For years, skincare obsessives have pilgrimaged from afar to worship at the altar of French pharmacies. When in Paris myself, I routinely schlep across the Seine to reach Citipharma in Saint-Germain-de-Pres, packed to the gills with other shoppers hoping to secure their year’s supply of Cicaplast for a fraction of the RRP. A worthy journey, as the initiated will attest.
But I’m happy to report that there’s a new sheriff in town. Or rather, on the marble-slick corners of Athens and the cobblestoned backstreets of the Greek islands. This isn’t the minimalist, clinically-backed France of A313 creams and Biologique Recherche toners. Greek pharmacies are a different temple entirely: botanical products, made with pure ingredients, often edible-sounding. Think olive oil, propolis, bee pollen and mastiha – the same ingredients you’d find on your plate or in your glass, bottled for your face and body.
Greek pharmacies brim with homegrown heroes like Korres, Apivita and The Naxos Apothecary, yet you’ll still find all your French (and occasionally Korean) classics. Apivita’s leave-in conditioner has repeatedly resurrected my salt-encrusted hair, while a trusted insider tip finally put to rest a lifelong search for the perfect eyeliner (and at just eight euros!). As if you needed another reason to book a trip to Greece, consider the below roundup of the best Greek pharmacy brands, and their greatest hits, your official nudge.
Apivita
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Apivita is ubiquitous in Greece, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s generic. The brand was started by two pharmacists and leans hard into bee products and Greek herbs like calendula, thyme, propolis. The aforementioned Leave-In Conditioner with Hyaluronic Acid & Honey lives in my beach bag, and their travel-sized face masks are ideal if you’ve packed a tight edit of beauty products.
Korres
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Korres has long since crossed into global territory, but it still feels distinctly Greek. Born from a homeopathic pharmacy in Athens in 1996, it toes the line between clinical and botanical, with a surprising amount of range: cleansers, serums, body oils, remarkably good nail polish. The Greek Yoghurt Nourishing Probiotic Gel-Cream is one of my favourite products on planet Earth, and the Volcanic Minerals Twist Eyeshadow, recommended by a friend’s makeup artist friend, is an excellent way to spend eight euros, with its creamy and long-lasting formulation.
Elsewhere, the Pure Greek Olive Oil range was an impeccable recommendation from Greek aficionado Pasta Mama. You can use it on body, face and hair to bring your salt-rinsed everything back to life. (he shampoo and conditioner from that line are also great). Stock up at their flagship in Athens before you hightail it to the islands.
The Naxos Apothecary
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Walking into The Naxos Apothecary outpost in Athens is the closest I’ve come to heaven. A visual and olfactory wonder, the homeopathic space is a concept store in the truest sense of the word with its slick interiors, upstairs cafe and sky-high shelves stacked with scent-driven skincare, teas, oils and tinctures inspired by different Greek islands. The staff are kind and generous with their time, more than happy to talk at length about ingredient sourcing or offer tailored recommendations based on your skin type and scent profile. If you’re lucky, they’ll hand you an iced tea while you pile products into your basket. I am clinically obsessed with their Chalki body balm, inspired by the Dodecanese island, and made using Helichrysum Italicum extract with a lingering citrus scent.
Papoutsanis
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Founded in 1870, Papoutsanis is one of Greece’s oldest soap makers. It’s utilitarian but beautifully made: bar soaps, body washes and hair products centred around olive oil and Greek botanicals. The pricing makes it feel almost suspiciously affordable, but the formulas will soothe any concerns.
Frezyderm
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The cult Sun Screen Velvet Face Cream Spf50+ was my gateway drug to Frezyderm: matte, smooth, a little heavy for everyday wear at the beach, but great under makeup. Their whitening toothpaste is also worth picking up when you inevitably run out of your tube mid-trip.
Youth Lab
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Athens-based and dermatologist-formulated, Youth Lab focuses on actives – think peptides, retinol, exfoliating acids – and sits somewhere between The Ordinary and La Roche-Posay, but with a Greek feel. The Peptides Eye Cream is a classic and the Retinol Reboot range is a strong option for smoothing and evening skin tone.
Olive Era
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Made in Crete and based, as the name would suggest, on olive oil. The body lotions are lightweight and the shampoo has a satisfying herbal scent. The Mountain Tea line is the one: green, resinous and transportive.
Messinian Spa
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Body care from the Peloponnese that centres olive oil but leans into fruit: fig, prickly pear, pomegranate. The body milks and oils are generously scented and easy to find in most pharmacies. The packaging isn’t the chicest, but that feels negligible when you smell like a freshly-ripened fig.
Froika
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A longstanding yet underrated clinical Greek brand. The Azelaic Acid Cream is its best-known product, often used for post-inflammatory pigmentation and redness, and the SPF range is mineral, fragrance-free and specifically made for compromised skin. The plain packaging points to its function-forward formulations, and you won’t see it anywhere outside of Greece, so stock up while you can.
Feature image courtesy Faithfull.
