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COLLAGE BY SARAH OLIVERI Beauty Skincare Is Biafine, the French Pharmacy Emulsion, Worth the Hype? Is Biafine, the French Pharmacy Emulsion, Worth the Hype? Here's why this magic French skin-healing emulsion is the MVP of my skincare collection
I don’t speak French, but I am fluent in French pharmacy skincare. I visit Paris a few times a year for work, and no trip is complete without a stop at the pharmacy for a full product restock. My visits aren’t self-serving—I’m also restocking friends and family with products that I’ve introduced them to. Of all the products I get, there’s one that's the most highly requested: Biafine Emulsion , a serum-meets-cream healing formula. It's inherently universal, so it’s no surprise that almost everyone in my inner circle asked me to snag it on my last trip. And, of course, it’s one of the products I never leave Paris without for my own beauty stash.
Two years after discovering the magic emulsion for the first time and five tubes later, Biafine has become a staple in my bathroom cabinet. Plus, it’s now easier to get than ever, as you can buy a tube on Amazon . Ahead, I break down the cult-favorite emulsion.
Biafine is the Goldilocks of French skincare—it effectively heals skin without being abrasive or causing reactions. “Biafine is a fantastic healing emulsion that has been recommended by dermatologists for many years,” says Alexis Granite , a board-certified dermatologist both stateside and in the U.K. “It’s a great remedy for skin rashes, damaged skin post-cosmetic and laser treatments, burns, or scrapes and cuts. It’s a good overall cream to keep in your medicine cabinet.” The main active ingredient in Biafine is trolamine, which helps to "aid in skin repair, reduce skin inflammation, and stimulate skin healing,” Granite adds. Trolamine is most commonly seen in topical pain relievers, such as Aspercreme. But unlike the pain creams you would see at your local CVS, Biafine combines the active with popular occlusive, moisturizing skincare ingredients like squalane and avocado oil, making it not only suitable for skin injuries but an antidote to dry, parched skin.
Granite has corroborated my theory that there isn’t a skin condition Biafine can’t fix. It’s like my version of Windex (if you know, you know). However, Biafine is particularly wonderful at healing scars, burns, cuts, and any superficial skin wounds. Whenever I get a curling iron burn, sunburn (which happens rarely), or a nasty cut, I slap on some Biafine. While it isn’t clinically proven to prevent scarring, since the trolamine speeds up the healing process and occlusives like squalane keep skin moisturized, it significantly reduces the risk of scarring (if not altogether).
When I first picked up Biafine, I wasn’t quite sure how the product would fit into my routine, since it’s an emulsion. So, what exactly is an emulsion? It's an oil-based cream mixed with water, so Biafine feels like a milky moisturizer that toes the line between a gel-serum and a cream . Water and oil don’t always play well, but in the case of Biafine, it’s what gives the formula its silky, lightweight (yet hydrating) texture.
Since the formula is thin, a little goes a long way. I also love how this product can be used on the face and body, and even better, that it comes in jumbo sizes at affordable prices at pharmacies in France. My fav…