You know this awful gut feeling walking in a room full of strangers? Where you suddenly want to be alone at home and never chat to anyone again? Well it might be your bacteria. You’re not awkward, but your microbes are. A new article published by the pope of the gut-brain axis Pr John F. Cryan of Cork University shine a new light on our fear of small talk. We all know what is social anxiety, but it can sometimes be a whole disorder, a long term crippling fear and avoidance of social situations. The good news? It usually gets better with age. The even better news? If scientists can understand h ..read more

Let’s delve deeper into the marvel that is astaxanthin! Can you believe you’ve been overlooking this incredible nutrient in your daily regimen? Despite its tongue-twisting name, astaxanthin is surprisingly simple to pronounce: ass-ta-xan-teen. There you go—easy as pie! But why should you be excited about astaxanthin? Well, let me tell you. It’s not just any antioxidant—it’s a powerhouse prebiotic antioxidant sourced from red algae, nestled within the esteemed carotenoid family. Ah, carotenoids—the pigments responsible for those rich reds and oranges you see in fruits and veggies. Remember, a d ..read more

Introducing Mood Microbes What exactly are psychobiotics, you ask? Well, they’re a fascinating subset within the probiotic family. These bacteria offer mental health benefits to their host by positively influencing mood and cognitive function. Originating predominantly from the lactobacilli species, these microbes have been cherished for millennia and revered for their digestive benefits. Now, they are increasingly recognized for their impact on mental well-being. The term “psychobiotics” was coined by Professor John F. Cryan of Cork University only a few short years ago. His team has been del ..read more

 A few months ago, my answer would have been : Yes. You’ve probably been hearing about personalised skincare as a big trend in beauty. But it never really delivered until now. Why? Two main reasons for me: It’s really hard to make a truly personalised product at an industrial scale. You have to be able to plan an infinite combination of possible ingredients, register them, manufacture them and keep them nice and stable for years, all of that for a couple of units. The best you can have is a few combinations, or the marketing illusion of tailoring. The harsh cold reality is: unless it’s m ..read more

Bacteria are really a friend for life. The first three years of your life will be crucial for shaping your microbiome, and hence your health for the rest of your life. So, let’s look a bit at the baby microbiome, the skin pH and why every kid has eczema these days. You get a microbiome in the first second of your life. Literally. The baby will travel through its mother vagina, covering itself in a lot of vaginal bacteria. Gross, but kinda cool. So, a newborn gets delivered into the world with a first microbiome, which is mainly lactic acid bacteria (like Lactobacillus). …And we love lactobacil ..read more

…And what does that mean for your skin? Thank you, that’s such a good question. Yes it does, and we can help! Your microbiome is with you from your first minute into the world. You inherit it from your mother and then you start to make it your own. Your gut and your skin get new cool bacteria by eating, breathing, touching people and things, and exploring the world in general. It starts to be a bit more stable when you reach 3. After some time, your microbiome starts to be a bit… older. Your bacteria change and your body does, and it has consequences:  Your hormones are not the same, and ..read more

Of course, and for a number of reasons: Hydration without heaviness. Microbiome products are able to support and feed your skin without ever being to oily, greasy, sticky, gloopy. Isn’t it nice? Protect what your microbiome capital. These little bacteria are fragile and are literally your first line of defense. Caring for them ensure they will keep on protecting you  Build your skin resilience. Cycles, seasons, pollution, stress, it’s a hard life being a good skin. Caring for your microbiome ensure that when the next problem comes up, your skin will be able to prevent any disagreement.&n ..read more

Welcome to the world Youth & Microbiome! I am delighted to introduce you to our new supplement for helping on the signs of ageing, from the inside out. Here are my top 5 favourite facts about it. It was developed based on the pharmacy thesis of one Gallinette. She looked at all the science, and we developed the product that matched. So thank you Elodie! It works! It’s proven to work on the signs of ageing: clinical studies have been done on the probiotic during three months with excellent results: skin is more glowing, less dehydrated, wrinkles appear reduced in size and depth.  It c ..read more

20 years ago, when I was learning pharmacy at university, my teachers were quite adamant: “What you eat doesn’t have any influence on your skin. Eat the “saucisson”, eat the chocolate, it’s all fine”. And that’s something you’ll still hear a lot from some professional. When I started to hear about the possible link between the microbes in your gut and the health of your skin, the first thing I did was wait. Wait for data, proof and mechanism of action….and we got it. So yes, science changes, and now your can say it loud : your skin health can be influenced in good or in bad by your gut microbi ..read more

Hello Laura! We are so excited to have you as a Gallinée Facialist at the French Pharmacy. Could you tell us more about yourself? Hello ! My name is Laura Sanchez, I am a French beauty therapist from the South of France. I was lead therapist at one of the famous thermal spa from La Chaîne Thermale Du Soleil for several years before moving to London. As long as I remember, I always wanted to help people to gain confidence and help them feel better. I love reading books, photography, fall walks, and … chocolate ! What is your specialty as a facialist? I specialize in face Pilates, which is ..read more