What to buy in French pharmacies

[Pansypath]

We are going to France and 14yo dd is most excited about.... nope, none of the sights. She wants to go shopping in French pharmacies.

Any tips on what products are cheaper or more exciting in France?

(for clarity, it's skincare and cosmetics, not medicines!)

The yellow bite cream. I have no idea what it’s name is but as a gardener I can tell you it’s the only thing which actually works!

I have held on to my bedraggled tube for the past 10 years!

I honestly find French pharmacies quite boring! To me they seem to be quite old fashioned and not easy to navigate like a dept store style where skin care and perfume is on display. Perhaps that's just the ones I have been in though!

Yeah I think she must have seen a tiktok video or something in supermarket beauty aisles or maybe if there is some kind of Boots equivalent?

I think Citipharma is the popular one on TikTok.

Doesn’t your dd have an idea of what she wants to buy and the ability to price comparison before the trip?

This, there are plenty of videos on social media about must haves. I’d ask her to compile a list of image pics on her phone of the stuff she wants, and also their prices in UK if available here.
The good beauty pharmacies (in Paris, at least) can be v crowded with shelves full of products and overwhelming, so she really needs to have an idea of what she wants!

Pharmacie du Forum Des Halles looks like a more pleasant shopping experience compared to City Pharma

La Roche Posay has great skincare for teens - and mums- and it’s much cheaper in France. We like the Toleraine cream cleanser and the teens like one of the moisturisers.

Middle girl also loves Fragonard perfumes which they sometimes stock. Also Roger & Gallett fragrances.

A lot of the videos that I’ve seen have Americans commenting on prices being cheaper than the US so I have no clue what the UK markup might be. It seems to be brands that you can get in Boots plus a couple of things that I’ve not seen like Biafine and A45

Hope you’ve got checked in luggage as obviously very limited in terms of what toiletries you can bring back otherwise

I stock up on toiletries in Carrefour, Petit Olivier stuff and Marseille soaps are cheaper there. Also, Eau Jeaune fragrances, there's a citrus one that's great in the summer.

We do. By train! But she has to be able to carry the weight.

I like this myself - the spf for face is lovely.

I can spend hours in the pharmacies, I love looking at all the interesting medication for things like heavy legs!

For teens:
Nuxe honey lip oil
La rosee stick solaire (handy spf 50 to keep in your handbag)
Hydrating water mists with glycerin to spray on your face when it is hot (various brands)
Klorane dry shampoo
Erborian bb cream

Other useful buys:
Homeoplasmine cream - useful for dry patches or small skin irritations

They do bumper bottles of bubble bath/shower oil - I like the roge cavailles surgras bubble bath

If you ever get mouth ulcers their gels always seem to work quicker than bonjela. I've tried a few different brands e.g. GUM.

Do you mean for insect bites? If so, I’ve always found Anthisan very effective - I never go away without it. Just about every UK pharmacy stocks it.

Cicalfate + cream is amazing, from scars to acne through burns and mild skin irritations

I get Doliprane. You are actually treated like an adult in pharmacies and can buy more than one pack. Probably not the kind of recommendation your DD is after though!

I buy Savon de Marseilles. Brilliant soap and cheaper in supermarkets

Great list thank you x

Yes for bites. No Anthisan really is weak. All the UK ones are.

I need to dig it out actually as going to France next month so can search for a restock.

Let me know name if you find it @Fruitytutti223

I think it's Apaisyl, there's a powerful anti - histamin in it. :)

Just remembered - might be a chance of claiming a bit of money back if you and DD do a particularly large haul. Of course, you’d have to ‘make the purchase’ as she’s a minor, but if the total in one transaction is over 100€ I believe it’s valid.

I don't have any recommendations but I'm pleased to se a thread where leisure shopping on holiday is a thing. I'm the only female in our household and if I ever want to shop on holiday and the boys are with me it is so difficult. On a recent trip to Japan, I pointed out that they actually have proper department stores. There was sooo much moaning about me looking at shoes 🤣

When in France I've bought:

Avene Cicalfate cream - brilliant. Also highly rate the Cicalfate lip balm which was recommended to us by a Greek pharmacist when I got really dry lips on holiday last year.

Klorane Cornflower eye make up remover. I put it in the fridge and love it for soothing sore eyes, particularly in hay fever season.

Caudalie skincare - cheaper than the UK

Also stock up in Carrefour on Le Petit Marsellais shower cream, body lotion, soaps and hair mask/conditioner (in a pot).

La Roche posay is cheaper in Spain too I’ve got a huge dispenser of body cream for €22