French pharmacy products have developed a cult following around the world. I developed an interest in French pharmacy products about fifteen years ago, when I realized they were comparable in price to the products being sold back home in Canada, but they were so much more effective.
Today, my bathroom is full of French pharmacy products that I pick up on every trip to Europe. I love re-purchasing my old favorites (most of which are on this list) as well as trying out new French pharmacy products (especially ones with cutting-edge formulations or really amazing fragrances!).
Most of these products can be found at any French pharmacy. However, the most famous French pharmacy is undoubtedly CityPharma, at 26 Rue du Four (near the Saint-German-des-Pres metro station) in Paris. CityPharma is the most famous pharmacy in Paris, known for having a huge selection of products and prices that are, sometimes, slightly lower than other pharmacies.
CityPharma gets so busy that you might think you accidentally stumbled into the queue for the Mona Lisa; you should consider going right when they open to beat the crowds. Otherwise, these products are widely available at pharmacies all across France, so if you’re ending your trip in a city other than Paris, feel free to do your beauty shopping at the end of your trip (that’s what I did!).
⭐ New! My Top 10, unmissable Paris tours, excursions and activities are now available in one list here. ⭐
My Favorite French Pharmacy Products
1. Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water
This one has a different name in France than abroad. In France, they use “Crealine” in the brand name, while in international markets they use “Sensibio”. The two products are the same: a gentle cleanser formulated with special molecules that attract and loosen dirt, oil and makeup.
You can use Bioderma’s micellar water on its own in the morning, to refresh your face after sleeping, or you can use it as the first step of a double-cleanse routine in the evening. Bioderma’s formula, in the pink bottle, is the OG micellar water and it’s my favorite.
It’s almost four times more expensive in Canada than in France, so I always stock up when I’m at a French pharmacy. On my most recent trip, I bought a 250 ml bottle to use while I was in France, and brought home an extra 500 ml bottle in my suitcase.
Note: Throughout this post I will quote the prices for the products at City Pharma in Paris (when possible). However, some of my photos might show other prices, as I was trying to be discreet with my photography and sometimes took the pictures at other French pharmacies!
Price in Paris: €15.99 for 2 x 500 ml (1 liter total) at City Pharma
Price in Canada: $13.99 CAD for 250 ml (€10).
2. Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré Moisturizer
This is the moisturizer I reach for most often during dry Canadian winters, and it’s so much cheaper to stock up on this at a French pharmacy. This is a must-buy for anyone living in a very cold, dry climate!
Possibly too heavy for the oiliest skin, this has worked wonderfully for me for years, as I’ve aged from combination skin to normal skin to slightly-dry skin. In the morning, I apply my serums and then mix a drop of foundation in with this thick white cream. At night, I apply it to my clean face and then lock it in with Vaseline (or the next item on the list!).
Price in Paris: €13.90 for 75 ml at City Pharma
Price in Canada: $39 CAD for 75 ml (€28)
3. Homeoplasmine Skincare Ointment
I asked two French pharmacists whether or not Boiron’s Homeoplasmine is homeopathic, and they disagreed on the answer. While it is produced by the world’s largest manufacturer of homeopathic “remedies” (yeah, they’re not real), and while it does contain some homeopathic ingredients like tinctures of marigold and benzoin, most people believe that’s all secondary to the actual beneficial effects of the boric acid suspended in the base of petroleum jelly.
In other words, Homeoplasmine is fancy French Vaseline in a squeeze tube. And that’s how I use it – for locking in moisture when my skin gets dry. I use it on my lips year-round, on cracked knuckles in the winter, and when I’m slugging my other skincare products.
Price in Paris: €4.46 for 40 grams at City Pharma
Price in Canada: Sold by the brand under the name “Cicadermine” for $11.89 + $8 shipping (€15.40).
4. A313 Vitamin A Cream
This French pharmacy product was my introduction to retinoids, a family of powerful anti-aging skincare products. Made from synthetic Vitamin A suspended in a unique blend of carrier oils, A313 exfoliates, fights wrinkles, improves skin tone and even fights acne.
