Beauty Products and Bargains Galore at Citypharma


Ever since Laurence, my Paris Greeter, told me about Citypharma, the cheapest pharmacy in Paris, it has been on my ever-growing list of places to visit.  As our supply of shampoo, sunscreen, lotions, and toothpaste was running perilously low, I decided to stop by on my way home from Au Levan d'Antan, where I had purchased the best baguette in Paris on Tuesday afternoon.  As I mentioned in yesterday's post, there are many reasons why Parisians buy baguettes close to home and another compelling reason is that it's pretty hard to squeeze your way through the narrow aisles of one of the busiest stores in Paris when you're wielding an ungainly baguette.


With hindsight, I should have prepared for my visit.  Seeing all of the women from Japan, South America, and France meticulously scanning their long, cross-indexed lists, I felt like an inexperienced shopper who didn't belong with such an elite group.  They moved with a purpose, discussing their needs with the knowledgeable sales consultants in each aisle, while I bumbled my way through the crowds trying to think of what I needed to buy while in the two-level store.

With 14 checkout lanes, the lines are long even on a Tuesday afternoon. 

CityPharma has a wide selection of beauty products including Vichy, La Roche Posay, Nuxe, Roc, Avène, etc. To give you a better idea of why this is the "go to" place in Paris for bargains, here are the prices of some of the products that I purchased compared with prices elsewhere in France or in the United States:

Weleda Arnica Massage Oil 12.80 € ($18 Citypharma)  -- $ 21 online in the USA
Weleda Citrus Creamy Body Wash on sale 4.49 € ($ 6.40 Citypharma) -- $ 17 online in the USA.
Weleda Birch Body Scrub 7.50 € ($ 10.70 Citypharma) --  $17 online in the USA.
Klorane Magnolia Shampoo 6.80 € ($ 9.70 Citypharma)  --  $ 7.56 online at pricegrabber in the USA.

CityPharma
26, rue du Four
75006 Paris
M° Mabillon or Saint-Germain-des-Prés

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Comments

  1. I love the service in French pharmacies, even with broken spoken French (mine). And the products! Are you familiar with Foucaud products--tonics for the legs and body, foot creams and lotions. My supply runs lows and they are nearly impossible to find in the US.

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  2. Joseph,

    No, I'm not familiar with Foucaud, but I just looked at their website and their products look very interesting. I'll have to see if they carry them at CityPharma. Thanks for the tip!

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