You do some pharmacy damage… It’s like an unspoken law that, whenever I (or just about any other beaty blogger for that matter) am in France, I feel this urge to plunder the biggest ‘pharmacie’ I come across on that trip. Sure, I need to show some restraint, otherwise my family travel budet is blown to pieces, so I draw up a ‘must have’ and a ‘would be nice to have’ list before, but it is a given that, whenever I am in France, even for a few hours, a local ‘pharmacie’ will be visited, and some hauling will be done. Here’s what I brought home this time:

Biafine, known and loved by everyone, is a lifesaver in my household. My sensitive skin yearns for a touch of this ointment whenever I react badly to another product, burn my self whilst cooking or even when I get sunburned. Another product that I repurchased for the gazillionth time is the La Roche-Posay Serozinc Spray, the simple formula of Zinc Sulphate, Sodium Chloride and the La Roche-Posay Thermal Water does it for me, every single time. Touches of redness and break outs waiting to burst through subside, and my skin tone eves out after a few spritzes. This 300 ml extra large version was still cheaper than the 150 ml here in Belgium, so this one came home with me as well…

 

The Embryolisse Crème Riche Hydratante is a cult classic, and a staple in my collection as well. To me, this is one of my one-stop hydration wonders, I lather it on when the temperatures drop, take it with me when I go swimming, after a day in the sun and so on. Truth be told, don’t expect it to excel in any other field than pure replenishing and hydration, so I’ll always combine it with a potent anti-ageing serum, but as a hydrator, top marks!
New in this haul are the Hei Poa Pure Tahiti Monoï Oil, Homeoplasmine and the Avène Gentle Exfoliating Gel. After having read so many raving words about the Hei Poa Pure Tahiti Monoï Oil and being in dire need for a scented body oil at that exact moment, my curiosity got the better of me, and the smaller, 100 ml bottle quickly got added to my basket as well? Do I regret buying it? Not even in the slightest! This oil smells utterly divine, absorps really easily, hydrates without feeling too greasy, and the texture is not too thick, so a little goes a long way. A few touches to the ends of my hair keeps them bouncy, and the scent has this way of embracing you each time you hair moves. The only downside is that the oil solidifies below 24°C, but nothing a few seconds under warm water can’t fix.

Homeoplasmine is another of those products everyone hauls whenever the cross the French borders, and it’s easy to see why. Touted as the best lip salve when winter comes around, this slightly greasy ointment also works wonders on your cuticles, irritated skin and rough skin patches. Avène, oh Avène… One of my favourite skin care brands since day one, Avène released the Avène Gentle Exfoliating Gel a while back, and my skin has been lapping it up ever since! Gentle enough not to aggravate or strip my sensitive skin but efficient in it’s exfoliating ways. After a few bad experiences with gel exfoliators, I had sworn them off completely and solely relied on my AHA chemical exfoliants, such as the Pixi Glow Tonic, but Avène lured me back in. And lured in I was, hook, line and sinker after testing this one. I emptied my first tube right before our trip to France, so it was a no brainer that this one was to be repurchased!

What are your favorites? What should I put on my list for my next trip? Let me know in the comments!