5F in France: French Pharmacy
top picks, old and new.
Bonjour de France! I arrived about a week ago and it feels so good to be back 🇫🇷 I’ll be writing from here for the next couple weeks, so get ready for all the French themed favorites.
Alas, my bag did not arrive in France with me.
I live by a strict carry-on-only policy. Since I now have a toddler in tow, it’s simply not possible to do so anymore (iykyk.) Still, that moment when you turn up at the carousel — and your bag does not — is one of my least favorite things.
Luckily for me, Air France hadn’t outright lost my bag — it just was somehow still stuck in Paris (whereas I was now in Bordeaux.) After checking with the baggage attendant, I discovered that I’d have to wait for “a few days” before they could deliver my bag to the small village I’m staying in. Thus, the airline would reimburse me for clothes and toiletries until my suitcase arrived.
While I wasn’t happy not to have my bag (including underwear - always pack extra pairs in your carry-on if checking a bag!) this did mean I got to do something I don’t normally do much of when I travel: shop. Even though France is my favorite place to do so, I certainly did not plan to on this trip.
Unexpectedly returning to this ritual meant picking up some of my favorite essential items at the magical French pharmacy, plus some new clothes. The first time I discovered French skincare, nearly a decade ago, was out of curiosity at seeing the line for City Pharma in Paris. My sensitive skin, and skin care routine, has never been the same.
And so, after picking up some new underwear, off to the French pharmacie I went…
(A note: if you’re new to French skincare, start with ‘the classiques,’ and if you’re a seasoned visitor who wants new recs from this trip, skip to that section.)
And spoiler: I did receive my bag eventually, which made this extra bit of shopping that much sweeter after the fact.
Five favorite French pharmacy products
The Classiques
Embroylisse Lait-Crème Concentré
It’s said that this moisturizer is a favorite of professional makeup artists around the world. It’s a cult classic for a reason, but all I know is that I’ve used it nightly for the past 9 years and it always works well on my skin. To some, it feels a bit thick — but I find that even when my skin is not in need of mega-hydration, it’s calming and just the right amount of moisture.
Bioderma micellar water
I love my skincare, but I’m not enough of a fanatic to insist that you use both a cleanser and a micellar water to clean your face. What that means, for me, is that I use this in place of a cleanser (unless I’m in the shower,) making my nightly routine that much quicker. Swipe some of this on a cotton pad, and I feel that it really does clean my face and remove makeup as well as any time I’ve used a face soap and water.
It is said that micellar water as a face cleanser began as an alternative to using the harsh tap water in Paris on one’s face. I’m not sure if that’s true, but I’ll take the excuse for using this to cleanse any day.
Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil
This is probably my single most favorite French pharmacy find. It’s a delicious-smelling skin, face, and hair oil that goes on so clean. I love the scent so much that I often spray it on my chest and neck in place of perfume (I also own the perfume.)
And although it’s a rich body oil that’s 96-100% natural, it absorbs quickly and feels light, and never stains clothes. If you’re not a fan of the original scent, they now have two other scent options (which I review below!)
La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+
As a skin barrier repairing cream that’s under $10, nothing works harder than Cicaplast Baume B5. I’ve seen it do remarkable things for smoothing, calming, and moisturizing problematic skin. I use it most on my forehead and a few sun-damaged spots that need extra love.
Klorane dry shampoo
Another lazy girl beauty hack, I’ve never been much of a fan of skipping a hair wash in favor of dry shampoo…until I found this stuff.
I love how effective yet gentle this formulation is. It’s one of the few hair products that doesn’t make my fine hair feel stiff or inflexible. If anything it makes my hair softer, and it’s great to have on hand for days when washing your hair just isn’t in the cards.
Five (new!) favorite finds from this trip
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