Some of the best skincare I own came from a farmacia counter, not a luxury beauty floor. European pharmacy brands focus on barrier support, tolerance, and textures you actually want to use every day. Living in Madrid gives me a front-row seat. Sadly, many of the winners are sold only in Europe. So I tell you which ones are worth tracking down on your next trip abroad.
This is where I review all of it: French, Spanish, German, and Italian pharmacy staples, cult classics, and the hidden gems that rarely make it to the US.
New to European pharmacy skincare? Start with the finds you can’t easily get in the US.
Curious how formulas change across borders? See why NIVEA Creme made in Germany is better than the US version.
The one beauty category that needs no best-of debate? Dry shampoo. There are more than a few options from drugstore to prestige, but nothing beats Klorane, the French pharmacy cult favorite. It’s so good that the original formula is available…
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A for Avène, B for Bioderma, C for Caudalie… Picked up on a pattern yet? While I cannot speak French to save my life, I know my ABCs of French pharmacy. Clean but far from sterile, these chic ‘drugstores’ carry…
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Sometimes cruel, Eczema affects 30 million Americans. Since beauty starts with tolerance and acceptance, it is important to educate ourselves about this incurable condition and ways to manage it. October is Eczema Awareness Month and thanks to Avène, you will…
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Fall, 2016 research trip: two weeks, four countries, three large suitcases. I am back with enough new and exciting skin, hair and makeup gems to cheer me up each day during the upcoming miserably cold time of year. Still very…
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There is a chance you may not yet have heard of Avène Tolérance Extrême. Unless, of course, if you’re European. The French pharmacy favorite is finally bringing this incredible range Stateside and everybody with dry, sensitive or temperamental skin is…
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What better way to test an eye cream than to travel with it? The brand new Klorane BB Eye Cream was the first in my suitcase when I packed for London last week. Complementing the ever popular Smoothing and Relaxing…
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Expanding its physician strength anti-aging line up, Avène launched RétrinAL Advanced Wrinkle Corrector this month proving that there is no need to disrupt your existing skincare routine to address even the most pronounced fine lines and wrinkles. The brand new…
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The first time a tin of NIVEA Men Creme popped up on my social media feed, I blinked extra hard to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. Initial reaction: NIVEA and I go way back. For those of you whom I…
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