A Visit to the Pharmacie

In the US, when we think Pharmacy, we think Rite Aid or CVS, with aisles and aisles of everything from drugs, to cards, to soda, to garbage bags to Sponge Bob key chains.  In Europe, the Pharmacie is much smaller and consists of prescriptions and different selections of top of the line skin care, shampoos, health and beauty treatments and remedies.  It is also the first line of defense when Europeans are sick.  Most go to their Pharmacist, before their Doctor, unless you need a liver transplant or are having a heart attack, and so relationships are developed.  These are privately owned shops, as opposed to big monster chains and each one will have its own product line and personality.  Pharmacies are like McDonald's in the US...ubiquitous.  In some instances you can stand on the street corner and in a 360 degree radius, as far as the eye can see...you can spot up to 4 or 5 flashing green crosses, which signal a Pharmacie.  Most new pharmacists have a difficult time setting up shop, because there are so many...you have to apply and be approved to open one.  So, if there are already several in a small area...you will most likely be denied.  In my opinion, the health and beauty products in Europe are far superior to anything affordable in the US.  A lot of our brands have (pardon my French) crap in them...preservatives, chemicals and the like, while in Europe most reputable brands use more natural ingredients, plant and herb extracts, and are therefore better for you...and produce better results.

After our lunch yesterday, we head to Pharmacie 217.  We walk in and are immediately greeted with double kisses and warm Bonjours.  Ladies, on a side note here, if you are following along, in our post yesterday we discussed the code that Anne and I have for handsome waiters(read, ugly).  Keeping this in mind, I can only say that Alain is truly an Ugly man.  Tall, lean, wavy dark brown hair, hazelnut eyes, nice smile...and a wonderful personality to boot.  Oh yeah, really ugly. He has the best sense of humor, he is quiet the storyteller... and we have dubbed him a *hoot*, which really took some creative translating on all parts, but I think he is proud of his American nickname!

We are quickly ushered to the back...where only the employees are allowed.  Oh, and of course the Pharmacist's wife.  There he finds us chairs, we all sit down and he asks, "Would you like an espresso?"  At this point, Chris and I look at each other and just about bounce up and down in delight as we both nod our heads yes and blurt out, "Gotta love France!" Still trying to fathom the fact that we are tucked away at a local Paris Pharmacie having espresso, we look over to see him brewing it into these little china cups that are displayed proudly for just such an occasion.  Not cardboard or styrofoam...real china!  While entertaining drug reps, I am sure they get much use.  Meanwhile, Anne is busy rummaging through boxes and boxes of samples for herself and for us.  "One of these, 2 of those, oh this is good for lines around the eyes" and voila..she hands us some goodie bags, filled to the brim!  Oh, how I love France!!  At this point I take anything she gives me without question, because though we are roughly the same age, she looks five, seven, ok fine, ten years younger..so I figure it can only help!

We chit-chat a bit longer, and Anne bids a fond farewell to attend to some errands and prep work for tonight's dinner that she has invited us to, back at their house.  At this point, we get down to business.  Skin care business!  Other than the good company...today we have come for one thing. Caudalie.  I know and love these products, but back here in NY, I pay double of what I pay in France, so I am here to load up!  Knowing this, Alain whips out his goodie box and proceeds to give us a lesson in Caudalie, which lasted about an hour.  I was hooked on every word...waiting to hear about the next thing he pulled out of his *magic box*.  He told us about the company, the grape technology, the use of ingredients, how they stumbled upon it and researched it before it was available to the public.  The company recently reformulated their product line by taking Parabens out. When I asked why...apparently studies in France show that Parabens have been linked to cancer.  What?  Did I miss something?  Never heard a word about this in the States..and yet all my skin care back home has Parabens in it.  I must have missed that on the news. Between all the stabbings, school shootings, rising gas prices and war coverage...I guess they left this little tidbit out. 

He took each product one by one and had us feel it, touch it, smell it, try it!  Then he diagnosed our skin, recommended certain things, told us not to bother with others.  I was mesmerized.  Not only by his charm or the adorable way he pronounces *skin* in English (skeeen) but by the obvious passion he has for the work he does.  You can tell he was born to be a Pharmacist.  By the time we were done, I had the overwhelming desire to send my resume to Caudalie and move to France to do facials and product sales!  Yes, A Caudalie girl!  I could do that.

After our skin care lesson, we went back out to the sales floor and we shopped like crazy lottery winners.  One of his lovely employees who knows a thing or two about the products assisted us as well.  We loaded up the counter and as he was ringing us in, he winked and with his little impish grin, told us on top of the already inexpensive prices that he was giving us a little discount as well. Just for good measure he gave samples of all the other products to try as well.

