Sunday, May 11, 2014

Best from Pharmacy Brands


My first experience with pharmacy brands happened many years ago with one of the dandruff shampoos and in these years I've tried a fair share of other products as well - from the famous Avene's Cleanance K and La Roche Posay's Effaclair Duo to the luxurious Nuxe Baume Prodigieux Lip Gloss - and I've found a nice amount of favourites and staples. I have a lot of faith in products from the pharmacy being a lot better than those from the drugstore and are probably as good as some high-end ones just for a more reasonable price. They are easy to get a hold of where I live, since we have a lot of pharmacies nearby and quite a few online shops (by the way, my favourite pharmacy is Leposana (E. Leclerck Ljubljana), where things are quite a lot cheaper than in my local pharmacy, especially if you have their loyalty card). 

 Phyto Phytheol Intense 
Dandruff treatment shampoo (100ml)
This has the weirdest texture of a shampoo ever. It's very thin and runny, also the packaging is beyond annoying because it's metal and you can't squeeze it resulting in having to pour the product out, which is particularity irritating when it's on its last legs. So why am I including it here? It's simple - because out of mountains of anti-dandruff products I've tried, this with combination of Phytopolleine had the best effect so far. It didn't cure it (I've actually lost hope for that, it's been going strong for 13 bloody years and I've tried everything, even went to a dermatologist), but it was the only product that actually removed that stubborn layer of dandruff that is stuck on my scalp and I finally felt like my scalp could breathe again. I'm sure that on someone whose scalp isn't so persistently dry that it flakes, rather has more "normal" dandruff problems this should solve it.

cream-shampoo anti-dandruff (250 ml)
Again another anti-dandruff shampoo, but this is not the intensive treatment rather a maintainer with salicylic acid that chemically exfoliates the scalp. But why I love it is because it's super gentle, yet really creamy and perfect for my mega dry hair. Most shampoos leave my scalp itchy after use because they dry it out, but with this I never had those problems at all. I've gone through a half a dozen tubes and though I'm trying other treatments for dandruff, I keep coming back to this. This and Kerastase Oleo-Relax are my absolute favourite shampoos. 

(200ml)
Technically I didn't buy this in a pharmacy, I buy them in Müller, but it is a healing type of product so I'm including it here. Again I bought this originally as a dandruff treatment, but it didn't yield much results in that department, however, this is a miracle for itchy scalp. Whenever my scalp feels itchy this soothes it instantly. I have to warn you that is has a very powerful, herbal schnapps scent so beware of any comments about reeking of alcohol, but hey at least your scalp will feel great. Another thing is the packaging which is rubbish since it lacks some sort of a nozzle with which you could apply this directly on the scalp, rather it's just pouring out uncontrollably and that's why (please don't laugh at me for this) I use a syringe (without the needle, obviously) so I can get the product directly and evenly on the scalp. I'm currently using my eighth bottle.

Botanical Scalp Stimulant (25ml)
As I already said in the Pytherol review, this is a little miracle product that completely purified my scalp. It's eye-wateringly expensive at 29 € for a stingy 25 ml, but I bought two in a row. Sadly, it seems that it stopped working on me as all anti-dandruff products do (please tell me I'm not alone in this), so I'm having a bit of a break from it and I'm hoping a fresh bottle in a few months will be effective again. This really was the only product that came close to getting rid of my stubborn dandruff and because it's an oil, it also leaves the hair feeling really nourished .

(100ml, 250 ml and 500 ml) 
It wouldn't be a best from pharmacies post without this. I've been a fan of it for about three years and I've gone though countless bottles. Sure there are drugstore dupes nowadays, but I don't find them as effective in completely and quickly removing all the makeup even though they are really good.

(30 ml)
This is a saviour for very dry, flaky skin. It actually feels relatively light, but it's intensely moisturising and it transforms the flaky skin literally overnight. Sadly, it breaks me out, which breaks my heart, but my mother adores this. She's not the one to pay more than 5 € for a moisturiser, but since I gave her this one, she bought four in a row and says it's absolutely worth the money and even puts an effort into tracking it down, would you believe it. If you're suffering from dry, flaky skin, do yourself a favour and grab this next time you're in a pharmacy.

(30 ml)
When I first tried to seriously deal with my dehydrated, flaky skin years ago, this was like a little miracle in a bottle. It's fantastic for such skin, even for one that has a greasy T-zone. It balances the skin out by intensely moisturising it, but its super light texture doesn't cause problems for oily skin. It is a serum, so it should be used with a moisturiser on top, personally I love the combination of this with Nuxe dry oil. 

(30 ml)
My second favourite moisturiser right behind L'Occitane's Angelica Hydrating Cream. It's based on aquaporins, which are a sort of plumbing system for cells and it moisturises the skin while still being light enough to be used under make up. I actually got this based on a few samples the sales lady gave me and I was so impressed I ran to the pharmacy as soon as I finished the samples and I've repurchased it three times so far. 
Multi-purpose Dry Oil (50 and 100 ml)
If you're an old follower on my blog, you'll know that I've been using this every day for three, yes three, years already. This is a staple in my skincare, much has changed, but this stayed. This is one of those products I can hardly imagine being without. It keeps my skin super soft, radiant and healthy looking. It's a dry oil, so it actually doesn't feel that oily and it sinks in in minutes. It's a multi-purpose oil, so I use what's left on my hair and it keeps it in good condition. It can also be used as a body moisturiser and it gives that great glow in the summer. The scent of it is fantastic as well. By the way, I would recommend the 100 ml version because it comes with a spray pump, while the 50 ml size just has a hole and it's irritating to get the product out because you have to shake it vigorously.

Multi-purpose Dry Oil (50 and 100 ml)
The shimmer infused sister or the original. This gives that amazing Victoria Secret glow on the body (best on legs and collarbone) as well as that glowy, summery look if used under a foundation. I love using this on my hair, because it's not too greasy even though it's silicone free and it gives a lovely shine to the hair.

with apricot butter (15 ml)
I've been loving this more and more since I got it. I have a favourite lip balm, Palmer's Swivel stick and for years I haven't used anything else (I bough a few, but hated them), and this Nuxe one is getting just as much use as Palmer's. It's a lip balm-lip gloss hybrid that moisturises the lips and gives a nice glossy finish that is not super shiny, which I really like. It smells amazing, exactly like home-grown pears. It costs 10€, but there is a massive amount of 15ml in the tube, which should last a long time.

Avene Cicalfate
Antibacterial Repair Cream (40 ml)
A staple in any household. This is just one of those panthenol (provitamin of B5) treatments I've tried and they are all about the same, but this one is the one I have currently. Cicalfate is very similar in texture to Bepathenol (from Bayern, the Aspirin company) in a sense that it's a very thick cream that doesn't spread that easy. But these are little saviours for any type of wound or that blemish you squeezed just a bit too hard. It's antibacterial and it helps the wound to heal faster.
Another panthenol treatment that is actually very different is La Roche Posay's Cicaplast (original one, not the new B5 version). That one feels like a silicone primer, so some may like it more to use it on the face. 

What are your favourites from the pharmacy? Have a great day!
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