A little goes a long way with this one! I remember the first time I used it I applied a pea-sized amount to my face before bed and woke up in the middle of the night feeling like my face was on fire. You can avoid the same fate by using a very small quantity and building your way up to daily use (consider starting by applying it just twice a week). If that’s still too tingly, you can try mixing a little bit in with a more gentle moisturizer (like Embryolisse) and applying it at that diluted strength.
Price in Paris: €5.99 for 50 grams at City Pharma
Price in Canada: Not sold in stores. Available online from a questionable website in the USA for $29.99 US with free shipping ($38 CAD or €27).
5. Biafine Emulsion Lotion
I think we need to get a dermatologist up in here to explain this French pharmacy product. Biafine comes in a huge white tube. Inside there’s a fairly lightweight white cream with a slightly medicinal scent. What is this stuff?
Well, officially it’s a water-based burn cream that is designed to lock in moisture and promote skin healing by creating a protective barrier. It contains an ingredient called trolamine, which can also reduce pain and inflammation.
Historically, Biafine was mostly used by French families as a sunburn remedy. Recently, this cream has been used for purposes beyond first aid, by men and women looking for a product to add moisture to their faces and lock in their other skincare ingredients overnight. I love using it on any dry, irritated or scraped skin on my body (I find the scent too strong for my face).
Price in Paris: €5.38 for 186 grams at City Pharma
Price in Canada: Not sold in stores. Available online for $29.89 + $5.04 shipping (€25).
6. La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5
My introduction to cica, or centella asiatica, was through Laniege’s Cica Sleeping Mask, an intensive overnight treatment that soothes irritated skin and restores any damage to your natural moisture barrier. However, it’s a pricey product ($45 CAD for 60 ml), so I was really excited to discover La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast Baume B5, which contains the same skin-friendly ingredient for a fraction of the price. I use this cream whenever my skin is feeling dry, irritated or unusually sensitive.
Price in Paris: €5.95 for 40 ml.
Price in Canada: $16.50 for 40 ml (€11.80).
7. Le Petit Marseillais Douche Crème Lait d’amande douce (Sweet Almond Milk Body Wash)
In my opinion this is the world’s best-smelling body wash, and you can find it for as little as €1 when French pharmacies put this line on sale. It’s nothing fancy and the ingredients are nothing out of the ordinary (I mean, what do you expect for one euro?) but the smell of the Sweet Almond Milk instantly transports me to summer in the Mediterranean.
I’ve tried other scents from Le Petit Marseillais and none compare to the Sweet Almond Milk formulation, so hold off on purchasing until you find the right one.
Note: In 2024, I was in Paris for a very short trip. I wasn’t able to find this body wash in the normal green packaging, but I did find the same scent in an organic version in a white bottle. The pharmacy I visited only sold the large, “economical” bottle, which is about twice the size shown (but for much less than twice the price!).
Price in Paris: €1.48 for 250 ml at Carrefour.
Price in Canada: Not available.
8. Avène Solaire Very High Protection Sunscreen
European sunscreens (along with Asian sunscreens) are usually much better than their North American counterparts. The EU has approved more, newer and better sun protection ingredients, meaning that sunscreens sold in Europe have the best-available, most effective formulations.
I get most of my sunscreen recommendations from Dr. Dray, a US-based, board-certified dermatologist with a great YouTube channel (she has 1.5 million followers!). She recommended an Avène sunscreen in an orange tube, which I believe was this Avène Solaire Very High Protection sunscreen. It has a high SPF rating, an invisible finish, and lasting power that keeps it from melting into your eyes on a hot afternoon.
Price in Paris: €15.89 for 250 ml
Price in Canada: $30.50 CAD for 250 ml (€22)
9. Nuxe Prodigieux Le Parfum
I am not a fan of the original Huile Prodigieuse dry body oil made by Nuxe, even though the brand proudly claims it’s the best-selling oil in France (and even though I have a bottle). However, I’m obsessed with its fragrance, which is why I immediately ran to the nearest French pharmacy when Nuxe released a perfume in the iconic blend of vanilla, magnolia and orange blossom (and pebbles, apparently, if you take Fragrantica at face value).
