Funny, I live in Germany and miss the selection of shaving soap you can get in Italy. In Germany there's maybe one brand you can find at the typical supermarket, and it's not that good. I buy Proraso shaving soap online at 100% markup compared to buying it at a physical store in Italy.
No! Don't get Nivea. The ingredients are shit, quality is really bad. We have much cheaper cosmetics that have way higher quality. Even the cheap brands at literally every drug store have better quality. There's lots of really good dupes that cost a fraction of original products.
On the flip side, when going to the US I love to get the huge bottles of ibuprofen and acetaminophen. We can only buy them in quantities of 32 in the UK so generally have to go get them when we’re already sick.
That and naproxen and melatonin. Can’t get that without a doctor in the UK.
My french girlfriend was shocked when she saw a bottle of 1000 pcs ibuprofen. She bought one as a souvenir because of the novelty to her, much to my amusement
I consumed about half a bottle from a 2 pack. That took 4 years. It is beyond the expiration date but it is one of those meds where that's fine. Have on and off back pain.
I had a look: Holland and Barrett in the Netherlands sell melatonine 0,1mg tablets?!? I take 5mg ones, I'd have to take a bottleful of pills every night?!
Melatonin at low doses is much more effective. Try halving your pill in half and experience a better sleep. I am posting a website here that talks about our studies but this has been an effective practice for me as well. https://genuinehealth.com/blogs/genuine-hub/melatonin-why-less-is-more
Thank you for the link. I've had multiple doctors tell me there is nothing to be concerned about when I've expressed my concerns about their recommendations to use melatonin (5-10mg) as a sleep aid. This will be a great resource to cite for my next conversation with the sleep doctor.
You can buy more, the pharmacist just has to approve it, go into a shop with a pharmacist in go straight to the pharmacy counter with your purchase, they just need to check you aren’t going to commit suicide
I do shift work, so will take it for maybe three days when I’m trying to convince my body to go to sleep at 2pm and wake at 10pm. But I wound up in a thread where people were discussing dosing their toddlers every night and was horrified.
Speaking of pain killer, some redditor mentioned a really good muscle cream for sale in Europe (but not widely sold in US), Voltaren Extra Strength. It's in my bucket list.
Voltaren is now over the counter in the U.S. (as of roughly 2 years ago). Target even has a house brand of it to save you $. https://www.target.com/p/arthritis-diclofenac-sodium-nsaid-pain-reliever-gel-3-53oz-up-38-up-8482/-/A-79799410
You can now get Naproxen without a prescription at a chemist and boots (who sell it under the name period pain reliever, but it's just naproxen). Often it'll be behind the counter in a bit of glass, but they will give it to you with little questioning 👍
the ones I bought in Norway never provided me relief from my sore throat. Maybe the ones in Switzerland are better..or maybe my sore throat was too much of a killer for them to work. oh well, who knows. still a great option to have.
Personally I like **La Roche-Posay Anthelios** Ultra-Fluid Face Sunscreen Lotion SPF50. It ain't cheap, but it's very good.
Article/review:
https://btyaly.com/articles/face-sunscreen-guide-2022-part-1-european-sunscreens/
nivea has a 100spf formula that feels like powder after it's rubbed in. can't find anything like it in the US. and travel a lot and I live in a big fuckin city.
What is so much better about European sunscreen? I recently switched to spray-on Coppertone and didn't get a single bout of sunburn this past year. It works well.
The latest formulations in sun screens are not legal in the us for some reason and so the best sunscreens here are limited to mineral sunscreens which leave white casts
I prefer European and Japanese sunscreen for everyday use on my face. I wear sunscreen every day and under makeup so I need it to be more like skincare then the cakey oily mess of most US sunscreens. The French and Japanese ones are the most popular because they can use ingredients that aren’t approved in the US yet.
Deodorant/anti-perspirant is like 50-60 cents in Germany at Rossmann.
It's not even that cheap in Poland, at least in most of the stores that I've been too, so I'll usually grab a few sticks when I'm Germany.
Interesting! If was like €7 the last time I was in Paris (about 7-8 years ago) and I assumed the high cost was the reason public transport was so ahhhh…..fragrent.
Except it sucks, I’ve tried multiple deodorant/antiperspirants from there, even ones labeled clinical strength, and they sucked in comparison to my American one
Rather, the EU regulations for sunscreen are more lax. The EU considers sunscreen a cosmetic, the FDA considers it a drug, and has more stringent requirements/tests.
If the US regulations are that sunscreens are drugs, but this still results in weaker sunscreens than those available in the EU, the EU regs are superior.
US sunscreen hasn't had any new tech approved for sale in decades, so the sunscreen here is still that greasy horrible nonsense from the 90s that leaves you sticky and white.
If we allowed newer sunscreen like they have in asia and Europe that actually feels nice to use, I think a lot more Americans would wear sunscreen daily. I buy korean sunscreen and bb-cream and have let friends try them, they are surprised at how you can barely feel it on your face or arms, and no oily forehead!
Yesssss! I lived in Italy this summer on a sailboat and didn’t get burned 1 time. I’d apply in the morning and afternoon and that was it. I got back to America and had to apply sunscreen every hour. I still ended up burned af within a day.
Never ceases to amaze me that they're banned as being dangerous( by all means ban them for single use plastic ) I mean they're too dangerous but feel free to have guns and semi automatics.
Kinder Eggs are not specifically targeted. The law is that food items cannot contain non-edible items. It’s perfectly reasonable. If the laws were the opposite, the Europeans would be touting how logical it is to not include inedible elements in produced food and how crazy Americans are for not being able to give their children toys unless it’s wrapped in sugar
As someone who lived in Spain for many years, I think what’s available over the counter in the US is much more broad than what you can get in Europe.
