The French Pharmacy
A313 Pomade, £25
An over-the-counter, ruthlessly effective retinol that was once my most requested beauty haul to bring back to the UK for friends and family is now happily available via The French Pharmacy website here.
La Petit Marseillais
Orange Blossom Shower Gel, £6.50
Whilst it is much more expensive here and the choice of scents limited, La Petit Marseillais is a cult French supermarket brands that makes gorgeous holiday fragrance shower gels and soaps. A niche buy, but their ‘cuisine’ hand wash is designed to eliminate food smells on your hands, and it works brilliantly.
Mixa
Intensif Lait de Corps, £12
Another French supermarket staple that is more expensive here, but worth the investment is Mixa. Their body lotions are the best I’ve found, especially for extra dry summer skin; it’s the only lotion that I can still feel working 24-hours later. If you do find yourself in a French supermarket, stock up (its dual-phase eye make-up remover is excellent too).
The French Pharmacy
Mustela Wipes, £4.95
I raised two boys in France and loved the whole range of baby skincare from Mustela. Their no-rinse cleansing waters are much kinder on skin than wipes for nappy changes and their high protection SPF gentle enough even for sensitive little ones.
Klorane
Quinine and B Vitamins Shampoo, £11
Klorane’s haircare range covers all hair types, and the Quinine shampoo was kindly recommended to gently care for, and help thicken, a family member’s hair whilst they went through chemo. I have subsequently bought numerous bottles for others going through similar treatment and all reported good results. For my own locks, I love the mango deep conditioner and the oat milk dry shampoo.
Boiron
Homeopolasmine, £7.50
Every French home has a tube of this secreted somewhere, whipped out to soothe skin irritations, bumps and bruises.
Gallinee
Face Vinegar, £7
Weird name, I know, but this toner from Gallinee helps reduce bad bacteria that can cause breakouts, whilst the probiotics help feed the good bacteria to strengthen skin resilience and AHAs gentle exfoliate for a smoother, brighter complexion.
Filorga
Micellar Water, £22
Micellar waters from Bioderma et al are readily available in the UK now, with many global brands doing their own version of the once ‘must-have’ French pharmacy buy. I still find Filorga’s the only one that suits my sensitive eyes and gets rid of stubborn waterproof make-up without a trace.
Institut Esthederm
Photo Reverse Protective Unit Dark Spot Stick, £50
All of Institut Esthederm’s SPF range is top-notch, but this handy stick is great for applying to any pigmentation or dark spots before sun exposure to stop them darkening any further, and gradually over time, helping them to fade too.
