french pharmacy finds you've probably never heard of, part 1

I was lucky enough to be seconded to a university in Paris for my work and have therefore lived in Paris. I absolutely love the city (although it's not as romantic as everyone thinks--it's much more grimy and real, and once you accept that, it becomes even more magical).

One thing I learned while I lived there was that I am a huge fan of the French pharmacy. They are literally my happy place. I found when I lived there that there was a much stronger emphasis on skincare than on makeup, which I personally loved and appreciated. I've spent more time and money than I should probably admit wandering their aisles and chatting with the pharmacists.

You've probably all heard of the classic French pharmacy finds (if you haven't, would you all be interested in a post on those?), but I have discovered some great products that have managed to fly under the radar.

Secret French Pharmacy Finds

1) Klorane Nettle Sebo-Regulating Dry Shampoo: You've probably heard of the original Klorane Dry Shampoo, which became super popular when Gwyneth Paltrow and the folks and Goop included it in their list of favourite products. But you may not know that they do a version designed for greasy roots! This is hugely helpful, as I struggle with greasy hair, but find that my hair is so much healthier when I don't wash it every day. This little guy really packs a punch. I love the purse sized option for travelling (when I am even less likely to wash my hair because who has space to carry around their GHDs?).

2) Darphin Intral Redness Relief Soothing Serum: This. Stuff. Works. It works best on run of the mill redness, rather than on diagnosed rosacea. I used it before my rosacea was diagnosed, and while it didn't tackle any of my nastiest rosacea symptoms (acne & pustules), it did seriously knock back the background redness on my cheeks. This is most effective when used every day, at least once a day, if not twice. I saw results after 30 days. That may sound like a long time to wait for results, but with inflammatory issues such as redness, you're unlikely to see improvement any earlier than that. As you can see, this bottle is almost empty. It lasted about 3 months. It's a super light, runny texture and sinks it super quickly.

3) Sanoflore Aciana Botanica Gelée d'Huile Démaquillante: This is an all-natural face cleanser that removes makeup. It feels like a thick, jelly-oil when it comes out of the tube, and when massaged into the face and eyes, it turns into a thick sort of milk. It smells delicately and naturally floral. My sensitive skin loved this stuff and it's great at removing makeup. I use it first on dry skin, then wash it off. I then go in for a double cleanse and apply it to damp skin.

What are you favourite French pharmacy finds? Would you be interested in a part 2 of this list?