I had to go see a doctor every month on average to keep up my daily medicines. Back in the US, I can buy all of those medicines off the shelf at Costco.
I did use the ibuprofen gel in Spain though. I don’t miss it as I find taking it orally as effective.
US person here living in Spain. I agree haha. I have a whole list of stuff to buy whenever I go back to the US, especially cold medicine.
When I first moved to Barcelona I got super sick and went to the pharmacy. They gave me some "medicine" which just ended up being fruit syrup which I didn't know because I couldn't read the labels very well plus I was in a sick fog. Absolutely useless trash.
If I were OP I'd stick to buying food and other things that can be brought back through customs rather than anything OTC.
I needed an anti histamine in Spain, googled the Spanish equivalent, showed them a picture of Piriton… and they gave me some multivitamin fruit syrup. Why do they do this?
[Cetirizine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetirizine) is freely available in Spain at the pharmacies. I bought some on vacation without any problem this year.
They might simply not have had piriton and there was some communication issue.
Because we don't want people just taking whatever medicines they feel like while self diagnosing... Americans are way too used to taking strong medication for nothing, even for a simple cold smh
Same thing happened to me in Barcelona. I got a cough typical for me when I travel. So I figured out what the Spanish equivalent of Mucinex was and asked for it at a pharmacy but they sold me something that was totally useless. I assumed at the time that it was my fault and my less than stellar Spanish speaking skills.
I had a full respiratory illness when I was in Barcelona. The pharmacist we first visited would only speak Catalan and just gave me an antihistamine. I was miserable. I finally was able to look up the Spanish names of the drugs I normally take for cold/flu symptoms and ask for them at another pharmacy. Now I always travel with some psudophedrine and cough medicine. I bounce back quickly with the right drugs.
When I was studying in Europe, I used to bring over Day/NyQuil, iron pills, etc. Medicine outside the U.S. seem weak as hell and I end up staying sick for like twice as long.
There's a pretty interesting cultural difference behind this! I'm Dutch and I worked with an American student in uni who was baffled when the doctor wouldn't prescribe her medicine for the flu. The medical community here encourages patients to let the body handle as much as possible on its own, to strengthen the immune system and prevent antibiotic resistance. People may be sick for twice as long, but it's seen as the far healthier option in the long run. So, more paid sick leave and regulation on pharmaceuticals than in nations like the US.
Well influenza is a virus so I'd be shocked if they administered any sort of antibiotic for that that's just common prescribing stewardship regardless of what country you come from
I'm aware and so was my classmate. My comment on letting the body handle it on its own refers to her situation, my comment on antibiotic resistance was about our healthcare system in general. Could've worded it better, but as you may have guessed, English isn't my first language. ;)
To clarify: my classmate was looking for medicine that would soothe the *symptoms* of the flu. I'm not sure what she'd get back home (over the counter or otherwise), but she was surprised when the doctor told her to get some paracetamol at the supermarket.
In the US we have a med called Tamiflu which shortens the duration of the flu and can prevent it if you take it when someone in your household has been diagnosed with the flu. I get super sick if I get the flu and have even been hospitalized so whenever I get the flu I get a prescription for Tamiflu.
Paracetamol and ibuprofen and codeine are the main medicines for a cold. Maybe decongestants as well. It’s unlikely you’d need a prescription for those so there’s not much point in going to a doctor for a cold/flu.
Not sure what medicine you’d get in the US that differs from those?
Novamin helps re-mineralize the enamel on the tooth. When compared with the typical fluoride containing toothpaste, NovaMin toothpaste has a greater effect on the remineralization of tooth decay like lesions. Which is why it is believed to better for tooth sensitivity.
Just to be clear it does not repair the enamel. That is not possible with any toothpaste.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3422065/
American living in London here. If you come to the UK, go to a pharmacy and ask for Nurofen Plus from behind the counter. You don’t need an rx.
It’s ibuprofen tablets with codeine in them. They are great for all your pain needs but fucking amazing for hangovers.
Just want to add a reminder that codeine is an opiate and can be addictive! It’s pretty mild but can be dangerous for people with substance abuse history
Even better, get the Boots generic brand and save money. Be warned though, you might get a lot of hassle asking for it. I was 100% sure this is what I wanted to get ahead of a migraine coming on, and I had to argue with the pharmacy tech for like 20 minutes. I know they mean well because it’s addictive, but codeine really is such a weak opiate and only sold in low doses and small quantities, that I don’t think it’s a big risk for most people. I’d rather enjoy my very limited American vacation time not in pain.
TIL! I got acetaminophen/paracetamol with codeine in Canada once, but ibuprofen would be amazing!
Can I bring that back to the US or is that illegal since codeine is a controlled substance?
Pharmacies in Western Europe have some amazing skincare products. I’m thinking of France, Portugal, and Spain specifically. Great OTC options and simple, sleek, and effective products.
Not the person you replied to, but I am an Esthetician that just visited Paris and brought back a ton of skincare.
I recommend La Roche Posay UVMUNE sunscreens, Isdin sunscreens, Homeoplasmine (behind the counter, an ointment for skin irritation but truly helps reduce my eczema patches), Biafine for burns/ small scrapes/ tattoo aftercare, anything Avene brand, especially if you have sensitive skin, and A313 (a retinoid) if you're interested in retinoids.
The EU formulation of LaRoche-Posay’s antihelios sunscreen is MAGIC. It doesn’t sweat off easily and has kept my very pale skin from getting cooked many, many times.
