Every summer, thousands of tourists arrive in Nice and do the same thing: they check into their hotel, head to the beach, and realise halfway through their first afternoon that they are completely unprepared for the Riviera sun. The UV is stronger than expected, the reflection off the sea amplifies everything, and the products they brought from home are either not strong enough or not the right ones.
We know this because they walk into our pharmacy the next morning. Usually slightly pink, always slightly overwhelmed by the range of options, and always grateful for a clear recommendation.
This is that recommendation — distilled into a list you can walk into any French pharmacy with and get exactly right.
The Absolute Essentials — Buy These First
1. Face SPF50+ — La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Mune 400
No negotiation here. The Riviera UV index in summer regularly hits 8–10 (extreme). Anthelios UV Mune 400 SPF50+ provides the broadest UV-A protection currently available in any over-the-counter sunscreen, plus full UV-B coverage. The fluid texture disappears into skin in seconds and works under makeup. Apply every morning, reapply at midday if you are outdoors. This is the product French dermatologists use themselves.
2. Body SPF50+ Spray — Bioderma Photoderm MAX
Choose the 400ml bottle. The spray format is the single best thing you can do to ensure you actually reapply — it takes ten seconds, goes on evenly even on your own back, and dries instantly. Water-resistant for four hours. On a beach day with swimming, reapply immediately after towelling off. A 400ml bottle lasts a family of four for a full week of daily beach use.
3. Avène Thermal Spring Water Spray — 150ml
Keep this in a cool bag at the beach. Spray it on overheated skin, on red shoulders, on children who have been in the sun too long, or simply to cool down. The anti-irritant properties of Avène thermal water are genuine and clinically validated — this is not just a refreshing mist, it actively soothes UV-stressed skin. Use it generously, as often as needed.
4. Biafine Act Emulsion
Buy this now, hope you never need it. If you or anyone in your group gets a sunburn — and on the Riviera, it happens to even the most careful people — Biafine applied immediately in a thick layer dramatically reduces the severity and duration of the burn. A tube costs under five euros at our pharmacy. Keep it in the hotel room. It is the most regretted purchase to skip.
The Smart Additions — Worth Every Euro
5. Nuxe Rêve de Miel Honey Lip Balm
Lips burn, chap, and crack in the Riviera sun with remarkable speed. A tiny pot of Nuxe Rêve de Miel applied generously every morning and before bed is the most underrated sun protection step most tourists skip. Apply a thick layer overnight as a lip mask — you will notice the difference by morning.
6. Bioderma Sensibio H2O — 500ml
The large 500ml bottle is exceptional value and is the best thing to have at the hotel for end-of-day makeup removal and cleansing. After a beach day, the last thing you want is to scrub your already-sensitised skin. A saturated cotton pad of Sensibio removes everything — sunscreen, salt, sand, makeup — without any rinsing. Gentle enough to use on sunburned skin.
7. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse — 100ml
Apply to slightly damp skin after your beach shower and you will understand why French women have been doing this for thirty years. The dry oil absorbs instantly, leaves no greasiness, and gives skin the luminous, healthy look that makes Riviera skin look the way it does. It also conditions sun-dried hair ends — apply a few drops to the lengths before bed.
For Families with Children — Non-Negotiable
Children’s Mineral SPF50+
Avène Sun Kids SPF50+ or La Roche-Posay Anthelios Pediatrics SPF50+ — both are mineral-based (immediate protection, no waiting period), water-resistant, and tested specifically on children’s sensitive skin. Apply generously 20 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every two hours. A hat and UV-protective swimwear are the best complements to sunscreen — not substitutes.
What You Do Not Need
French pharmacists are often asked about tanning oils, SPF15 products, and “natural” unprotected sun exposure. Our answer is always the same: there is no safe way to tan, and no French dermatologist recommends it. The “healthy glow” from sun exposure is actually evidence of UV damage. The Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse gives you the same luminous look without any of the damage — use that instead.
The Complete Shopping List
Print this or screenshot it before you visit us:
✚ La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Mune 400 SPF50+ (face)
✚ Bioderma Photoderm MAX Spray SPF50+ 400ml (body)
✚ Avène Thermal Spring Water Spray 150ml
✚ Biafine Act Emulsion (emergency sunburn treatment)
✚ Nuxe Rêve de Miel Honey Lip Balm
✚ Bioderma Sensibio H2O 500ml
✚ Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse 100ml
✚ Children’s mineral SPF50+ (if travelling with children)
Everything on this list is available at the Pharmacie Anglo-Américaine, 2 rue de France, Nice — two minutes from the Promenade des Anglais. Open every day including Sunday: Monday–Saturday 8:30–20:00, Sunday 8:30–19:00. Our team speaks English, French, Italian, and Spanish.
