Beauty fans go wild for Turkish pharmacies - including collagen-enriched shampoo that local women 'swear by'
- TikTok creators are hailing Turkish pharmacies the new French pharmacies
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French pharmacies are known the world over as being a haven of chic beauty and skincare brands.
But if TikTok is anything to go by, Turkish chemists are also something of a goldmine for beauty fans.
Content creators have taken to the social media platform to share their impressive beauty hauls and are in disbelief over the low prices of skincare and haircare buys.
'Every girl on this app [TikTok] raves about French pharmacies, but Turkish pharmacies are the one,' TikTokker @yas.jd explains in her viral video.
The creator then goes on to share her haul, which consists of active ingredients in handy ampoules, targeted skincare and hair growth-boosting shampoo.
!['Every girl on this app [TikTok] raves about French pharmacies, but Turkish pharmacies are the one,' TikTokker @yas.jd explains in a video](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/14/15/88522607-13719229-image-a-21_1723646793642.jpg)
'Every girl on this app [TikTok] raves about French pharmacies, but Turkish pharmacies are the one,' TikTokker @yas.jd explains in a video
'Pure vitamin C - five bulbs. Pure vitamin E - five bulbs inside,' she continued, holding the products up to the camera.
'Every Turkish girl I know swears by this stuff - it's a collagen and biotin shampoo, which is apparently meant to be life-changing for hair growth.
'After having a baby, I need all the help I can get. So I have high hopes for this.
'Expigment,' she continued, holding which is great for fading acne scars and sun spots. So cheap.
'Lastly, they were doing a deal on my favourite SPF50. Pretty sure I paid £21 in Boots at home, but it was only 600 Turkish Lira, which is £13.90 - bargain.'
The video has resonated, garnering over 100,000 likes on the platform and almost 800 comments.
'They sell also pure retinol (tretinoin) No need for prescription,' wrote one follower in response to the video, while another said: 'The olive oil range - is unbelievable in those pharmacies.'
Another wrote: 'I'm going Turkey in September is there anything else a lady needs to know what to get I'll fill my case up.'
Turkish pharmacy hauls are proving to be a big trend on TikTok, with millions of social media users viewing videos showcasing pharmacy bargains.
![Vitamin E and C ampoules have proved popular with beauty fans](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/14/16/88522669-13719229-Vitamin_E_and_C_ampoules_have_proved_popular_with_beauty_fans-a-35_1723650354454.jpg)
![Another top pick was shampoo with added colleagen and biotin](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/14/16/88522665-13719229-Another_top_pick_was_shampoo_with_added_colleagen_and_biotin-a-34_1723650354425.jpg)
TikTok creator @yas.jd has had almost two million views on her Turkey beauty haul video
![TikTok creator @roxanne_simpson19 also picked up a shampoo with added keratin and argan](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/14/15/88522397-13719229-image-a-24_1723646834078.jpg)
TikTok creator @roxanne_simpson19 also picked up a shampoo with added keratin and argan
![TikTok user @roxanne_simpson19 was in disbelief over the bargain prices in Turkey](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/14/16/88522455-13719229-TikTok_user_roxanne_simpson19_was_in_disbelief_over_the_bargain_-a-36_1723650354455.jpg)
TikTok user @roxanne_simpson19 was in disbelief over the bargain prices in Turkey
'I went to a chemist in Turkey and this is everything I got. You are going to be like: what - for how much?' TikTok creator @beckymorganmakeup told her followers.
The content creator then continued: 'So I do just want to mention that this is the receipt and it came to 1,934 Turkish Lira,' which she then roughly translated to English currency on screen, visibly shocked by the very reasonable £45 price tag.
In her haul, @beckymorganmakeup shared she'd bought a bronzing spray and prescription-grade skincare Tretinoin, as well as some medical buys like an inhaler and throat spray, which she also commented had low price tags in comparison to the UK
'If you're going away on holiday, make sure you check out the pharmacies, especially if you go to Turkey,' she added.
Another TikTok creator, @itsjustgizem, shared a video titled, 'Everything I stock up on at Turkish pharmacies when I go back to Turkiye.'
In the clip, which shows an array of Turkish pharmacy products, they list moisturiser for dry skin, moisturiser for hands and nails, as well as cream for wounds, scars and sun damage, vitamin C ampouls, vitamin E ampouls, Bepanthen ampouls, hair growth oil and goat milk soap.'
![TikTok user @beckymorganmakeup also stocks up on healthcare essentials when she's in Turkey](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/08/14/15/88522435-13719229-image-a-26_1723647573813.jpg)
TikTok user @beckymorganmakeup also stocks up on healthcare essentials when she's in Turkey
While UK skincare TikTokker @roxanne_simpson19 shared her full haul, featuring vitamin C ampoules, which she claims completely 'reset' her skin and a pomegranate hair oil, which the user said boosts shine.
However, there is a more worrying side to the trend, as picking up prescription-strength skincare abroad can pose some health risks.
'The danger of buying tretinoin over the counter is that customers can opt for the wrong dosage for their skin type, which can do more harm than good,' Cigdem Kemal Yilmaz, skincare expert and the founder of Skin Masterclass told FEMAIL.
'If I were you, I'd first try to find a local physician who is willing to prescribe tretinoin. Maybe someone working in an aesthetic medical clinic.'