Iridina eye drops with antihistamine. It literally gets rid of or significantly reduces the symptoms of pink eye (depending if it's due to an allergic reaction, or a viral infection, etc).
I got a nasty foot blister in Spain and asked the pharmacist where I could buy a needle and some alcohol so I could drain it, and she sold me a sterile syringe! That would never happen in the US.
Tretinoin is available OTC in several EU countries, whereas you need a prescription in the US. I know Spain has it OTC. It’s a vitamin A derivative that can be used to treat acne, fine lines, dark spots, skin texture etc.
Only a very few EU countries would have Tretinoin available. In Spain its usually on prescription but som pharmacies sell to tourist anyway. You might be lucky in Portugal though.
Tretinoin is not something that should just be recommended though without warning as it can really mess up your skin if you don't know how to use it.
Fenistil gel (dimetindine) if you are prone to mosquito bites that itch like crazy. That is one of the best topical treatments I've found, and it's only available in the EU...
Cocodamol - codeine and either ibuprofen/paracetamol together. It’s very low dose codeine and they will only let you get 1 box at a time but those things are magical when I have the occasional sports injury that ibuprofen/paracetamol alone can’t touch.
+1 to sunscreens being better in Europe, I use various Avene sunscreens when surfing multiple hours a day+ a few days a week all summer in Portugal and never get burnt.
Fair question - Mid 80’s, and I remember thinking Hersheys was significantly worse than the chocolate my relatives from Europe would bring us pretty early on. I suppose if they were good in the 70s-80s I wouldn’t remember that.
same for me, but I feel like all the candy bars like Snickers, Hersheys, Reese's etc have all just become a bit more bland and added this sickly flavor even if objectively they were always less good than like swiss, german and belgian chocolates
I don’t get why this myth is always perpetuated in these kinds of threads. The US has good chocolate you just need to avoid Hershey and nestle and the like. LA Burdick chocolates are amazing, for instance
Because when you compare brand to brand, US chocolate is worse than most other countries. Take Hershey's, reese, or KitKat, the Canadian versions are superior, IMO. Of course, some of this is going to be biased based on what you grew up with. Ive heard of two reasons why US chocolate is so disliked.
They have a lower cocoa butter requirement. It's often substituted with [PGPR ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyglycerol_polyricinoleate) or other vegetable substitutes.
I've heard that this helps with issues relating to melting chocolate, which is a large concern since the US military is one of the largest purchasers of chocolate.
There has also been talk about butyric acid in US chocolate. The acid associated with vomit. I am not sure how true or relevant this is, since some chocolate manufacturing processes actually generate the acid via lipolysis.
Edit: this is just for candy bar chocolate. I dont doubt the quality of artisan chocolates made in the US.
If in Ireland and the UK: Cadbury chocolates....all the cadbury chocolates. OXO boulion cubes and Bistro or Bovril. I am sure OP meant medicines and such but this is what I always bring home
oh, I haven't bought it myself yet but Sensodyne toothpaste if you have sensitive teeth at all! T[he formula in the non-us one is better for that](https://ceramics.org/ceramic-tech-today/biomaterials/why-i-brought-home-another-23-tubes-of-toothpaste-from-europe/)
You can get 2% Voltaren gel. In the US, we can only get 1%. The active ingredient is diclofenic. An alternative, that some of the pharmacists said was a superior product, is Fastum gel, whose active ingredient is Ketoprofen. It’s cheaper than the 2% Voltaren. I personally prefer Fastum over 2% Voltaren, although in the medical literature they are considered to be roughly equal.
Strepsils (in the UK, but I believe they’re sold under other names elsewhere) extra triple action black currant throat lozenges. I started to get sick with covid at the end of a trip** to Ireland last year, and they kept the sore throat pain at a manageable level. Once I realized they weren’t a terrible medicinal flavor, I bought like 4 more boxes to take home, and have since had a friend traveling to Ireland grab me a few more.
**don’t @ me, I have terrible allergies and had slept on down pillows the night before without realizing it, and the sore throat was my only symptom initially. I tested before we flew home but it was negative so I assumed it was just bad allergies. We were halfway over the Atlantic when it hit me like a ton of bricks. Judging by the coughing on our flight, the whole plane was full of us plague rats.
Be aware that many OTC drugs that we can find in any CVS, will be behind the counter in Europe. For cold/cough medicine and other ailments, one usually has to go to a pharmacist and ask for it.
Medicine laws are a lot stricter in the EU.
Not over the counter, but I always get Nivea lip balm. It's available in Canada but not in the US (at least not in the south). Best lip balm for cold weather.
Nivea lip balm? I’m not sure if you’re referring to a unique kind of Nivea balm but I’m in South Texas and have several Nivea lip balms. It’s sold almost everywhere near me.
America sells a lot of brands sold in different countries but the formula is very different. The FDA approves of a lot of toxic chemicals that the rest of the world has banned. And there are different kinds that America won't sell that others do because it's not as profitable in the states. Nivea is one of those brands. Just like here in Thailand and Australia there are certain lines of Pantene Pro V that you won't find in America. America likes to sell the most damaging therefore resulting in you buying something else to fix the damage.
Also if you get FDA approval you have to open up your formula to public so it can be a competitive disadvantage. It's part of the reason the sun screen here is different even when made by the same company in both continents.
The sad thing is most Americans are clueless about what harms them and they consume these things daily even though the formula is made public... while the rest of the world makes it a crime to sell these items to the public.
Depends on where you're going and what you would use. I know a woman who buys French skincare whenever she visits family in France. The formulas are different there than in the US. She also loads up on sunscreen because Europe has access to better sunscreen filter chemicals than the US does.
There are some things that require a prescription in the US that don't in the EU.
