From Seoul to Paris, pharmacies and beauty stores have become must-visit stops for travellers hunting cult sun cream formulas.
Before her last trip to Seoul, Caitlin Francis-Agnew spent weeks crafting her itinerary, including stops at Olive Young, South Korea’s premier cosmetics retailer. Her objective: to buy as much Korean sun cream as she could haul back to Canada.
In Lakeland, Florida, Anna Clark is preparing for her family’s summer trip to Cartagena. She sends me a Google Maps screenshot, where she’s highlighted the route to Colombian pharmacy chain Farmatodo. “An eight-minute walk from our hotel. I will be stopping by,” she writes. She will buy viral EU sun cream formulas available abroad but not in the US.
Gone are the days of bringing home destination-themed fridge magnets. For a growing number of beauty enthusiasts, sun cream has become the must-have holiday souvenir.
