French Beauty Products

There are a hundred blogs and pintrest boards on this topic and they all draw the same conclusions that I've seen recommended if you search the topic here. I've found many of the French products they recommend here in the US, at least two of the most popular are carried by Costco (Nuxe oil and Bioderma micellar water). You can get LA Roche Posay and Vichy easily here as well.
I'd be interested if anyone knows of anything that is not exported to the US. We plan to visit Buly for some unique gifts: https://www.buly1803.com. Even that is available for delivery though.

Go to Pinterest and Google….there are many posts on what you should buy in a French grocery store…..soap, sponges, etc. You will also see various women recommending products from the French pharmacies……have bought from them many times and they do seem to have an abundance of nice things that are not as costly as they are here in the states……I would recommend pricing, for instance, the Caudalie products at a store here in the states and then comparing when you get to France.

I forgot about Pinterest!!

Exactly, I have seen dozens of blog posts on this topic. Just do a little exploring.

And yes, the attraction is the lower prices from buying them here, as well as larger selection/broader range.

Homeoplasmine (pink cap) is a nipple cream that is used by bloggers. I bought it when I was there and use it for dry lips/ dry feet mainly. Great for winter (dry flakey) skin. It’s similar to a Vaseline but has some sort of healing properties. I also use it for a lip primer before lipstick. A little goes a long way.

They have a fantastic lotion called (blue and white tube) . It’s fantastic. You can also use it for a make up primer. I love how it doesn’t make me feel very great and a little goes a long way.

Bioderma Sensibio H20 (clear/ pink bottle) micellar water. Great to take off the most stubborn make up! Definitely better than what I’ve tried in the states, and I think they actually copied this brand. I’ve been rationing my last bottle until I make it back (less than 30 days! Eeek!)

Lastly, A313 (blue and white tube if I recall)
Copied from a website:

A313

"If you buy a tube of this in France, you'll have to tell the pharmacist you're using it for hemorrhoids. It is worth it. It's a low-dose Vitamin A or retinol that won't leave your skin flaky or irritated. It's an easy way to get the benefits of retinol—which include helping to smooth skin texture and refine pores—and it's very inexpensive (it's less than $10). I've used this on weird red spots that pop up on my face for no reason or to treat early pimples, and they're always gone by morning.

I tried it once. You cannot use it immediately after washing. I didn’t listen and my face was very itchy. I should have waited 30 mins. So I still have a tube in my cabinet😂

There’s some more I’ve read about but these are the ones I picked up.

I think I picked them up at a pharmacy with the lit up green cross on the outside (maybe near Republique metro?) but they’re sold everywhere. Tons of celebrities enjoy them.

Hope this helps!!

I usually go to Monoprix or the nearest pharmacie but the last two times that I was in Paris, I decided to go to Pharmacie Monge and City Pharma. Both were packed. It was especially noticeable how packed City Pharma was -- it was the busiest place that I went to on my most recent trip (September 2021). I am a bit of a beauty product junkie and apparently these two spots are the places to go. I love Caudalie Hydrating Mask and I can buy it for around $30 in California, but I wait until I can get to France to buy it because it is so much cheaper there. The same is true for their body scrub. I like the Yves Rocher Monoi Oil and their hair balm which my son uses on the ends of his shoulder length hair. My sister and I swear that the formula for the Sephora body butter that is available in France is different from and better than the one available here. I have no idea if that is true but it is what we think. I find things in the Sephoras in Paris that I do not see in the US. The packaging may be different or there are products from a brand that is available in the US but I have never seen the specific product in the US. I bring back beauty products as souvenirs for my nieces and none of them seem to care that the item could be found in the US. They just love that the gift is from Paris.

I would definitely would go to City Pharma! As someone else noted, it's a bit of a madhouse. But the prices are significantly lower than other pharmacies in France, not to mention the USA. The clerks there are super helpful and can suggest products just by looking at you!!! There are also loads of small gift items near the cash registers.

I did some impulse buying in the pharmacy around the corner from my hotel after they did my departure Covid Antigen test. There were some cute little samplers of Nuxe Miel with a hand cream and a lip balm. I got a bunch for presents as they were small, easy to pack and inexpensive. I've not looked for them here but to me they said "I was thinking about you in Paris", lol.

Interestingly I'd spotted them in the pharmacy window early in my trip and then later one of the hotels I was staying in had that line for their shampoo/body wash/hand lotion, etc. I liked it a lot as it just had a very mild scent so was happy when I got back to Paris and picked them up.

Pam, I have just bought this week some of those hand cream/lip balm combos (the ones I bought are Caudalie) for stocking stuffers - I think they are perfect !

I'm looking forward to stocking up on Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre (my fave face lotion)!

If you do go to City Pharma get there right when they open otherwise it is a mad house.
I stock up on:
La Roche Posay, especially their SPF face cream (it's the only one I found that does not feel like a heavy suncreen)
Klorane Dry Shampoo
Biafine which is a great all around lotion for cuts and burns
Vichey Aluminum Free deodorant.
Definitely have a list and I even printed out pictures to show the employees in case we could not communicate. City Pharma is always included in my itinerary and I found that the employees are really helpful if you ask for a suggestion. Once I get the things on my list I always find little treasures like a lip balm or make up.

It's a 2-storey madhouse, Kerouac2. Wear protective gear and bring a fan to cool off as you wait in line. Think of American football.

I haven't shopped for beauty products per se but I love Caudalie shampoo and always buy a tube or 2 to bring home with me.
I can only get it in the US through Amazon and it's almost twice the cost.
I think that most pharmacies carry it, and a few Monoprix.

I placed an order through Euro Pharmas. I order some of the items that previous posters have mentioned. They ship to the US and I believe they charged me $9 to ship. Very please with the whole ease of ordering from them. Check them out: https://euro-pharmas.com/en/

Bonne nuit!

We have a small CityPharma in my neighborhood that no tourists come to, yay. In fact I stopped by there tonight to pick up something for my sister-in-law. I was last there just a few days ago picking up stocking stuffers, too.

There’s also an ENORMOUS parapharmacy (also two stories) on the side street dividing two sides of Galeries Lafayette (the street is Chausée de l'Antin), just about a block down from the GL entrance/Haussmann.

Thanks for all the ideas!! Unfortunately I’m not in the Paris area, I’m in the Alsace region. No City Pharma for me 🥲

kerouac2- Thanks I will check out that Westfield place. I like the vibe of City Pharma and if I get there right when they open I have a pleasant experience, but that lasts for like 30 min then the chaos.

Thanks to everyone who contributed here. You gave me wonderful ideas, including the person who said she orders online.

We have a huge, overwhelming, chaotic para-pharmacy five minutes from our home in France. I really, really dislike going inside.

However, thanks to everyone here, today I was able to order online from this para-pharmacy many of the products you mentioned: Caudalie, Nuxe, stocking stuffers, Christmas gifts. My husband will walk over tomorrow to pick up the order. Easy-peasy. Great products. Good ideas. Merci les nanettes et kerouac2.