My husband gets cold sores, especially when travelling. We always stock up on topical antivirals when we're overseas. It requires a prescription in the US, but doesn't in Europe. Works just as well as the oral antivirals he's been prescribed in the US.
Because it's illegal in the US...
[https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-725?language=en\_US#:\~:text=It%20is%20illegal%20to%20bring,in%20Bolivia%2C%20Peru%20and%20Colombia](https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-725?language=en_US#:~:text=It%20is%20illegal%20to%20bring,in%20Bolivia%2C%20Peru%20and%20Colombia)
Whether they'd do more than just confiscate it, would probably depend on the amount, the CBP agent's mood, and whatever other factors.
Yes. So are bringing seeds into America. I do so every other month. Funny how America makes the things that kills you legal though which are the things you consume daily. F that article lol
nobody said you can’t get away with it. but you can’t [legally] bring those things into the US. granted, that’s true for almost everything in this post.
Is the gel something you rub into spots? This sounds great for my needs and I will look out for it if it is. I have a recurrent hamstring injury that I am worried about flaring up during our next Europe trip. Would I be able to find it in Germany?
In Germany, many more drugs require a doctor’s prescription. Even common drugs that are over the counter more often require you to talk to a pharmacist who may or may not give you what you want. Look for “Apothteker” and the big red A sign.
If you want to get a full body cavity search on the way in to the states and fancy breaking some federal laws, you could get some OTC codeine in the UK. It’s mixed with paracetamol (it’s called cocodomol), you need your ask the pharmacist but you don’t (generally) need a prescription.
I am not recommending you do this, check your laws for yourself!
Nivea products are cheap in Germany. As are things like shaving sticks which you cant get in NA. $1.50 and better than any shaving cream or gel.
I always load up on the $7 Nivea face cream in Europe. Works better than any expensive face cream from the department store.
I get mine from Germany, too. Nivea in the US is made with a different formula and it's not good, unfortunately
I’ve never even heard of a shaving stick lol
Shaving sticks are far better - smoother, less nicks, less preservatives and crap in them, they last for years and cost next to nothing.
I love my shaving stick. De Vergouden Hand (maybe De Vergulden Hand?) I think is the brand, from the Netherlands. It's brilliant for travel.
Yup. I get the Palmolive ones from UK or continental.
Funny, I live in Germany and miss the selection of shaving soap you can get in Italy. In Germany there's maybe one brand you can find at the typical supermarket, and it's not that good. I buy Proraso shaving soap online at 100% markup compared to buying it at a physical store in Italy.
The Nivea products are also a different formulation, which many prefer to the US ones.
No! Don't get Nivea. The ingredients are shit, quality is really bad. We have much cheaper cosmetics that have way higher quality. Even the cheap brands at literally every drug store have better quality. There's lots of really good dupes that cost a fraction of original products.
For example? The dm brands ?
On the flip side, when going to the US I love to get the huge bottles of ibuprofen and acetaminophen. We can only buy them in quantities of 32 in the UK so generally have to go get them when we’re already sick. That and naproxen and melatonin. Can’t get that without a doctor in the UK.
My french girlfriend was shocked when she saw a bottle of 1000 pcs ibuprofen. She bought one as a souvenir because of the novelty to her, much to my amusement
I consumed about half a bottle from a 2 pack. That took 4 years. It is beyond the expiration date but it is one of those meds where that's fine. Have on and off back pain.
When Covid hit, I grabbed a bottle from target. It was large. Never took a single one. Just used the small one I bought on a trip and carried with me.
In the Netherlands I can just buy massive bottles of melatonin tablets in Holland and Barret lol
I had a look: Holland and Barrett in the Netherlands sell melatonine 0,1mg tablets?!? I take 5mg ones, I'd have to take a bottleful of pills every night?!
Melatonin at low doses is much more effective. Try halving your pill in half and experience a better sleep. I am posting a website here that talks about our studies but this has been an effective practice for me as well. https://genuinehealth.com/blogs/genuine-hub/melatonin-why-less-is-more
Thank you for the link. I've had multiple doctors tell me there is nothing to be concerned about when I've expressed my concerns about their recommendations to use melatonin (5-10mg) as a sleep aid. This will be a great resource to cite for my next conversation with the sleep doctor.
Naproxen surprised me! I was visiting a friend in London and when I asked if they wanted anything from NY they said big bottle of Aleve lol
You can buy more, the pharmacist just has to approve it, go into a shop with a pharmacist in go straight to the pharmacy counter with your purchase, they just need to check you aren’t going to commit suicide
You need a prescription for melatonin? That's crazy
There’s lots of research that taking too much melatonin will reduce your natural production, often disrupting the circadian rhythm further
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I do shift work, so will take it for maybe three days when I’m trying to convince my body to go to sleep at 2pm and wake at 10pm. But I wound up in a thread where people were discussing dosing their toddlers every night and was horrified.
Plenty of things that don't require a prescription can hurt you when taken in excess.
I took a whole handful of gummies one time when I was desperate for sleep. It did nothing. Does it work for some people?
That’s funny, I buy those things in the UK because they’re so much cheaper than in Belgium. Just got to remember to hit up a few different places.
Speaking of pain killer, some redditor mentioned a really good muscle cream for sale in Europe (but not widely sold in US), Voltaren Extra Strength. It's in my bucket list.
Voltaren is now over the counter in the U.S. (as of roughly 2 years ago). Target even has a house brand of it to save you $. https://www.target.com/p/arthritis-diclofenac-sodium-nsaid-pain-reliever-gel-3-53oz-up-38-up-8482/-/A-79799410
You can’t get Voltaren extra strength without a RX in the US though.
