The best French pharmacy skincare products that don't require a trip to Paris

Yes, Clarins is a French pharmacy skincare classic. Create a smooth canvas for makeup with its multitasking primer, which does double duty, also smoothing the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and pores with soft-focus pigments that blur. Plus, it contains vitamin E to nourish and hydrate, making it a good instant wrinkle filler.

“It blurred out the deep lines and made them less noticeable,” one tester said, while another added, “It's moisturising but not greasy. I was impressed with how it diminished my forehead wrinkles. The ‘elevens’ between the brows is a tough area, but I even noticed a slight improvement there.” However, some testers found the texture a little thick and said it didn’t fully blend into the skin.

Once you slather on this ultra-rich (but not greasy) hand cream, you’ll see why it has a devoted following. Chock full of shea butter, it earned the top scores in our lab testing for improving hydration levels over six hours. It was also the highest-rated for making hands feel soft and look smooth, improving the appearance of chapped/cracked/rough hands, and providing lasting moisture.

“I like the smell, the consistency, and how soft it made my hands feel,” one tester said. “I am a nurse, so I am constantly washing my hands and applying lotion. This hand cream was fantastic, and I’ll be keeping it in my work bag!” But the scent was polarising, with some testers finding it a little strong and old-fashioned. That will come down to personal preference though.

According to beauty lore, French women exclusively use micellar water to cleanse their faces, allegedly because the hard tap water in Paris is known for irritating their skin.

Well, prepare to stock up. This micellar water came out on top in lab testing, ranking the best for making skin feel clean and earning the highest satisfaction score. It also received top marks for being easy to dispense and spread evenly, not being messy, quickly dissolving makeup, not depositing an oily residue, leaving skin smooth, and not stinging or causing irritation.

“This product did not sting my eyes and worked great for removing waterproof eyeliner,” one tester said, while another shared, “My skin felt very clean, soft, and smooth after I used the product. No tacky feeling as with many micellar waters.” That said, one tester said their skin felt sticky afterwards, so you can't win 'em all!

GH's household advice writer, Ella Duggan, swears by this facial SPF50 from La Roche-Posay. She says it's the only one that doesn't leave behind any white cast, or cause any breakouts. This is down to the oil control technology, which absorbs any excess sebum from your skin, leaving behind a matte finish. No shiny foreheads around here.

This lightweight cream will have your skin feeling as soft as cashmere, as the name suggests. Our fashion editor, Emma Richardson, applies this in the morning and says she can feel its moisturising effects throughout the day. It's a great smoothing primer base for applying makeup on top, with no pilling.

This three-in-one cleanser, exfoliator and mask is a one stop shop to clean, soft and hydrated skin. It's convenient and versatile, making it a holiday staple for our lifestyle writer, Madeleine Evans.

It's formulated with glycolic and salicylic acid, which work to gently exfoliate the skin. Hydrating glycerin then swoops in to add a layer of long-lasting moisture. You can use it in the morning or evening to lift daily grime, massage it into your skin for an extra scrub, and apply as a thicker layer for five minutes once a week to harness its multi-tasking power as a skin-softening face mask.

There's no better feeling than melting off your makeup after a long day, and this de-stressing night cream takes that up a level. Senior beauty writer, Florence Reeves-White, says that it's the one constant in her ever-changing night time routine.

It's infused with nourishing and plumping hyaluronic acid, which keeps your skin hydrated through the night, a time when your complexion is particularly susceptible to dryness. It also contains propylene glycol, which holds moisture in and aids absorption. Sleeping beauty for real.

Tanning drops are the perfect way to top up your summer glow without exposing your skin to harmful UV rays. These drops from Caudalie contain a host of hydrating ingredients, including grape water, which will keep your tan looking as natural and as streak-free as possible.

Madeleine, an avid lover of a faux glow, has tried many facial tanning drops, and these are the ones she keeps coming back to.