French Pharmacy Brand Skincare

Until a few years ago, the only two ways in which you could get your hands on products from brands such as Bioderma and La Roche-Posay were either to take a trip to France to stock up or pay extortionate prices on eBay. Thankfully French pharmacy skincare brands are considerably more accessible these days, and here at Luxplus we have a great selection of the brands you'd find in French pharmacies with very competitive prices, so you can indulge in French skincare whilst in the comfort of your own home. French Pharmacies are huge, with over 23,000 of them nationwide (one for every 3000 citizens) and they're described as being the ultimate beauty destination for skincare so for today's article, we've rounded up our favourite French Pharmacy Skincare brands and products.

La Roche-Posay are one of the most recognised French Pharmacy skincare brands with their very extensive product range which they've broken down into many smaller ranges to treat numerous skin condition. There are literally hundreds of different La Roche-Posay products to choose from which makes it very overwhelming when trying to decide what you'd like to try, but their many sub collections do make it a little easier when looking for something. From our range of La Roche-Posay products, we've hand selected two of our current favourites - one for the face, and one for the hair.

Dehydrated Skin – La Roche-Posay

The La Roche-Posay Hydraphase range is targeted towards those with dehydrated skin with products that have richer, more hydrating formulas which are also suitable for sensitive skin. The La Roche-Posay Hydraphase Intense Legere can be used by both men and women with very dehydrated, normal to combination skin. It has an extremely lightweight lotion consistency which feels almost as thin as water as it's massaged into the skin, leaving absolutely no residual texture on the skin's surface as it absorbs instantly and can be applied both morning and night.

The lotion is infused with hyaluronic acid fragments to instantly infuse moisture into the skin, and help maintain that hydration. It also contains the brand's trademark Thermal Spring Water to leave the skin intensely rehydrated, plumped with moisture and looking visibly smoother and more radiant. I've found that a lot of products which are designed for dehydrated skin typically  have very rich formulas which can feel a little cloying on the skin and can lead to breakouts. However the Hydraphase Intense Legere has an incredibly lightweight formula which doesn't leave my skin feeling suffocated, but it's still rich enough to infuse moisture into the skin and makes for the most perfect base for my makeup.

Anti-Dandruff Intensive Shampoo

French Pharmacy brands aren't just about the face, they're also about the scalp and recently I've been trialling the La Roche-Posay Kerium DS Anti-Dandruff Intensive Shampoo. My scalp is persistently dry which leaves it feeling itchy, tight and uncomfortable as well as being prone to dandruff. Dandruff really isn't very pleasant and I've tried endless shampoos and treatments over the counter and by prescription to try and remedy my scalp's condition but I'm yet to find a product which helps long term. The La Roche-Posay Kerium DS Anti-Dandruff Intensive Shampoo is described as a micro-exfoliating treatment shampoo to remove persistent dandruff and until now I'd never actually tried an exfoliating shampoo.

I swear by exfoliating toners on my skin so I thought that an exfoliating shampoo could be the way to go and I'd never tried any of the La Roche-Posay haircare range before. The shampoo is infused with LHA (Beta-Lipohydroxy Acid) which procures fine, intense micro-exfoliation to quickly eliminate persistent dandruff. It claims to have root targeting technology which places a purifying complex on the scalp and the pilosebaceous follicle to treat dandruff at its source and prevent relapses whilst Vitamin PP deeply relieves any itchiness. The shampoo boasts great claims with dandruff being visibly eliminated and itchiness neutralised from the very first use, and after six weeks the scalp should be free from dandruff completely.

If you've ever suffered from an itchy scalp and/or dandruff you'll be well aware how infuriating it can be especially when nothing works to stop the itchiness. This shampoo can be used twice a week for three weeks and needs to be softly massaged into the scalp and left to stand for several minutes before rinsing. Medicated shampoos rarely smell very pleasant especially if you've tried coal tar based treatments as the scent lingers within the hair but the La Roche-Posay Kerium DS Anti Dandruff Intensive Shampoo smells lovely in my opinion, with a clean powdery scent which doesn't smell at all medicinal. It also works well at thoroughly cleansing my hair, whereas quite a lot of dandruff shampoos don't feel like they actually wash the hair.