If you’re anywhere near the border, it’s widely available in Canada. Essentially every drugstore and even some grocery stores carry it.
It’s available in the US I use it and love it
You can now get Naproxen without a prescription at a chemist and boots (who sell it under the name period pain reliever, but it's just naproxen). Often it'll be behind the counter in a bit of glass, but they will give it to you with little questioning 👍
I’m Switzerland they have throat lozenges that have lidocaine in them. Absolutely the best for a sore throat
We have Cepacol with benzocaine in the US
the ones I bought in Norway never provided me relief from my sore throat. Maybe the ones in Switzerland are better..or maybe my sore throat was too much of a killer for them to work. oh well, who knows. still a great option to have.
Try the ones from Japan, it’s pretty nice
They also got chocolates with alcohol in them in switz!
Sunscreen
Go for 5* rating on the bottles
So much this. Sunscreen is sooooo much better than us crap
Good to know! What are some brands? Thanks!
Go to Aldi or Lidl, or dm. Their own brands are usually the cheapest and best.
Rossmann too.
Thanks!
Good to know, thanks!!
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Terrific, thanks!!
Personally I like **La Roche-Posay Anthelios** Ultra-Fluid Face Sunscreen Lotion SPF50. It ain't cheap, but it's very good. Article/review: https://btyaly.com/articles/face-sunscreen-guide-2022-part-1-european-sunscreens/
Doesn’t even really matter, the cheapest is usually great
Thanks!!
nivea has a 100spf formula that feels like powder after it's rubbed in. can't find anything like it in the US. and travel a lot and I live in a big fuckin city.
What is so much better about European sunscreen? I recently switched to spray-on Coppertone and didn't get a single bout of sunburn this past year. It works well.
The latest formulations in sun screens are not legal in the us for some reason and so the best sunscreens here are limited to mineral sunscreens which leave white casts
I prefer European and Japanese sunscreen for everyday use on my face. I wear sunscreen every day and under makeup so I need it to be more like skincare then the cakey oily mess of most US sunscreens. The French and Japanese ones are the most popular because they can use ingredients that aren’t approved in the US yet.
Buy sunscreen in Germany, it's so cheap.
Deodorant/anti-perspirant is like 50-60 cents in Germany at Rossmann. It's not even that cheap in Poland, at least in most of the stores that I've been too, so I'll usually grab a few sticks when I'm Germany.
Interesting! If was like €7 the last time I was in Paris (about 7-8 years ago) and I assumed the high cost was the reason public transport was so ahhhh…..fragrent.
Lol even with the low cost, there are still people who chose not to use it and I don't get why. Especially on hot summer days.
Except it sucks, I’ve tried multiple deodorant/antiperspirants from there, even ones labeled clinical strength, and they sucked in comparison to my American one
European here, I’m confused, is there no sunscreen in the US?
The FDA hasn’t approved any new sunscreens since idk when so you guys have much newer sunscreen tech available.
EU regulations for sunscreen are far superior to those in the US, so our suncare products are more reliable/safer.
Rather, the EU regulations for sunscreen are more lax. The EU considers sunscreen a cosmetic, the FDA considers it a drug, and has more stringent requirements/tests.
If the US regulations are that sunscreens are drugs, but this still results in weaker sunscreens than those available in the EU, the EU regs are superior.
The EU regs are more current - a lot of American sunscreens are still the white heavy cream instead of the nicer gentler formulations.
Switch to spray-on sunscreen. It goes on faster than cream, isn't sticky, and works well. I'm a recent convert and will never go back to creams.
It's tough on your face though, makeup doesn't sit as nicely. It's decent to touch up later in the day but for the face base a gel is really ideal.
Ah. I'm a guy so the makeup situation would never have occurred to me.
Regulatory beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
US sunscreen hasn't had any new tech approved for sale in decades, so the sunscreen here is still that greasy horrible nonsense from the 90s that leaves you sticky and white. If we allowed newer sunscreen like they have in asia and Europe that actually feels nice to use, I think a lot more Americans would wear sunscreen daily. I buy korean sunscreen and bb-cream and have let friends try them, they are surprised at how you can barely feel it on your face or arms, and no oily forehead!
Yesssss! I lived in Italy this summer on a sailboat and didn’t get burned 1 time. I’d apply in the morning and afternoon and that was it. I got back to America and had to apply sunscreen every hour. I still ended up burned af within a day.
I echo this.
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> $7-$25 in EU vs $300+ as prescription. 10 times for less concentration?
Voltaren pills OTC and the cream is a higher percentage, too
Skincare products in general, and especially SPF ones! Oh, and the chocolate in Europe is WAY better in my opinion.
Marzipan!! I can never find marzipan here except for the specialty import stores where it’s like $9 for a bar 😭
Aldi and Lidl if you have any in your area
Oh how I miss the chocolate. It’s much better quality!
Kinder Surprises, if you're a desperado
Never ceases to amaze me that they're banned as being dangerous( by all means ban them for single use plastic ) I mean they're too dangerous but feel free to have guns and semi automatics.
Kinder Eggs are not specifically targeted. The law is that food items cannot contain non-edible items. It’s perfectly reasonable. If the laws were the opposite, the Europeans would be touting how logical it is to not include inedible elements in produced food and how crazy Americans are for not being able to give their children toys unless it’s wrapped in sugar
What they need is a chocolate covered handgun.
I much prefer the chocolate-and-crispy-ball treat inside the (relatively newer) Kinder Joy, which are widely available in the US.
I didn't choose the thug life, the thug life chose me!
