Rest assured, this is – most emphatically – not yet another feature, or indeed yet another book, based on some sort of fantasy about how a small proportion of France’s population live their lives. As anyone who’s travelled beyond Paris’ sixth arrondissement will know, French people come in all shapes, sizes and social classes. It’s a nonsense to claim, as several books published in recent years would have us think, that French Women Don’t Get Fat, French Children Don’t Throw Food, even simply that we would all benefit from knowing How to be French. That said, in beauty circles it is pretty much a truth universally acknowledged that French pharmacies stock some of the best skincare available – and often at extremely affordable prices.
Check out any online beauty chat forum and you’ll find multiple posts extolling the virtues of a typical French pharmacy. If hopping on Eurostar isn’t on the cards at the mo, you could always take a quick trip to London to browse the shelves of The French Pharmacy on New Cavendish Street where the award-winning Dr Marine Vincent has faithfully recreated a traditional French store, complete with trained pharmacists to offer advice, treatments and an extensive range of the best in skincare. And if that’s still too far, their excellent website is well stocked with both big brand names and if-you-know-you-know industry favourites just waiting to be discovered.
Little wonder that Dr Marine has been approached by Bloomsbury Publishing to put her expert pen to paper and share her beauty knowledge in a new book, The French Skincare Bible. I went along to the book launch, for which the guestlist was a who’s who of beauty experts and insiders.
In person, Dr Marine is polished, personable, pragmatic, and passionate about the essential role to be played by a good local pharmacy. She explained that, in her home country, pharmacies are privately owned by fully trained and qualified professionals, and don’t simply exist to fulfil prescriptions or sell a few products. Her deep understanding and appreciation for these stores is rooted in the understanding that across France (not just in the swanky city centres) local pharmacies form a vital part of community healthcare. Owners develop longstanding relationships with their regular customers and are therefore more attuned to both their skincare and their general health needs.
Dr Marine gained her Doctorate in Pharmacy at the highly prestigious University Claude Bernard in Lyon and has been based in the UK since 2006. After registering with the General Pharmaceutical Council she has gone on to become an authoritative voice on all things skin, health and beauty.
The book starts with the history of pharmacies in France before going on to explain the science that underpins her philosophy; the importance of learning the biology of your own skin. It explores the intrinsic and extrinsic factors which impact on our skin health; has useful guidance on how much product we should be using, how often and when; plus recommendations, tips and hacks for any and all different skin types, conditions and concerns.
There’s a chapter on the holistic approach to skincare which explains the rituals deeply embedded in French culture, followed by a comprehensive ingredient guide – if you’ve ever wondered exactly what squalane is, or pondered the difference between marine and bovine collagen you’ll need to bookmark this goldmine. Throughout the book you’ll find Mes Chouchous (or Some of my favourites); Dr Marine’s personal product recommendations. Too many to list in full here, so instead I’ll share her three desert island essentials: a facial water spray, an SPF, and a healing Cica cream – the ‘Swiss Army knife of French skincare’.
So what typifies the French approach? Simplicity. In Dr Marine’s words, customers in France crave simplicity and easy products which are quick to use and relatively inexpensive (“there’s no need to spend a lot”). Above all, it’s about preventing – and sometimes repairing – the skin’s barrier. Then, “fall in love with your product”, Dr Marine advises. “After removing your bra, a little moment to yourself [to focus on skincare] is the best part of the day”. Consistency is key – after all this is ‘l’art de vivre’.
Bestsellers from thefrenchpharmacy.co:
Bioderma Sensibio – the iconic micellar water and kind to all skin types, £7
A313 Cosmetic Cream Pomade is a pharmaceutical-grade, gentle vitamin A ointment to support skin renewal, £24.90
Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF50 as recommended by 9/10 dermatologists, £21
La Rosée 3-in1 Regenerating Stick Mask to be used twice weekly, £18.90
Nuxe’s Huile Prodigieuse® is a fragrant blend of nutrients which come together in a dry oil suitable for face, body and even hair, £12.50
Avène Thermale’s Cicalfate+ Cream is a cult staple. Suitable for the whole family to use to soothe, protect and repair the skin, £10.50
Klorane’s Quinine and B Vitamins Shampoo will fortify for stressed follicles, £11
The May issue of OX features an exclusive extract from Dr Marine Vincent's book, The French Skincare Bible.
Published by Bloomsbury it is available from all good booksellers and also here.
Image of Dr Marine Vincent (c) Anita Barry
