My Favorite Things - French Skincare Edition (May 2025)

I should add "my super heroes" to the title, because I am writing about the skin care products that I absolutely love and that really work for me. Some of them I have used for many years, and some are more recent additions to my routine, but all of them deliver reliable results.

My "superheroes"

The French Pharmacy

Many articles have been written about French pharmacies. Some of them in Paris have always huge lines of tourists who stock up on the most popular products that are more expensive, or unavailable in their home countries. I can confirm that for basically every French family the pharmacy is the place to go not only to fill a prescription, but to find the everyday cosmetics for everyone. To find a wide range of your favorite brands, make sure you are in a larger city, and the pharmacy focuses not just on dispensing medication, but is also what is called here a "parapharmacie".

French women take the care of their skin very seriously. I think from a very young age they have their cleansing and nourishing routines. I see women my age with youthful complexions, which can be attributed to good nutrition, good skincare routine, or just a general "joie de vivre".

That is not to say that cosmetic surgery, Botox and fillers do not exist in France. They do. As well as laser treatments, and all the latest ways to plump, erase, lift, etc. Women here take their skin care routines very seriously, and believe that everything starts from having a well nourished, taken care of, skin. Everything else is an addition. I still see beautiful women, young and older, who don't seem to be wearing any makeup (if they do, it's very discreet, and if they had any "work" done, it is hard to guess).

My dermatologist asks me at my annual visit what are my more aesthetic concerns, and makes me a list of some pharmacy products, be it from La Roche-Posay, or Avène, or others, that she can recommend, and that will be right for me, for my almost sixty years old sensitive skin. This is how I discovered my favorites. Here they are!

Bioderma Eau Micellaire

I only started using this product after my dermatologist recommended it. It made a huge difference in how my skin feels - clean, refreshed, but not tight. She actually mentioned that I should avoid using tap water on my face altogether, but I can't go that far. I use this product to remove make-up, and many times to wash it after a workout.

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermo-Nettoyant

Wonderful for washing your face, a little drop suffices. Goes on creamy, gently, has no aroma, washes off easily. Very soothing, especially for the easily irritated skins.

Avène Eau Thermale

I started using it in the USA, and continue to this day. I spray it on my face before I apply my day cream. I spray it on when I need to touch up my make-up. I love it on a hot day when I need just a light mist of water on my skin. The water comes from a natural mineral spring and has beneficial health properties recognized by the National Academy of Medicine.

Bioderma Atoderm Intensive Eye

I have not found a better product for eye makeup removal. I put a drop of it on a cotton round to take off all the gunk at the end of the day. It's creamy, goes on easily, non-irritating. If you use waterproof formulas a different product maybe needed.

Laino Eau de Bleuet

A gentle water based product I use for eye compresses in the morning. It helps to depuff them. Also great during an allergy season.

La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Yeux

I love this eye cream as my skin can easily get irritated. If you have allergies that irritate your eyes, especially in spring and summer many of us do, this is something to try.

La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Riche

This is for the night on my face. Very moisturizing, gentle, rich. Doesn't clog pores.

Avène Cold Cream

People who love being outdoors when it's cold will love this one. When I go for a walk and it's cold, windy, wintry, I want to protect my face, so I put a thin layer of this cold cream. Contains white bees wax, perfect for when the weather is dry, and you don't want to get broken capillaries.

Caudalie Deodorant Stick

Without aluminum, alcohol, contains eucalyptus and grapes, smells so fresh - and gets the job done! Plus I love the packaging.

Caudalie Vinosun Protect

This brand has many products to protect from the sun, and I always choose SPF 50. I use it for my body. For the face I have something else, by Clarins, another great French brand.

CLARINS

It is such a well known, loved, and reliable brand. It has a huge range of products, but the knowledgeable reps at the counter will explain what is what and which potions will target your skin concerns. I used to use more of the products from the Clarins line (they do have a wonderful fidelity program, Club Clarins by the way), but now I am down to two. Their Multiprotection Moisturizing Screen SPF50 is the best sunblock for my face that I have even tried (and I have tried a lot of them). It has no scent, absorbs right away, and you can apply make-up immediately over it. The other Clarins product that I love is their Lotus Treatment Oil. It is wonderful for massaging your face, or you can add a tiny drop to another product to make it richer.

Augustinus Bader

The brand was founded in London in 2018, so it is not exactly French, but I had to mention it here. Generally I am sceptical of new "miracle" skin potions that are supposed to perform miracles, but I received a sample of the Rich Cream a couple years ago and that was it. It is pricey, but I do not need a serum to go with it, and it is the best I have ever used. I justify the expense by saying that I don't color my hair anymore... And for ladies who maybe allergic to lipstick (as I am, sigh), the brand collaborated with Sofia Coppola to release three shades of tinted balm. Another win.

Next edition of "My Favorite Things" is coming next month!

***I am not affiliated nor do I get compensated by the brands I mention***