This is one of my favorite hot-weather scents and I pack it on every summer getaway. I have used up one 30-ml bottle and recently repurchased a second 50-ml bottle.
Price in Paris: €34.90 for 50 ml at City Pharma
Price in Canada: $70 for 50 ml (€50)
⭐ If you’re interested in perfume, check out my new guide to the best niche perfume shops in Paris! ⭐
10. Uriage Xémose – Calming Cleansing Oil
This is a new addition to my list of French pharmacy favorites! I discovered Uriage Xémose Calming Cleansing Oil on my most recent trip to France. Be careful when you’re shopping for this one, as there is an older (and cheaper) formula that looks similar, but doesn’t have the blue “Xémose” band across the bottle (and it has a different formulation).
I think this is the perfect body wash. The oil-based formula is non-drying, super-moisturizing and without any noticeable scent. If you’re showering multiple times a day (for example, in the morning and then later in the day after the beach) this never leaves your skin feeling tight or dry.
I went through two carry-on sized bottles of the body wash during my recent trip. Since it is available in Canada, I decided to buy a one-liter bottle upon my return, rather than risk having a liter of oil leak in my suitcase on the return flight.
Price in Paris: €15.89 for one liter at City Pharma
Price in Canada: $26 (€20) for one liter
French Pharmacy Products I Never Buy
1. Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lip Balm
This popular French pharmacy lip balm has never agreed with me. Its main ingredient is beeswax, and it also contains citrus essential oils. Separately, at high concentrations they both irritate my lips. Together, my lips are left raw and peeling. If you’re not sensitive to these ingredients then you’ll probably like this balm, which has a strong honey scent.
2. Caudelie Eau de Beaute (Beauty Elixir) Facial Mist
Again, I know this product is super-popular, but I don’t believe that the essential oils in this facial mist would do me any favors. According to the brand’s official English website it contains peppermint oil, rosemary essential oil and lemon balm essential oil. In fact, they even acknowledge that these essential oils can make your skin more photosensitive and recommend the product not be used before sun exposure.
3. Anti-Cellulite Body Lotions
I don’t believe that a body lotion or body cream can cure cellulite. Fortunately, I don’t have enough cellulite for it to be something that I think about often, but even if I did have a lot of cellulite I don’t think topical products are the solution. Most dermatologists agree that these creams and lotions “work” by temporarily hydrating and moisturizing the skin, hiding the appearance of cellulite (but not treating the underlying issue). I’m confident that a $5 bottle of regular body lotion can achieve the same effect.
4. Klorane Dry Shampoo
Klorane used to be the name in dry shampoos. Their classic dry shampoo is made with oat milk, while their newer formulas include ingredients like flax, “aquatic mint” and nettle. There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of Klorane’s dry shampoo, but I think there are better, more innovative products available on the market today.
I’m a brunette, so I love the Batiste “Divine Dark” and “Beautiful Brunette” tinted formulas (it doesn’t hurt that they smell like chocolate!). More recently, I received a sample of Nioxin’s “instant fullness dry cleaner” and I’m already hooked on the immediate volume and texture boost I get from just one little spritz.
5. Weird French Homeopathic Shit
Homeopathy is not naturopathy! I am not opposed to natural remedies! I am opposed to homeopathy, a debunked pseudoscientific theory based on the idea that the more you dilute something, the more powerful it becomes. French pharmacies tend to be full of homeopathic remedies, none of which are scientifically proven to actually do anything. If we’re just going to make up pretend scientific facts, I would rather live by the theory that wine and chocolate are the fountain of youth.
If you’re traveling to Paris with an interest in health and beauty, I’ve got you covered! Check out my review of a custom perfume-making workshop in Paris, and my tips for eating healthy in Paris (and beyond!).
Do you have any favorite French pharmacy products? Let me know in the comments!
Planning a trip to France? Pin this post for later!
 |
 |