From the very first use I was extremely impressed by the massive reduction in the itchiness of my scalp, and the reduction of my dandruff which I really didn't expect as the claims on the boxes of anti-dandruff shampoos rarely deliver. I have to admit the bottle is quite small at just 125ml but it does lather well which I really appreciate as I have long, thick hair and you only have to use it twice a week so you'll definitely be able to see results within the bottle to decide whether or not you'd want to repurchase. I love how the shampoo doesn't smell awful, it actually cleans my hair, it remedies the uncontrollable itchiness and has reduced my dandruff in only a few uses so it's definitely a winner in my book, and a product I'd recommend trying if you also suffer with a problematic scalp.

Bioderma Hydrabio

Bioderma is one of the most popular French Pharmacy brands, and only recently was it introduced into UK stores but the prices are pretty hefty compared to what you'd pay in France. We have a great selection of Bioderma products which are all discounted for our members and I was particularly intrigued by the Bioderma Hydrabio Tonique Moisturising Toning Lotion. One of my absolute favourite skincare products is the Bioderma Hydrabio H2O Micelle Solution, and the Bioderma Hydrabio Tonique is from the same range so I knew it would be ideal for my sensitive, dry skin. The Hydrabio Tonique is a 'moisture generating toning lotion' which contains Aquagenium, a biological patent which retrains the skin to activate its natural moisturising capacities by stimulating the production of aquaporins, water channels in the skin, and retain the water it needs to be balanced.

I've always found the majority of toners to be rather drying on my skin, so the Bioderma Toning Solution is a very welcome addition to my skincare collection as it performs nicely as a toning step post-cleanse, but it doesn't leave my skin feeling dry. Instead the toner makes my skin feel moisturised and softened, as well as looking more hydrated as if I've just applied an intensively hydrating serum. It has a very gentle formula which can be used over the face, neck and eyes on a cotton pad and I really like how soothing it is on my skin especially if my skin's feeling particularly sensitive.

Anti-Blemish Care – Vichy 

We've raved about the Vichy Normaderm range a few times here on the LuxMagazine as the range is specifically designed for adults with blemish prone skin. Most blemish busting skincare products have quite harsh formulas which leave the skin feeling depleted of moisture, but the Normaderm products are effective at treating blemishes but are kind to the skin too. The Vichy Normaderm Beautifying Anti-Blemish Care is a powerful anti-blemish moisturiser which is proven to combat signs of imperfection and help the skin look more radiant and hydrated. The moisturiser contains airlicium which has the ability to disperse and absorb sebum, whilst LHA's (Salicylic Acid and Glycolic Acid) target oily skin, and lastly mattifying ingredients give a soft focus effect whilst reducing the appearance of pores.

This moisturiser is targeted towards all types of imperfection; blemishes, blackheads and breakouts as well as providing the skin with 24 hour hydration. I find that it's very rare to find a product which targets breakouts and offers hydration, as blemish busters tend to be rather drying on the skin but this really does both so it can be used daily to keep the skin hydrated and soft whilst helping to prevent potential breakouts due to the LHA's and airlicium.

NUXE Oil

I couldn't do a French Pharmacy Skincare Brand roundup without including the NUXE Prodigieux Precious Scented Shower Oil as it's one of my current beauty obsessions. The NUXE Prodigieux Shower Oil is infused within the iconic NUXE Huile Prodigieuse and contains 91.9% of ingredients of a natural origin. If you love the heavenly scent of the NUXE Huile Prodigieuse (the number one bestselling oil within French Pharmacies), you'll love the shower oil as it has the very same gorgeous fragrance and the fragrance lingers on the skin hours after using it too. The NUXE Shower Oil has a gel consistency with golden shimmer particles - but don't worry, the golden shimmer doesn't adhere to the skin so both men and women can use it without worrying about being left sparkly after use. My favourite way to use the shower gel is with a shower puff as it produces masses of divinely scented bubbles which thoroughly cleanse the skin whilst leaving it feeling silky soft and beautifully scented.

We would love to know your favourite French Pharmacy Skincare brand or product—Let us know in the comments below!