In 1861, Napoleon III took the waters at Vichy for the first time. He came back in 1862, 1863, 1864 and 1866, first staying in a house belonging to Isaac Strauss, and each visit came with orders: a railway station, a casino, a church, parks and chalets. A quiet spring town became the Queen of Waters, and in 2021 UNESCO gave it a place on its World Heritage list. Water made a place worth building, long before anyone put it in a bottle.

The skincare brand grew out of that spring. Vichy Laboratoires was founded in 1931 by Dr Prosper Haller, a spa doctor, and Georges Guerin, who ran the perfumer Grenoville. The brand says Haller discovered the properties of the volcanic water in that year and built the company on the belief that the skin is a vital organ. L'Oréal bought it in 1955, and it is still sold in pharmacies as dermocosmetics. I like that history because it explains the tone: a bit clinical, unfussy, organized by skin concern rather than by mood.

The trick is to start with the water, then choose your concern. Mineral 89 is the hero. The brand says it is 89% volcanic water with hyaluronic acid, and the Mineral 89 Eyes gel cream carries the same idea to the under eye. For firmness, the LiftActiv Collagen Specialist 16 Serum is the one to try. For dullness, there is a 16% Pure Vitamin C Brightening Serum. Normaderm's BHA Exfoliating Serum and Daily Deep Cleansing with Salicylic Acid are for breakouts, and the Pureté Thermale micellar water is a gentle first step for sensitive skin. UV-Age Daily Sunscreen finishes the morning.

One rule for pharmacy skincare: pick by the problem you have this month, not by the brand you like most. The French pharmacy counter taught shoppers to think that way, and it works.

La Roche-Posay is the closest cousin. It is also owned by L'Oréal and made for the same kind of shopper. Its Pure 12% Vitamin C Serum is a brightening step for the morning, the Hyalu B5 Eye Serum adds hyaluronic acid and caffeine under the eyes, and the Anthelios Mineral Tinted Fluid is a mineral sunscreen with a hint of tint at SPF 40.

Caudalie brings the vineyard: VinoHydra is a hyaluronic serum, Vinoclean is a micellar water, and Vinoperfect is a brightening glycolic essence for a weekly step in the evening. Embryolisse is the other name I would put on this shelf. The Lait-Crème Concentré is a rich cream and the Hydra-Serum is the lighter, more water-like layer.

A pairing I like: a micellar water in the morning, a serum, then a cream, each from a different brand. Nothing says you need one logo across the whole routine.

What I would skip: adding a glycolic essence and a salicylic serum on the same evening. Give your skin a night off between acids.

Start with damp skin. Hyaluronic acid draws water toward the skin, so it does its best work on a face that has just been rinsed or misted. Apply the serum, then seal it with a cream so the water has somewhere to stay.

The most straightforward one here is The INKEY List's Hyaluronic Acid serum, a plain, no-drama option for a first try. Kiehl's Ultra Pure High-Potency 1.5% Hyaluronic Acid is the one for people who want a stronger dose, and Medik8's Hydr8 B5 uses several weights of hyaluronic acid in one bottle. Facile's Dew You is a gel serum, and Farmacy's Filling Good is meant to plump.

Glossier's Super Bounce pairs hyaluronic acid with vitamin B5 and feels made for a skincare beginner. Drunk Elephant's B-Hydra is another take on the same pair, and StriVectin's Hydration Multiplier adds ceramides for people who want the barrier covered too.

A pairing I like: a hyaluronic serum at night under a richer cream, and a vitamin C serum in the morning under sunscreen. The two routines each have a job.

What I would skip: piling hyaluronic acid onto very dry, dehydrated skin in a dry room without a moisturizer on top. It can leave skin feeling tight instead of plump.

A habit worth borrowing: apply your sunscreen last and generously, two finger lengths for the face and neck. The best SPF is the one you will actually wear before you leave the house.

For a mineral finish, Caudalie's Vinosun Protect is a brightening daily mineral at SPF 50, and Dermalogica's Porescreen is a mineral SPF 40 made with pores in mind. Paula's Choice RESIST is a hydrating fluid at SPF 50, a nice fit for dry or dull skin. Sofie Pavitt's Screentime is non-comedogenic and made for the indoor hours in front of a laptop.

Cell Fusion C's Aquatica is a UV defense at SPF 50 and Ultra Violette's Unblock Screen is a non-acnegenic SPF 50 for people who break out under sunscreen. Tower 28's SOS Faceguard is a broad spectrum SPF 30, and Kosas' DreamBeam is a comfortable, smooth SPF 40 that wears well under makeup.

A pairing I like: a tinted mineral formula on weekdays and a fluid on weekends when you are not wearing makeup.

What I would skip: a sunscreen you do not like the feel of just because it is popular. You will not reapply it.

I think Vichy is at its best when you keep it simple: Mineral 89 in the morning under the daily sunscreen, and the serum that matches your one big concern at night. The brand's own claim is that skin is a vital organ, and I read that as a reminder to treat it consistently, not in bursts.

Then add the rest slowly, one product every couple of weeks so you can tell what is working. Napoleon III returned to the springs four more times after his first visit. Give your skin the same patience, one small change at a time, and note how it looks after a month. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Particle for Men, Skincare Born in a Pharmacy Aisle and Nudestix Explained.