French pharmacy products
Plus, a book recommendation and a Lego flower shop.
French pharmacy beauty products you should actually buy
When I was a beauty editor, one of my favourite things to do during press trips to Paris was to slip out to a pharmacy, armed with a list of products to buy (Citypharma? A tourist destination in its own right!). I would get things like the Sanoflore rose floral water, a cinnamon-flavoured toothpaste, or a sunscreen that might never make its way here due to Health Canada regulations. Even though browsing was half the fun, knowing exactly what to get was even more satisfying. The thing is, even though there are dozens of articles, YouTube videos, TikToks, Instagram Reels and Reddit posts telling you what you should buy at a French pharmacy, you might end up getting things that are already available where you live (Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré, for example? You can easily pick that up at Shoppers Drug Mart).
Now that I’m no longer a beauty editor nor flying to Paris for work trips, I enlisted the help of someone who is very knowledgeable about what that good stuff is. Renée Reardin is a Paris-based beauty, fashion and wellness journalist who also has her own great newsletter called Curious Chat. Since being a beauty hunter is pretty much a job requirement, she knows about all the good French pharmacy products, and as a Torontonian, she also has the intel on what not to get. With that in mind, I asked her to share products you definitely should drop some euros on. Here are her top five picks, in her own words.
La Roche-Posay Lait Demaquilant
I know what you’re thinking—La Roche Posay is available in Canada!—but wait: this special product is only available in France, which is a shame because it’s my favourite in the brand’s line-up. It’s a milk cleanser, meaning it has a creamy consistency that’s super moisturizing, so it’s perfect for those of us with really dry skin. Plus, it removes makeup with just one swipe, cleansing skin with no rubbing necessary.
€16, laroche-posay.fr
Hexomédine Transcutaneous
Hexomédine is an antiseptic that helps eliminate bacteria on the surface of the skin, making it great for speeding up the recovery of some pimples (the itchy kind, not the under-the-skin cystic kind). It’s found behind-the-counter, so you’ll need to ask a pharmacist for it but no prescription is needed. Just tell them: J’ai un bouton, which means I have a pimple (the French have the cutest word for a pimple) and you’ll likely be recommended this bouton-sizzler.
€5, lasante.net
Saforelle Creme Apaisante Intime
According to a pharmacist I spoke to, every French woman has this product in her medicine cabinet. It’s a cream that soothes irritation, itchiness and razor burn particularly in the nether region, but can be used on skin pretty much anywhere. The star ingredient in the cream is burdock, a plant native to Europe and Asia, which helps calm and soothe hot and bothered skin.
€8, euro-pharmas.com
Boiron Homeoplasmine
This is a product you’ve probably seen before: Makeup artists often talk about it being in their arsenal and people-in-the-know like to drop that they have a tube of it somewhere. It’s a pommade by the homeopathy brand Boiron that can be used to heal and moisturize dry, irritated skin, but is particularly wonderful as a lip balm or around the nostrils when battling a cold. Bonus: It’s available in Canada under the product name Cicadermie.
$12, boiron.ca
Papier d’Arménie Carnet Rose
Made in Paris by a brand called Papier d’Arménie that’s been around since 1885, these little booklets are filled with strips of fragrant paper that can fill your home with one of three dreamy scents: Rose (my favourite—smells like the flower but even prettier, and was created by renowned French perfumer Francis Kurkdjian), Tradition (the brand’s oldest scent, which has notes of vanilla and balsamic), and Arménie (has notes of myrrh, sage, lavender and cedarwood, and was created with help from Francis Kurkdjian, too). To use, detach a strip, fold it into an accordion, place it on its edge on a heat-resistant dish, light it, and blow out the frame to let the ember burn the paper slowly. Available at the checkout counter at select pharmacies.
€5 for one pack, papierdarmenie.fr
One good read: A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
Tia Williams is an auto-buy author for me. Seven Days in June is one of my favourite books, and I was excited to read her latest, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde. The book is about 28-year-old Ricki Wilde, the youngest daughter in the Wilde family who leaves the family business in Atlanta and moves to Harlem to open her own flower shop. One February during a leap year, she meets a mysterious musician named Ezra Walker and the encounter sets off a series of events.
The book is a romance, but stretches outside what we’ve come to traditionally expect from the genre (especially with the dash of magical realism sprinkled in). It’s rich with detail and history, especially with its dual-timeline set in modern-day Harlem and the Harlem Renaissance. It’s also beautifully written with a life-affirming love story and the coolest nonagenarian brimming with main character energy.
A real-life Lego flower shop
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When I first started the newsletter, I wrote about the Lego Flower Bouquet. Since then, the brand has expanded its botanical collection with roses, cherry blossoms, succulents and more, and brought it to life via several pop-ups. Most recently, Lego hosted Le Florist, a bespoke flower shop in London for Valentine’s Day, where it stocked both real and Lego flowers. More of these delightful pop-ups, please!
Slowly savouring One Day and Ambika Mod’s performance in particular.
Moving to Japan and buying a farmhouse.
Six famous pancake recipes to try for a weekend breakfast.
Sexily ever after: how romance bookstores took over America.
I wish I had this list last time I was there! Saving for next year 🤞🏽
Thanks so much for asking me to share my recs!