French Parapharmacies Explained: How Homeopathy Works in France

I felt called to write this second part mostly because I’m currently on week who knows what of cold symptoms, sore throat, lingering cough, the whole package. So it feels fitting to talk about pharmaceuticals in France, especially  for me their very different approach to everyday illnesses. Here are French parapharmacies explained.

One thing the pharmacist explained to me is that when you move to a new country, your body has to adjust to an entirely different landscape of germs and viruses. Your immune system is suddenly meeting things it hasn’t encountered before, and it takes time to adapt. On top of that working with preschoolers every day brings its own steady stream of exposures. Put together, it’s no surprise that my system has been working overtime.  

French Parapharmacies Explained

Here in France Homeopathy is incredibly popular. According to the census about 70% of the population use this approach. Homeopathy takes a holistic approach, using natural substances prepared in very small amounts to support the body’s healing. It’s a very different mind set from the traditional medicine ( what we know as allopathy), which targets specific symptoms directly. 

Back home, I was used to walking into a pharmacy, finding the aisle marked “Cold & Sinus” and grabbing exactly what I needed without thinking twice. In France, the experience is different. You walk up to the “Ask” counter, describe what is going on, and the pharmacist recommends holistic products tailored to your needs. Standing in front of the homeopathic shelves can be both intriguing and overwhelming. Unless the packaging clearly says “cough” or “sore throat” many products are simply named after herbs, mushrooms or plant extracts. If you’re unfamiliar with these, guidance is a must.

I’ll be honest more than once I’ve wished for my old reliable chemical combo to knock out my symptoms in a day. 

Bee Pollen, Marshmallow Extract, and Icelandic Lichen

Instead I’ve been given bee pollen to take in the mornings, a throat and cough liquid made from marshmallow extract and Icelandic lichen, and cough drops made with propolis, a resinous mixture bees create from tree buds and sap blended with beeswax and their own enzymes. I’m finding that writing about these ingredients has been its own education. 

As the saying goes when in Rome do as the Romans or in this case when in France, trust the pharmacist. I have booked an appointment with a Homeopathic doctor to help me navigate this new world. The evaluation is much longer than a typical doctor’s appointment’s visit, 45 minutes to 2 hours long. They look at everything physical health, emotions, stress, sensitivities, allergies and overall lifestyle. The goal is to understand the whole person, not just the symptoms. 

I’m genuinely curious to see how this approach works. If so many French citizens rely on it, I’m sure there is something much deeper to understand. At the very least, it seems like another way to understand wellness. I am looking forward to this new exploration. 

Thanks for being here,

-Soraya

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