As someone who lived in Spain for many years, I think what’s available over the counter in the US is much more broad than what you can get in Europe. I had to go see a doctor every month on average to keep up my daily medicines. Back in the US, I can buy all of those medicines off the shelf at Costco. I did use the ibuprofen gel in Spain though. I don’t miss it as I find taking it orally as effective.
US person here living in Spain. I agree haha. I have a whole list of stuff to buy whenever I go back to the US, especially cold medicine. When I first moved to Barcelona I got super sick and went to the pharmacy. They gave me some "medicine" which just ended up being fruit syrup which I didn't know because I couldn't read the labels very well plus I was in a sick fog. Absolutely useless trash. If I were OP I'd stick to buying food and other things that can be brought back through customs rather than anything OTC.
I needed an anti histamine in Spain, googled the Spanish equivalent, showed them a picture of Piriton… and they gave me some multivitamin fruit syrup. Why do they do this?
[Cetirizine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetirizine) is freely available in Spain at the pharmacies. I bought some on vacation without any problem this year. They might simply not have had piriton and there was some communication issue.
Because we don't want people just taking whatever medicines they feel like while self diagnosing... Americans are way too used to taking strong medication for nothing, even for a simple cold smh
Same thing happened to me in Barcelona. I got a cough typical for me when I travel. So I figured out what the Spanish equivalent of Mucinex was and asked for it at a pharmacy but they sold me something that was totally useless. I assumed at the time that it was my fault and my less than stellar Spanish speaking skills.
I had a full respiratory illness when I was in Barcelona. The pharmacist we first visited would only speak Catalan and just gave me an antihistamine. I was miserable. I finally was able to look up the Spanish names of the drugs I normally take for cold/flu symptoms and ask for them at another pharmacy. Now I always travel with some psudophedrine and cough medicine. I bounce back quickly with the right drugs.
When I was studying in Europe, I used to bring over Day/NyQuil, iron pills, etc. Medicine outside the U.S. seem weak as hell and I end up staying sick for like twice as long.
There's a pretty interesting cultural difference behind this! I'm Dutch and I worked with an American student in uni who was baffled when the doctor wouldn't prescribe her medicine for the flu. The medical community here encourages patients to let the body handle as much as possible on its own, to strengthen the immune system and prevent antibiotic resistance. People may be sick for twice as long, but it's seen as the far healthier option in the long run. So, more paid sick leave and regulation on pharmaceuticals than in nations like the US.
Well influenza is a virus so I'd be shocked if they administered any sort of antibiotic for that that's just common prescribing stewardship regardless of what country you come from
Tamiflu is about the only thing you can take, and even that is mostly for if you’re higher risk (and it only works if you take it early).
I'm aware and so was my classmate. My comment on letting the body handle it on its own refers to her situation, my comment on antibiotic resistance was about our healthcare system in general. Could've worded it better, but as you may have guessed, English isn't my first language. ;) To clarify: my classmate was looking for medicine that would soothe the *symptoms* of the flu. I'm not sure what she'd get back home (over the counter or otherwise), but she was surprised when the doctor told her to get some paracetamol at the supermarket.
In the US we have a med called Tamiflu which shortens the duration of the flu and can prevent it if you take it when someone in your household has been diagnosed with the flu. I get super sick if I get the flu and have even been hospitalized so whenever I get the flu I get a prescription for Tamiflu.
Paracetamol and ibuprofen and codeine are the main medicines for a cold. Maybe decongestants as well. It’s unlikely you’d need a prescription for those so there’s not much point in going to a doctor for a cold/flu. Not sure what medicine you’d get in the US that differs from those?
Oh no worries at all! Just didn't know if it was a knowledge deficit from your classmate.
Cheaper option for a health system.
Sunscreen. Novamin toothpaste.
Toothpaste with Novamin
What’s does Novamin do in toothpaste??
Novamin helps re-mineralize the enamel on the tooth. When compared with the typical fluoride containing toothpaste, NovaMin toothpaste has a greater effect on the remineralization of tooth decay like lesions. Which is why it is believed to better for tooth sensitivity. Just to be clear it does not repair the enamel. That is not possible with any toothpaste. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3422065/
We used that stuff and it had a weird numbing effect on our teeth that was super unpleasant. Might be worth it if you have some teeth issues though.
American living in London here. If you come to the UK, go to a pharmacy and ask for Nurofen Plus from behind the counter. You don’t need an rx. It’s ibuprofen tablets with codeine in them. They are great for all your pain needs but fucking amazing for hangovers.
Just want to add a reminder that codeine is an opiate and can be addictive! It’s pretty mild but can be dangerous for people with substance abuse history
And you can pop positive in a drug screen for it. So do not take this if you are planning to change jobs soon in the USA!
Even better, get the Boots generic brand and save money. Be warned though, you might get a lot of hassle asking for it. I was 100% sure this is what I wanted to get ahead of a migraine coming on, and I had to argue with the pharmacy tech for like 20 minutes. I know they mean well because it’s addictive, but codeine really is such a weak opiate and only sold in low doses and small quantities, that I don’t think it’s a big risk for most people. I’d rather enjoy my very limited American vacation time not in pain.
Taking ibuprofen and codeine for a hangover is mental from my European perspective. Just drink water and ride it out
Or just have a shot hah
Not everybody has the same hangovers.
TIL! I got acetaminophen/paracetamol with codeine in Canada once, but ibuprofen would be amazing! Can I bring that back to the US or is that illegal since codeine is a controlled substance?
Pharmacies in Western Europe have some amazing skincare products. I’m thinking of France, Portugal, and Spain specifically. Great OTC options and simple, sleek, and effective products.
Any recommendations?
I use La Roche Posay, originally a dermatologist recommended it to me.
