s crowded and not at all charismatic, but it has everything you could possibly want!

I was introduced to Bioderma a few years ago by a French friend with flawless skin and I’ve been obsessed ever since. Crealine H20 micellaire water is magic for removing make-up and city gunk. I also love the Hydrabio Moisturising Masque for dehydrated skin – it’s an absolute saviour in winter or after a flight. And new to my stash is the Crealine AR BB Cream, which is a true make-up / skin care fusion, helping to correct redness, improve skin tone and protect with SPF30. Just a note that the Crealine range seems to go by the name Sensibio internationally so keep an eye out for either.

Another of my favourite pharmacy brands is La Roche-Posay. Toleraine moisturiser settles my skin when it’s freaking out and even though the tube is tiny, it lasts forever. I also love Serozinc (not pictured), which isn’t available outside of France, but if you live there or are visiting, pick some up – it’s a thermal water spray with added zinc so it’s perfect for refreshing and clearing up problem skin.

Caudalie and Nuxe are two other great brands that are both more readily available overseas. I love spritzing Caudalie Beauty Elixer after washing my face or to freshen up during the day, and the new Polyphenol Overnight Detox Oil helps to refresh my skin after spending time in polluted cities. From Nuxe, my favourite products are their lip balms – I use the stick during the day and then the richer version in the pot overnight.

Another great product to mention is the Vichy Dermablend Fluid Corrective Foundation. This is seriously high coverage make-up but I just use it as a spot concealer coupled with a fine eyeliner brush. It lasts all day but doesn’t prevent the skin from healing. The colour range is very limited but if you can find one that works for you, I highly recommend it.

Finally, I have two actual pharmaceutical products to mention. The first is Biafine, which is seriously the best thing in the world for saving sunburned skin. While I always wear an SPF30 minimum (and SPF50 when I’m spending any length of time outside), my lily-white skin inevitably gets burned at least once a summer. Nothing works as well as this stuff for reducing redness, pain and peeling. It’s designed for treating first degree burns, so I guess sunburn is no drama! I also like to pick up Homeoplasmine, which is a good all-round pomade for dry skin but it really comes into its own for protecting and healing flu-ravaged noses. Love!

Do you have any favourites I haven’t listed? Let me know!