Your Guide to French Pharmacies
Bienvenue à Paris! You’ve just landed in France and can’t wait to go shopping. You’re itching to get your hands on the French beauty products you’ve seen all over social media that 1) you can’t find where you live and 2) are SO much cheaper than back home. There’s just one thing – you’re not sure where to go and, honestly, it’s a little intimidating.
Well, no need to worry! Your Parisian Makeup Artist (moi!) is here to help. Here is a list of my top pharmacy choices and how to navigate them.
Most Popular:
CityPharma – 26 Rue du Four 75006 – This was Parisian’s best kept secret until your favorite social media platform spilled the beans. It’s one of the cheapest pharmacies in Paris and in the iconic neighborhood of St. Germain des Près. It’s also the busiest pharmacy in the city. It has 3 floors and is jam packed with products, which is great, but has very little room to wander or even turn around sometimes. All the beauty products are on the ground floor, which is where everyone and their cousin goes. Only the locals make their way to the other two floors. 
This is where you’ll find all the over the counter medications, supplements, essential oils, vitamins, teas and prescriptions. Locals shop here too because even the medications are cheaper than other pharmacies. I highly recommend checking out these floors, and plus, they’re usually not as busy as the ground floor.
My favorite parts of this store are the vitamins/supplements floor and also the very back part of the ground floor, near the registers. That’s where you’ll find the face masks and natural beauty products and brands that you probably don’t know. Every time I go I end up picking something up that I’ve never tried before.
HOT TIP: You must be courageous and patient to go into this store, especially if you’re browsing and not sure what to get. That being said, the registers go quite quickly, so if the line is long (which is usually is) don’t worry, you’ll be out in no time! Also, if you need help, there are lots of sales people standing around in white coats ready to help you. Remember to always start the interaction with a smile and a Bonjour!
My Favorite:
Grande Pharmacie du Forum des Halles – Westfield Forum des Halles shopping mall -1 Rue Pierre Lescot Level -2, 75001 – This is a newer pharmacy that not everyone knows about yet.
It’s a huge store located in the shopping mall in the middle of the city, Forum les Halles. You’ll have to look for it, but it’s well worth the hunt. It’s all on one floor, has plenty of space to move around and has all the same products, if not more, than CityPharma ^^. Since it’s lesser known, there are more locals there. The prices are comparable to Citypharma, some varying a couple of euros. You’ll find all the popular French beauty products, a range of natural beauty products (be sure to check out my posts about Natural Beauty to know what to pick up while you’re there), homeopathic remedies, candles, face masks and lots of other goodies that make great gifts (for yourself or others).
HOT TIP: You can check out all of the promotions they have happening before going in. Yes, it’s all in French but ‘promotions’ means the same thing here: Pharmacie Forum des Halles
Most Historic:
Pharmacie Saint Honoré – 115 Rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 – Just down the street from the Louvre and Palais Royal sits the oldest pharmacy in Paris. 
The Pharmacie St Honoré has been around since 1715 and is still in business today! It’s a classic modern pharmacy now where you can find all of your favorites, and the manager and staff are very friendly and helpful. Also, they always have deals going on different products. My favorite section is right when you walk in, there are lots of lip balms and miniatures that make great gifts! So, if you’re in the mood to shop and also discover a piece of French history – then this is the place for you!
If you’d like to know more about the Pharmacie St Honoré, it’s actually one of the stops on my Guided Marie Antoinette Shopping Tour. Guests of the tour receive a cool gift only found in this shop when we visit! Click here for more information about that.
I hope this post helps with your navigation of the French pharmacies. Now, if you don’t have the energy to fight the crowds or just don’t have time between your museum hopping to go to these locations, you’ll be totally fine going into any other of the HUNDREDS of pharmacies in the city! Chances are, they’re offering some deals as well, and it’s still likely to be less expensive than the products back home.
HOT TIP: If you’re traveling around France, I’d check out the pharmacies outside of Paris – prices might be a little lower!
If you’d like me to take you shopping through Paris for the best beauty products, be sure to check out my Personal Shopping Trips!
Bisous Bisous,
Joleen