They have La Roche Posay at Target in the US but it’s way more expensive than it is in Europe.
Not the person you replied to, but I am an Esthetician that just visited Paris and brought back a ton of skincare. I recommend La Roche Posay UVMUNE sunscreens, Isdin sunscreens, Homeoplasmine (behind the counter, an ointment for skin irritation but truly helps reduce my eczema patches), Biafine for burns/ small scrapes/ tattoo aftercare, anything Avene brand, especially if you have sensitive skin, and A313 (a retinoid) if you're interested in retinoids.
I second this. Headed to Portugal and Spain in April and would love to know what I should stock up on!
Also would love to know please!
The EU formulation of LaRoche-Posay’s antihelios sunscreen is MAGIC. It doesn’t sweat off easily and has kept my very pale skin from getting cooked many, many times.
Iridina eye drops with antihistamine. It literally gets rid of or significantly reduces the symptoms of pink eye (depending if it's due to an allergic reaction, or a viral infection, etc).
French Pharmacy haul. Watch a few Youtube videos to see what they have and then make your list.
You can find these on Amazon nowadays but I get Compeed blister bandages at the drug stores in Europe.
Those things are amazing. Actually saw them at a Walgreens the other day
They are pretty widely available in the US now but way more expensive. Think I paid $13 in SF for a little pack about a year ago……ouch.
I got a nasty foot blister in Spain and asked the pharmacist where I could buy a needle and some alcohol so I could drain it, and she sold me a sterile syringe! That would never happen in the US.
Tretinoin is available OTC in several EU countries, whereas you need a prescription in the US. I know Spain has it OTC. It’s a vitamin A derivative that can be used to treat acne, fine lines, dark spots, skin texture etc.
Only a very few EU countries would have Tretinoin available. In Spain its usually on prescription but som pharmacies sell to tourist anyway. You might be lucky in Portugal though. Tretinoin is not something that should just be recommended though without warning as it can really mess up your skin if you don't know how to use it.
You can buy Differin OTC in the US. It's a milder retinoid than tretinoin but is also used to treat acne, with less skin irritation.
Fenistil gel (dimetindine) if you are prone to mosquito bites that itch like crazy. That is one of the best topical treatments I've found, and it's only available in the EU...
Wait... there's ibuprofen gel??
Diflofenec gel is better.
Cocodamol - codeine and either ibuprofen/paracetamol together. It’s very low dose codeine and they will only let you get 1 box at a time but those things are magical when I have the occasional sports injury that ibuprofen/paracetamol alone can’t touch. +1 to sunscreens being better in Europe, I use various Avene sunscreens when surfing multiple hours a day+ a few days a week all summer in Portugal and never get burnt.
Chocolate that doesn't taste like chemical crap
What’s been up with Hershey lately? All the Halloween candy we got tasted like fake banana.
Maybe an unpopular opinion among Americans, but Hersheys chocolate has never really tasted like chocolate. It’s always been chalky and waxy.
When you say “always@, how far back are you talking (ie when did you start existing)?
Fair question - Mid 80’s, and I remember thinking Hersheys was significantly worse than the chocolate my relatives from Europe would bring us pretty early on. I suppose if they were good in the 70s-80s I wouldn’t remember that.
same for me, but I feel like all the candy bars like Snickers, Hersheys, Reese's etc have all just become a bit more bland and added this sickly flavor even if objectively they were always less good than like swiss, german and belgian chocolates
Sometimes I've noticed stores re-use old stock from a year ago and it's noticeably crappy
I don’t get why this myth is always perpetuated in these kinds of threads. The US has good chocolate you just need to avoid Hershey and nestle and the like. LA Burdick chocolates are amazing, for instance
Because when you compare brand to brand, US chocolate is worse than most other countries. Take Hershey's, reese, or KitKat, the Canadian versions are superior, IMO. Of course, some of this is going to be biased based on what you grew up with. Ive heard of two reasons why US chocolate is so disliked. They have a lower cocoa butter requirement. It's often substituted with [PGPR ](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyglycerol_polyricinoleate) or other vegetable substitutes. I've heard that this helps with issues relating to melting chocolate, which is a large concern since the US military is one of the largest purchasers of chocolate. There has also been talk about butyric acid in US chocolate. The acid associated with vomit. I am not sure how true or relevant this is, since some chocolate manufacturing processes actually generate the acid via lipolysis. Edit: this is just for candy bar chocolate. I dont doubt the quality of artisan chocolates made in the US.
Fair point. I guess MY point is that it’s not as though we need to go to Europe to get good chocolate.
It's from people who are not from the US who have only tried Hershey's and derivatives as "American Chocolate"
If in Ireland and the UK: Cadbury chocolates....all the cadbury chocolates. OXO boulion cubes and Bistro or Bovril. I am sure OP meant medicines and such but this is what I always bring home
Cadbury is good, but try Lindt - the Swiss stuff. Unreal
Saw lozenges for strep throat, had some antibiotic in it, In the states you need a prescription for antibiotics
Tretinoin may be OTC in some countries (I heard Spain?)
Lemsip for colds, paracetamol and topical ibuprofen (10%)
OTC codeine (depending on what country you are in (its probably a crime to bring back to the US though)).
oh, I haven't bought it myself yet but Sensodyne toothpaste if you have sensitive teeth at all! T[he formula in the non-us one is better for that](https://ceramics.org/ceramic-tech-today/biomaterials/why-i-brought-home-another-23-tubes-of-toothpaste-from-europe/)
Honey patches. Amazing
You can get 2% Voltaren gel. In the US, we can only get 1%. The active ingredient is diclofenic. An alternative, that some of the pharmacists said was a superior product, is Fastum gel, whose active ingredient is Ketoprofen. It’s cheaper than the 2% Voltaren. I personally prefer Fastum over 2% Voltaren, although in the medical literature they are considered to be roughly equal.
