If you’ve been on TikTok at all, I am sure you’ve seen at least one video talking about how Citypharma is the mecca for skincare in Paris. Not only does it have an extensive selection of every moisturizer you can think of, but their prices are supposedly some of the best in the city.

But being a stubborn Taurus tourist, I needed to see for myself and collect data on the pricing. And of course, I got suckered into buying more things than I actually needed. But no one’s really mad about that…

So let’s break down each product to see what price the brand charges versus what Citypharma charges.

Caudalie Products at Citypharma

If you didn’t know Caudalie was a French brand, you would have figured it out by the size of their display inside Citypharma. They nearly took up an entire wall! But that’s totally fine with me because I love their Vinoperfect serum and I am obsessed with their sunscreen (which has a similar formula to my beloved Summer Fridays ShadeDrops, just with a higher SPF).

Caudalie Vinoperfect Dark Spot Serum (Jumbo Size)

If you’ve been looking for a serum that helps brighten your skin without Vitamin C, this is likely a good fit for you. It’s packed with viniferine, which is Caudalie’s special ingredient that rivals Vitamin C.

Cost at Citypharma: €60

Cost at Caudalie (France): €74

Cost at Sephora/Caudalie (US): $119

And available online in the US.

Caudalie Eau de Beaute Mist (Travel Size)

This is one of those well-known mists that hydrates (obviously) and works to brighten your skin too. It also says it can set your makeup, but that’s not one of my main uses for it (because I would rather use a dedicated setting spray instead...).

Cost at Citypharma: €13

Cost at Caudalie (France): €19

Cost at Sephora/Caudalie (US): $20

And available online in the US.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Hand Cream

I had never heard of this before, but my friend texted me while I was in Paris to pick this up. So I got one for her and noticed how the price was so low! And now that I am back in San Francisco, I am kind of regretting my choice to not pick one up for myself!

Cost at Citypharma: €7

Cost at Caudalie (France): €15 (but had a promo to be €12)

Not available in the US, unfortunately

Caudalie Eau de Vignes Body Wash

This is another product I have not seen in the US. But since the price is so good, I decided to give it a try. They had several different variations (colors of the bottle), which I assume meant different scents or different skin benefits. So I went with the green one because I just love the color green!

Cost at Citypharma: €5

Cost at Caudalie (France): €10

Not available in the US, unfortunately

La Roche Posay Products at Citypharma

Whenever I am in Europe, I am buying a La Roche Posay product. I went to Amsterdam earlier this year, and of course, I stocked up on La Roche Posay UVMune 400s! I am truly that American tourist who will hoard European skincare like there’s no tomorrow. It’s cheaper than buying it online… can you blame me?

La Roche Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 SPF 50+

If you’re looking for a sunscreen that feels like there is literally nothing on your face, this is the one. It is truly LIQUID when it comes out of the bottle. And it goes on with absolutely no thickness at all. The only downside is the smell. It is herbal-y, but it does go away after a little bit on the skin. This is one of my go-to sunscreen picks.

Cost at Citypharma: €11

Cost at La Roche Posay (France): €18

Not available directly in the US, but you can purchase it to import (Stylevana): $28

La Roche Posay UVAir Serum Sunscreen SPF 50+

I’ve been seeing a lot of ads for this specific sunscreen lately, so I decided to take the plunge while I was at Citypharma. It does look like it is a little thicker than the UVMune 400 one, which could be OK. But this is such a tiny bottle. But I’ll try anything once!

Cost at Citypharma: €12

Cost at La Roche Posay (France): €21

Cost at La Roche Posay (US): $40

And available online in the US: Ulta

Prescription Products at Citypharma

Pro tip: this does not count toward your VAT total. So when you are trying to calculate to get to 100 euro spend (in a single day at a single store), do not count this in.

A313 Retinyl Palmitate Balm

This was one of the products I had to ask the staff where to find it. I checked every single shelf out in the store and had no success. When I asked, they said it is actually located behind the cash registers at the end of the store. So when you check out, ask them to add one of these as well. I bought this for a friend (who must have been in the know because I never heard of it!).

Cost at Citypharma: €11

Cost at French pharmacy online (to US): $64

The Total Breakdown: Citypharma Is Cheaper

When you add everything. up, it is 203 euro purchasing the products at the brand. But when you get it at Citypharma, it is a shocking 118 euro. And granted, there were some small promotions on a couple products, but for the most part, this is just a standard pricing everyday.

That’s almost a 50% discount just for shopping at Citypharma! I also later learned that the prices for in-store pharmacies in France are typically more expensive than buying at online pharmacies and shipping to your French address. So I guess the main takeaway is that you really should check every single pharmacy for pricing before you pick up your skincare! I didn’t know the beauty market was so dynamic in Paris.

Pro tips for your trip

When you go to Citypharma, make sure you go early in the morning. Thankfully, the airbnb I stayed at was in St. Germain so it was only a 5-minute walk to Citypharma. I got a coffee and was promptly there by 8:30 am. There were almost no customers in the shop but the staff were actively restocking shelves and asking if I needed help finding anything.

In the span of a 10-minute shopping trip, I had 5 different staff ask me if I needed help. Normally, I would say this is overwhelming and unnecessary, but I actually appreciated that they cared enough to ask! And I did request their assistance on certain products because I could not find them for the life of me.

And another reason why they ask if you need help is because people often come in to the pharmacies with specific skin concerns and these staff members are trained so well on the skincare that they can recommend products for that specific concern. So I appreciate just how much they try!

If saving money on the VAT refund is your #1 priority, keep in mind that Paris/France has variable tax rates depending on the specific type of product it is. I was working under the assumption I would get 11% refund because that’s what my clothing purchase at Le Bon Marche the day before was. Turns out that’s false. At Citypharma, I guess the skincare items only get a 5% VAT refund. So the math calculations I did for the extra Caudale Eau de Beaute Mist were moot. I spent extra money for no reason. But I’ll always be happy with another mist, so did I really make a mistake?

It’s worth checking out

So on your next trip to Paris, I would highly recommend going to Citypharma. But only go in the morning because you do not want to be trapped in the tiny aisles with a million products and a million other store-goers. I could not imagine how hot it gets in the afternoons!

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