Passport Beauty - European Skincare - The Underrated Version

There are so many excellent blog posts and bloggers out there raving about some amazing beauty cosmetics coming to us from all corners of the world. Basically things that were considered "local secrets" in their own communities are now getting fully blasted across the blogosphere and in some cases becoming "cult" products almost overnight! Its so great to see the influence word-of-mouth and a couple raves can have on brands that would have otherwise never been able to gain that kind of exposure or advertising! Sometimes products like that can end up becoming more hype than actual quality results but for the most part they are worth at least trying. 
Here is my contribution to the French skincare buzz. I chose 2 of the less "popular" products because I think they deserve a lot more attention and clarity than they've been given. 

Avibon 

Avibon has been around for generations but only gained popularity in North America after Gweneth Paltrow featured it on her blog (Goop) and included it in her French Pharmacy picks. Since then there has been such a demand, that the number of online sellers who now ship to the USA and Canada is constantly growing (here). The price is significantly higher here than in Paris but after experiencing the clear results of Avibon I am happy to invest anytime. 

Essentially Avibon is a very concentrated Vitamin A ointment - specifically Retinyl Palmitate which is a compound very similar to the Retinol we are all used to! Since this pomade contains high concentrations of Lanolin and Vitamin A it can preform its anti-aging duties without drying out the skin and because of that it can be used on its own or mixed with your night-time moisturizer.There is actually nothing very glamorous about this balmy gel - its greasy and can take forever to absorb (use sparingly), its got a distinct "grandma potpourri  fragrance that may prove to be too much, the metal tube is not even a little charming and can ooze out if you are not careful. After all these rather cumbersome faults you might be wondering why i like it in the first place? Simple - it works and does everything Retinol promises but with 0 redness, no irritation or dryness and its significantly cheaper than traditional Retin-A. 

I can describe the results as slow but steady -  you wont see a transformation the next day but if you give it a few weeks, the difference is undeniable. 

Main ingredient: concentrated synthetic vitamin A (1,000,000 i.u.)
Other ingredients: lanolin, vaseline, polysorbate 80, perfume T 1415


Biafine 

This water based, vaseline-like balm isn't really considered a traditional skin care product! Its not going to make you beautiful, erase wrinkles, plump up lips or even look pretty in your purse. What it will do is heal, soothe, protect, cool and speed up recovery of any kind of "boo-boo" you might have to face out there in the big bad world. Biafine is a unique kind of ointment that is as gentle on any kind of delicate skin as it is powerful when it comes to protecting and healing even serious wounds. Dermatologists and hospitals alike use Biafine on a regular basis treating superficial abrasions, common sunburns, dermatitis, psoriasis, radiation skin exposure, skin grafts and even 2nd degree wounds! If it can do all that can you imagine how effective it would be in treating our "minor emergencies" involving skinned knees, insect bites and even flat-iron burns? 
Unfortunately its not readily available in North America but if you are lucky enough to have family in Europe or can convince a good friend to visit a common pharmacy in France then its definitively worth searching out. 
If you are willing to pay the price and order then click here
  
Ingredients; 
purified water, liquid paraffin, ethylene glycol monostearate, stearic acid, propylene glycol, paraffin wax, squalane, avocado oil, trolamine/sodium alginate, triethanolamine, cetyl palmitate, methylparaben (sodium salt), sorbic acid (potassium salt), propylparaben (sodium salt), and fragrance.

I hope that was helpful! What are your favourites from abroad? 

XOXO

ANJA

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