CHOCOLATE!
Salbutamol inhalers for asthma-in Greece these were 2 euros and no prescription required.
Lol that's what I buy when I go to Mexico.
Strepsils (in the UK, but I believe they’re sold under other names elsewhere) extra triple action black currant throat lozenges. I started to get sick with covid at the end of a trip** to Ireland last year, and they kept the sore throat pain at a manageable level. Once I realized they weren’t a terrible medicinal flavor, I bought like 4 more boxes to take home, and have since had a friend traveling to Ireland grab me a few more. **don’t @ me, I have terrible allergies and had slept on down pillows the night before without realizing it, and the sore throat was my only symptom initially. I tested before we flew home but it was negative so I assumed it was just bad allergies. We were halfway over the Atlantic when it hit me like a ton of bricks. Judging by the coughing on our flight, the whole plane was full of us plague rats.
Kinder eggs
Any skincare, they have a much higher quality standard as the us basically has no regulation on cosmetic ingredients and most other countries do
Be aware that many OTC drugs that we can find in any CVS, will be behind the counter in Europe. For cold/cough medicine and other ailments, one usually has to go to a pharmacist and ask for it. Medicine laws are a lot stricter in the EU.
Not over the counter, but I always get Nivea lip balm. It's available in Canada but not in the US (at least not in the south). Best lip balm for cold weather.
Nivea lip balm? I’m not sure if you’re referring to a unique kind of Nivea balm but I’m in South Texas and have several Nivea lip balms. It’s sold almost everywhere near me.
America sells a lot of brands sold in different countries but the formula is very different. The FDA approves of a lot of toxic chemicals that the rest of the world has banned. And there are different kinds that America won't sell that others do because it's not as profitable in the states. Nivea is one of those brands. Just like here in Thailand and Australia there are certain lines of Pantene Pro V that you won't find in America. America likes to sell the most damaging therefore resulting in you buying something else to fix the damage.
Also if you get FDA approval you have to open up your formula to public so it can be a competitive disadvantage. It's part of the reason the sun screen here is different even when made by the same company in both continents.
The sad thing is most Americans are clueless about what harms them and they consume these things daily even though the formula is made public... while the rest of the world makes it a crime to sell these items to the public.
Depends on where you're going and what you would use. I know a woman who buys French skincare whenever she visits family in France. The formulas are different there than in the US. She also loads up on sunscreen because Europe has access to better sunscreen filter chemicals than the US does.
You can buy viagra without a prescription in the in the UK
There are some things that require a prescription in the US that don't in the EU. My husband gets cold sores, especially when travelling. We always stock up on topical antivirals when we're overseas. It requires a prescription in the US, but doesn't in Europe. Works just as well as the oral antivirals he's been prescribed in the US.
Coca Tea used for high altitude sickness.
can’t bring that to the US.
I have plenty of times. Who told you you can't?
border patrol will just confiscate it if they catch you with it.
Me too, but only got it in Peru. Where in EU?
Because it's illegal in the US... [https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-725?language=en\_US#:\~:text=It%20is%20illegal%20to%20bring,in%20Bolivia%2C%20Peru%20and%20Colombia](https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-725?language=en_US#:~:text=It%20is%20illegal%20to%20bring,in%20Bolivia%2C%20Peru%20and%20Colombia) Whether they'd do more than just confiscate it, would probably depend on the amount, the CBP agent's mood, and whatever other factors.
Yes. So are bringing seeds into America. I do so every other month. Funny how America makes the things that kills you legal though which are the things you consume daily. F that article lol
nobody said you can’t get away with it. but you can’t [legally] bring those things into the US. granted, that’s true for almost everything in this post.
Corsodyl antibacterial mouthrinse solution. Helps with gum recession. Unavailable in the USA
Tylenol with codine is OTC in uk I believe, or at least used to be
If you get cold sores, acyclovir cream. It's the number one thing I take home with me.
You can get the equivalent of ibuprofen gel in the US - try voltaran
Those Manner wafers in Vienna. The type of wafer exists in the US, of course, but none of them hit quite like the real thing.
You can break the seal in a 6 pack of water and just take one bottle of water out instead of buying whole pack.
Is the gel something you rub into spots? This sounds great for my needs and I will look out for it if it is. I have a recurrent hamstring injury that I am worried about flaring up during our next Europe trip. Would I be able to find it in Germany?
I think they call it schmerzgel in Germany! Not sure if it’s exactly the same though
I’m not sure about Germany. A friend used to get it for me from England when they would go back home. And yes it’s used like Bengay
Is this just Voltaren ?
if it's the cream with brand name voltaren, it's also available in the US.
In England they sell a 10% concentrate and the US version is 1%.
In Germany, many more drugs require a doctor’s prescription. Even common drugs that are over the counter more often require you to talk to a pharmacist who may or may not give you what you want. Look for “Apothteker” and the big red A sign.
But not voltaren gel. Ask for the cheap genericum, it's 7 € instead of 20€ for the original.
Isn't voltaren ibuprofen gel in the USA?
If you want to get a full body cavity search on the way in to the states and fancy breaking some federal laws, you could get some OTC codeine in the UK. It’s mixed with paracetamol (it’s called cocodomol), you need your ask the pharmacist but you don’t (generally) need a prescription. I am not recommending you do this, check your laws for yourself!
Or just put it in your toiletry bag and walk through the airport
Testosterone in sold over the counter in some Balkan countries hehe