One beauty editor puts the over-the-counter retinol and proclaimed French beauty secret to the test
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When I received a facial at the Codage Spa at SO/Paris, the esthetician, Michaella, complimented my skin. Before she even touched my face, she pointed out my smooth, radiant complexion—and coming from a French esthetician, this was the crème de la crème of beauty praise. I started running through my skincare routine to figure out which product gave me the glow in question, and Michaella had an epiphany when I got to A313—the French pharmacy retinol I’d picked up on my last trip to Paris. Clearly, it was working skincare magic for me.
I have an affinity for French beauty, so I was thrilled to get a treatment with Codage, a French-founded skincare brand. I never leave a work trip to Paris without going to a local pharmacy to pick up a few foreign skincare treasures. I first heard of the retinol on TikTok, where I watched a video of a French woman raving about A313. That sent me down a Reddit rabbit hole of people singing the product’s praises, too. With comments like “This retinol never leaves my skin dry or raw,” I was sold. During my next trip to Paris, I grabbed three tubes—two for me and one for my mom—and could barely wait to get home to start using it.
After almost a year of using A313, the product has become a staple in my routine. Curious? Scroll on to learn all about the French pharmacy treasure and why it’s earned me more compliments on my skin than ever before.
Described as the French girl’s secret to great skin, A313 looks inconspicuous in a white and blue tube that could be rash ointment if you didn’t look close enough—but it packs quite a punch and is even beloved by celebrities like Sienna Miller and Alexa Chung. Retinol, a vitamin A derivative, is the gold standard for increasing cell turnover and collagen production, which in turn helps with acne, diminishes fine lines and wrinkles, and smooths texture. However, over-the-counter options in the states are known to be far less effective than prescription retinol like Tretinoin. A313 harnesses the power of a prescription retinol, but without needing a prescription. “It is considered a medication in France,” says French cosmetic biologist Sophie Strobel. The formula is also beloved for its cosmetic elegance, boasting a balmy, Vaseline-like texture that acts as both a retinol and an occlusive to seal in hydration.
Not all retinols are created equal. “The active ingredient of A313 cream is retinyl palmitate, which is an ester of retinol,” says Kseniya Kobets , a dermatologist and director of cosmetics dermatology at Montefiore Einstein Advanced Care in New York. Retinyl palmitate has collagen-boosting and rejuvenating effects, but they are less drastic than retinol or retinal formulas. This is partly because the ester needs to be converted three times to retinoic acid, the final form of retinol, which can be absorbed by the skin (as opposed to retinol, which is converted twice, and retinal, which is converted only once). This means that retinyl palmitate is on the lower end, strength-wise, of the retinols, but it also means that the retinol derivative won’t make skin feel dry or flaky and is suitable for sensitive skin.
However, Kobets also notes that retinyl palmitate can make skin more sensitiv…