French Pharmacy Skincare- Worth the Hype?

 Some of the haul!

French skincare products are known for their no nonsense, targeted and effective approach.  Being a skincare product junkie, I knew I had to get my hands on some French products on our trip this summer.  Before the trip, I did a little research into the "top pharmacy must haves" so I would know what to focus on when I was finally there.  I discovered that basically everyone had the same things on their list.  The top ten, in no particular order were:



1. Avibon (pomade for scars, wrinkles and dry skin)
2. Bioderma Sensibio H2O (micelle solution makeup remover)
3. Avène Eau Thermal (thermal water spray)
4. Embryolisse Lait-Créme Concentrate (heavy facial moisturizer)
5. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse (body and hair oil)
6. Nuxe Rêve de Miel (lip balm)
7. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo (pore refiner)
8. Caudalie Eau de Beauté (facial spray)
9. Homeoplasmine (pomade for dry skin)
10. Klorane products (dry shampoo, shampoo)

With this list in mind, I went into the pharmacy, more than a few times, to comparison shop and just feast my eyes on the multitude of skin care products.  Eager to part with my money for the promise of amazing results, I did purchase some of the things on the list, but found a few other products as well.  Over the next few posts, I will share my thoughts on the products that I actually ended up buying:

1. Bioderma Crealine H20 dermatological wipes (makeup remover)
2. Homeoplasmine
3. Avène Eau Thermal
4. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo
5. La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.I.
6. Caudalie Vinoperfect Enzymatic Peel Mask
7. Klorane Nourishing Treatment Conditioner with Mango Butter
8. Nuxe Rêve de Miel
9. Bioderma Sébium Mat (anti-shine fluid)
10. Erborian BB Cream (Light, Original Formula)

Here are a few reasons why I didn't purchase some of the things on my original list:

-Avibon: everywhere I went, they were sold out and waiting for the next shipment (I visited 6 different cities in France).  It seems that there is a shortage of Avibon all over France (the French are probably thinking: damn tourists buying all our Avibon!) If you don't know already, Gwyneth Paltrow raved on her blog about the effectiveness of this product, which spurred a worldwide buying frenzy.  I was hoping to buy this product to fade old scars from previous blemishes.  

-Embryolisse Lait-Créme Concentrate: just did not seem to make sense for my combination oily skin.  This product claims to moisturize as well as double as a makeup remover.  After further research, I also discovered it contains mineral oil which not only sounded too heavy, but would irritate my sensitive skin.

-Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse: the main reason why I didn't purchase this product was the fact that I already love my Caudalie Divine Oil.  The scent of the Nuxe oil was not as appealing as the Caudalie Divine Oil and I figured there wouldn't be much of a difference in the effectiveness of the two oils, since the reviews I have seen showed they were both very highly rated.

-Caudalie Eau de Beauté: is something that I still want to try, but ended up not getting since I got the Avène thermal water first.  I didn't want to travel and carry around two of the same types of products.  Caudalie is readily accessible in Canada, so I can already see myself trying this out in the near future.

Which product would you like me to review?  What are your favourite French pharmacy finds?