Capable of exfoliating my skin back to toddlerhood and loaded up with enough cream to un-wrinkle an elephant, we bid our goodbyes until later at dinner. He motioned for us to come in the back again.  He says he has a gift for each of us.  A gift?  What more could I possibly even dare to ask for?  My eyes open wide as he pulls out two full size bottles of Caudalie Fleur de vigne shower gel, which smells like freshly stomped green grapes.  One for each of us.  I have died and gone to girle girl heaven.  It is at this very moment that the whole experience just overwhelms me.  The time he has taken, the generosity, I couldn't help myself. I become choked up as my nose starts to tingle and my eyes get teary.  Every ignorant person's voice that has ever made such comments like, 'the French are rude', 'the French are mean', 'the French hate Americans', 'French people don't smile'...all raced through my brain at once.  And it made me sick.  These ill informed people have either never been to France or are just not meeting the right French people!  I have never met more happy go lucky, sweet, down to earth, warm, funny and friendly people...and they are French!  Born and raised!  So quit your crying about the French and open your mind and your heart, rather than opening your mouth with your stereotypes!    Open a book, study a few French words and use them!  Ahem. I digress.

So next time you find yourself in Paris with a cough or a cold, a blister or a craving for some top of the line beauty products or heaven forbid...something much worse, head over to the 10th arrondissement and see the most  handsome Pharmacist in all of Paris. He'll take good care of you.  Have no fear about a language barrier.  He is fluent in English as well as Spanish! Tell him I sent you....but remember ladies, he is very happily married!

Pharmacie au 217
217 rue Lafayette
75010 Paris
01 46 07 86 44
Metro : Louis Blanc

Comments

[KC]

There are many substances banned from cosmetics by the EU that American companies are still permitted to put in their products. Pretty scary! Reading your post, I realize that French pharmacies are much more interesting and exciting than Italian ones (at least around here!)

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Well, it could have been just my experience. I really enjoyed the Italian Pharmacies also!! I just love looking at all that stuff that we can't get in the US....I'm like a kid in a candy store!!

xoxo
Robin

[foodie froggy]

Well, well, what can I say ? Now everyone will want to kidnap my husband !! Help !!

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Oh my NO!! I am not encouraging anyone to kidnap him...just visit a nice, handsome, helpful French Pharmacist ;)

xoxo
Robin

[Maryann@FindingLaDolceVita]

I wish businesses were still this way. The little mom and dad shops instead of giant superstores. I miss the good old days when a pharmacy doubled as a soda shop :)

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Me too! That is why I like Europe...you can still find those places. My Grandmother worked at one on LI..and we would go for root beer floats and ice cream soda's all the time....

xoxo
Robin

[NurseTerry]

Beautiful writing...keep at it girlfriend..and while you are at it, start submitting to some travel mags..perhaps we'll see you in print at a pharmacie!

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Thanks Terri! Will do! You know what they say...do what you and the money will come!!! Well, its what I love! My freind Anne, who is the one I have just been writing about told me the same thing in Paris...she says she thinks I should be a *journaliste*. It sounds even better with her French accent!

xoxo
Robin

[Angie]

Thanks for entering me into your contest!! Now I can't wait to visit the "ugliest" pharmacist in all of Paris!! Do you have any recommendations for a New Year's Eve dinner? We would prefer something fun and funky versus "Grand" Brassiere style if possible.

Merci Beaucoup!!
Angie

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Angie,

You are welcome! I will email you to discuss New Year's Eve ;) I have your address!

xoxo
Robin

[tongue in cheek]

I think his brother lives in my town, as the pharmist here.

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Lucky you Corey ;)

xoxo
Robin

[pam]

What an interesting and enjoyable post today! My daughter is in school studying to become a doctor of pharmacy (she was also born for this profession) and she is learning nothing at all about skincare(darn!). She will be spending the month of May in France and I'm already compiling a list of must haves for her to bring home for me. Is this skin care line really that wonderful? Is it afordable, and can it be shipped to the USA? What do you especially buy on your trips to bring home?
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Pam excellent questions! I think maybe I can do a post on that. I have a few *sources* to buy in the US. If your daughter is going to France, the cheapest way to get it is in the Pharmacie. Even with the disgusting Euro/Dollar price, it will be less expensive. Affordable. Well, it depends. Full retail- no. But let me tell you.....this stuff works! My skin is plumper, smoother, less red, and radiants. My sun damage brown spots have all but disappeared. My skin looks so good...one month later, that I can wear no makeup and be ok with it! Have your daughter visit the Pharmacy I wrote about...they can help her. Back in the US...I'll give you my sources, so you can check out the products. You can buy it at Sephora...but it's double the price from France there. Some on-line retailers sell cheaper than that and they ship to the US.

xoxo
Robin

[Laume]

About the French "hating Americans" - you summed up my feelings well. I've mentioned how friendly and warmly we were treated to people here, I even blogged about it, and STILL people tell me I was "just lucky". I drove from northern California to southern Colorado the month after I came back from Paris and in two days of travel I bumped into more rude people than I did in a month in Europe!

I got a kick out of the fact that in England pharmacies have "Chemist"signs.

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Laume,

I love that...*Chemist*, makes me wonder what else you can find there....lol! And I whole heartedly agree about the French being NOT rude. Of course, it depends on how you treat THEM as well. You give what you get, is what I say!

xoxo
Robin