Which Cosmetics To Buy In France? A List Of Affordable And Mostly Natural Products.





  I love shopping for cosmetics in other countries! Before my trip to France, I researched a lot and made a list of great, mostly natural and affordable cosmetics that everyone seemed to recommend. On the spot I found a couple more interesting products. Here is a list of stuff to look for on your trip to France, or ask a friend or family member to bring you:


You can find many interesting ones in France, for affordable prices. From example the Camomile Hydrolate from Sica Biotope (Biocoop). A guy in a Provençal market sold very interesting self-made hydrolates, unfortunately only in 1 litre bottles so I didn't buy any.
Agrile is the leading brand for clays. You can buy pure clays, clay masques, and all kind of other products with clays in them. Even natural clay kitty litter.
Soaps:
Aleppo soaps are great for cleansing the face. If you have oily skin with impurities, go for ones with 34-45% laurel oil, for other types of skin try ones with less. Soaps with white Argile clays are great for thorough but gentle cleansing. Savon Noir (black soap) from Morocco is also very interesting (cheers Johanna). Then you can get the traditional Savon De Marseille soaps in just about any scent you can imagine (and a couple you never imagined).
Drugstore products:
Effaclar K (with BHA) from La Roche-Posay.
Bioderma Sensibio Micellar cleanser.
Homeoplasmine (homeopathic skin ointment) of Goop fame. (cheap)
Avene Thermal Spring Water mist (a tad pricey, there is also a cheaper thermal water available at Monoprix, I can't remember the name).




Other brands and products:
Couleur Caramel (makeup).
Florame (especially the stick foundation and the under-eye concealer.
Une Beaute (especially the Sunscreen, cream blushes and Green Pride Mascara).
Cattier, especially their micellar solution (organic yet more affordable than any other micellar cleanser I know) and their clay scrubs.
Melvita is a nice organic brand, a tad pricier than Cattier.
Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat milk (I found it at Monoprix, and it even comes in tiny travel size).
Hair gel biopha nature (cheap).
Brushes from Real Techniques.
Les Fleurs de Bach gommage.
Bust-firming creams -- the French really like those.
Sephora: Baguette de 3 pinceaux yeux brush -- practical brush for travelling.
Pschitt Magique cleanser with enzymes, a tad pricey (Sephora)
Kessa exfoliating glove -- in Moroccan or Algerian stores. Soft but really thorough exfoliation.
Oudh, the perfume of the middle east.




Where to buy: 
Organic stores carry many of the natural brands I mentioned above and more, along with good organic brands from Germany like Dr. Hauschka, Weleda, Logona or Lavera.
Stores with products from the Provence carry soaps and everything lavender. Moroccan / Algerian stores have interesting African products, including Kessa gloves, affordable Argan oil, Aleppo and black soaps and Oudh.
Marches (open-air markets) in villages in Provence carry soaps, and sometimes interesting herbs, cosmetics and hydrolates.
In Paris, check out Mademoiselle Bio, Naturalia, Biocoop.

   If in Marseilles, be sure to check out the Herboristerie Du Pere Blaize at the 4 and 6 Rue Meolan (near the old port). You can also check out their site, they ship worldwide. My host had some amazing oil mixes from them, like the bust-firming oil above (ingredients: carrot oil, rosemary, geranium, ylang-ylang, daisy oil, apricot seed oil). Unfortunately I didn't get the time to check the store out.
     The Cattier micellar solution and the clay scrub I bought in Germany but included here since they are actually French products. I will be reviewing in detail a couple of other things I bought.

   Let me know which French products you use, or which ones you'd love to try out!




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