Best French pharmacy beauty products
There seems to always be something very appealing about the French style and beauty habits to us Brits. The relaxed effortlessness of it all; if I dared to wear a Breton with a red lip, my subconscious would be yelling ‘try hard’ to me the whole journey to work. And although none of us would ever look to our local high-street pharmacy as a beauty destination (unless we were solely in the market for some blister pads and cotton wool), in France it’s the best place to go. French pharmacies are brimming full of affordable, effective skincare products, which over the years have thankfully become available in the UK. They are particularly excellent for tackling dry and dehydrated skin.
Take Nuxe, for example: the brand is one of the top sellers in France for its skincare, yet over here only a few cult items (such as its iconic body oil) have had the same popularity. But this month sees the launch of one of the most exciting ranges from the brand, the wonderfully named Crème Fra?che de Beauté. There’s a moisturiser and serum in the collection, but the hero for me is the Masque SOS Hydratant 48H. It’s a rich gel-cream that you apply to clean skin and leave on for half an hour or so. It’s like a big drink of water for your skin, making it feel beautifully soft and hydrated.
Another good hydrator is the new Mineral 89 serum by Vichy, which, astonishingly, only contains 11 ingredients. The mix of the Vichy thermal waters and hyaluronic acid drenches the skin with moisture but doesn’t leave any film. It’s the perfect base for your other skincare steps.
Also brilliant is La Roche-Posay’s Lipikar Syndet AP+ Baby range. Although it’s gentle and pure enough to apply to babies’ skin – I use the range on my one-year-old son – it works wonders for adults, too. The Cream Wash is lovely to use in the shower and leaves the skin feeling soft and hydrated, with a comforting scent. It’s all that is good about French pharmacy brands: functional, no-nonsense but incredibly effective. Formidable, one might say.
The skin hydrator
Vichy Mineral 89 Serum, ￡18.75
While it might only contain 11 ingredients, this gel-like serum packs a good hydration punch. So much so, you might find that it's all your skin needs.
The sensitive skin saver
Nuxe Crème Fra?che de Beauté Moisturising Fluid Crème, ￡29
It's one of the most recognisable and celebrated French skincare brands and Nuxe's latest range is definitely worth seeking out, especially if you battle with dry, sensitive skin. This Moisturising Fluid is particularly good as the buttery texture is lightweight, so it nourishes without feeling thick or heavy.
The cult make-up remover
Bioderma Sensibio H2O Solution Micellaire, ￡9.75
You'd be hard pushed to find a make-up artist who doesn't use this make-up removing, skin-brightening toning water. Why? Because it takes make-up off gently and doesn't dry out your skin. It's particularly good backstage, when models are having their make-up changed up to six times a day. As Lisa Eldridge explains in her blog "For fashion shows when you have to take make-up off very quickly, it's really effective and doesn't ever aggravate the skin."
The sunburn remedy
British hair stylist Sam McKnight told us about this one. It's called Biafine and it is heaven-sent for sunburn. Turns out model Inès de la Fressange is also a fan: "It treats wounds and burns, but is also great if you've had too much sun."
The model must-have
Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentré, ￡20
Ruth Crilly, aka A Model Recommends, has used this rich emollient moisturiser for 10 years. Probably because, as a model, it's been used on her skin on set and backstage at the shows. Make-up artists love it for the way it plumps and primes skin. Using hyaluronic acid, it hydrates skin instantly by grabbing and retaining water. Use sparingly unless skin is ultra thirsty.
The skin soother
Topicrem Ultra Moisturizing Body Milk, from ￡17
Created by a father, who happened to be president of a pharmaceutical laboratory, for his son who was suffering from itchy, red, dry skin, this body cream is now prescribed by pharmacists, physicians and dermatologists in France for anyone suffering from the same skin issues. Well tolerated by any skin, it manages to replace lost moisture without feeling sticky. Incredibly soothing and nourishing for any stressed, scaly skin from the neck down.
The multi-tasker
So popular this balm even has its own hashtag, not to mention a cult following in the form of editors, make-up artists and models who love the way this balm - originally developed to soothe sore nipples for breastfeeding mothers - soothes every bit of skin from chapped lips, sore noses and abrasions. It's also adored for the way it smoothes and soothes lips, but leaves behind a matte finish, so any lipstick that goes over the top stays true to colour.
The skin fix
Avène is actually a 'skin hospital' offered on France's equivalent of the NHS for patients suffering from psoriasis, eczema and skin conditions. Local natural springs were found to contain minerals that would soothe and even cure the above, and patients still go to stay at the skin spa for treatment. The Avène Thermal Spring is now infused in a range of sprays, creams and lotions to make up its skincare line, and it's good even if you simply suffer from sensitive skin. Model Manon Leloup told American Vogue, "There is still one cream that I have been using twice a week for a year: Avène Cicalfate, ￡7.50. It's a very heavy white cream that prepares and feeds your skin. It works on all types of skin, and I think it's one of the products that many models use. I have a friend who buys a lot of it when she is in France for the shows!”
The derms favourite
Every skin wardrobe needs some of La Roche-Posay on hand. It's designed with problematic skin in mind, and is the much-loved brand of French derms for quick-fire solutions to skin that's suddenly drying out, breaking out or stressing out. Eldridge recommends the Effaclar line, ￡9.50 for a starter kit, which is excellent for balancing out an oily, sensitised skin and deep cleaning stubborn, blocked pores.
The hair reviver
Klorane Oatmilk Gentle Dry Shampoo Spray, ￡8
Launched in the Eighties, this dry shampoo is the one that beauty editors would bulk buy on their Parisian travels to eke out the life of a blow-dry. The wonderful thing about this version is that the oatmilk, rice and corn starch base seems to soften hair, rather than creating that dry shampoo 'stiffness', and it doesn't leave behind a synthetic scent. A good version for sensitive scalps.
The bathing essential
Roget and Gallet Jean Marie Farina Soap, ￡15
One of France’s oldest perfume houses founded in 1862, this iconic brand (in particular the distinctive soaps) has become a fixture in many a French home. The oldest scent, Jean Marie Farina, is still part of the collection today, while the chic pleated silk paper and circular seal makes the neat little soaps a sophisticated addition to any bathroom.
The hair treatment
Leonor Greyl L’Huile de Leonor Greyl Pre-Shampoo Treatment, ￡29.50
Sophisticated hair oils are no longer a Parisian beauty secret. This oil (and it is an oil rather than a less oily pre-shampoo treatment) helps hydrate and protect hair from the effects of hard water, so those in the South East of England can rejoice. In an hour, hair can absorb 15% of its weight in coconut oil, so working along those lines, time yourself for a deep nourishing treatment (or you can either slather it on overnight). The glass bottle is heavy so it’s best left decorating your bathroom shelf.
The sleep inducer
Go Vital Magnesium B6 Supplements, ￡6.80
Magnesium supplements might be readily available in the UK, but there is something about these specific ones that makes them worth seeking out. Whether you're struggling to sleep or have a big project on at work, these magnesium B6 supplements help to reduce stress and anxiety, allowing you to drift off into a peaceful slumber. Urgo, or Go Vital as the brand is now known as, is notoriously tricky to source, unless you happen to find yourself in a French pharmacy, so it's worth stockpiling.
Solve the daily Crossword
