Which Health and Beauty Products Should I Bring to Spain?

 

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Dear Steph,

As you reach the final stages of preparing to move abroad (in which the suitcase finally comes out and the nerves kick up), you may be wondering which of your favorite products to bring with you and which ones to plan to purchase in Spain once you arrive. It’s a tricky balance to strike as many of the health and beauty items we use on a daily basis are large liquids that cannot be packed in a carry on and will therefore weigh heavily on our checked-bag weight limit (pun intended).

If you’re in need of some tips to help you avoid paying overweight fees and packing more effectively, check out our beginner’s pro-packing article here and our master packing instructional video here.

If you’re still scratching your head over what to do with those brand name (but heavy) products you swear by, today is your lucky day! A fellow reader and follower of the blog asked us this very same question and so we set out to check the exact prices of a wide range of the health and beauty products you’re likely to be curious about, too. Thanks to the help of Jennifer, we were able to draw up a list of price comparisons so that you can see what some of the brands and items you’re used to buying in the US will cost here in Spain. To our surprise, when you work out the exchange rate, almost everything was relatively the same price, but there were a few outliers. Also, keep in mind that the prices on the products here in Spain include the tax whereas in the US they do not. For the sake of full-disclosure, prices were checked in Granada, Spain and the Chicago suburbs so you may find some variation according to your region.

 

Here’s what we found…

Product	Brand	Price in Spain (€)	Price in US ($)	Details – Spain	Details – US	Or Get it Online!
Sunscreen	Nivea	18.30	16.61	SPF 50+ (400 ml)	400 ml	Order
Sunscreen	Nivea	15.50	14.45	SPF 20/30 (400 ml)	Protect and moisture 200 ml	Order
Sunscreen	Hawaiian Tropic	11.50	7.99	SPF 15 (177 ml) -spray	6 oz bottle	Order
Sunscreen	Hawaiian Tropic	12.90	7.99	SPF 20 (177 ml) – spray	6oz bottle	Order
Make-up Wipes	DeMak Up	2.55	4.99		Neutrogena	Order
Make-up Wipes	Mercadona	1.00	5.49		Olay	Order
Foundation	Lancome	33.00 – 42.00	35.00 – 47.00			Order
Face Mosturizer	Clinique	55.00	39.00 – 52.00		Price depends on size	Order
Exfoliator	Neutrogena	15.40	8.00	Visibly Clear Spot Proofing Daily		Order
Face Wash	Clean and Clear	6.75	4.99	3-in-1 Blackheads		Order
Face Wash	Clean and Clear	7.10	5.99	Daily (silver tube)		Order
Body Lotion	Dove	6.99 – 7.75	10.99	Two-bottle offer, 800 ml total		Order
Dry Shampoo	Batiste	2.99	7.99			Order
Dry Shampoo	Schwarzkopf / Kallos	1.99 – 2.99	4.88		Dove brand	Order
Salon Shampoo	Bed Head / Cat Walk	9.95 – 12.95	15.95 – 19.00		Joico shampoo 15.99	Order
Salon Conditioner	Bed Head / Cat Walk	9.95 – 12.95	15.95 – 19.00			Order
Conditioner	Pantene	4.25	3.97			Order
Shampoo	Pantene	4.10	3.99			Order
Mascara	Sephora	18.99	12.00	Waterproof		Order
Liquid Eyeliner	Kat Von D	19.90	22.00		Stila brand	Order
Mosturizer	Cetaphil*	19.85	14.49	Mosturizing lotion (face-only)		Order
Toothpaste	Colgate	2.70 – 3.50	3.99	Max White		Order
Toothpaste	Colgate	2.15 – 3.50	1.49	Total Original		Order
Mouth Wash	Listerine	4.80 – 5.50	5.49 – 5.99	Prices vary depending on flavor	Prices also vary depending on flavor	Order
Men’s Razor	Gillete	16.15	11.49	Fusion Proglide Power		Order
Body Spray	Axe	3.80 – 3.99	3.99	Prices vary depending on scent		Order
Body Wash	Axe	3.80 – 3.99	5.66	Prices vary depending on scent		Order

*We were only able to find this brand at the parafarmacía, which is a non-medical ‘pharmacy’ that sells more natural medicinal products, so just be diligent in your search!
 

 

Where can you find these products in Spain?

It’s very important to note that not all of these cosmetics are available at the same store (sorry, Spain still hasn’t jumped on the Target train)! Instead, you have to know where to look and where to find the best deals on particular items. Here are some places to get started:

1.) Cosmetics Stores aka Perfumerías: These stores sell more than perfumes and will likely have the health and beauty item you’re looking for (and they have men’s products too!). PRIMOR is one of our favorite perfumerías and we would venture to say they have the best selection of products. While on our price-check outing, we asked about some of the salon brands and were directed to a third floor the we previously hadn’t known existed! This place is a perfumería, parafarmacía, and productos de peluquería profesional (professional salon products outlet) all in one.

2.) El Corte Inglés: When it comes to international brands, sometimes your best bet is the Corte Inglés. Like any department store, you’ll find a huge selection of different makeup brands (think Clinique, Estée Lauder, Lancome, etc) with stands and salespeople ready to pounce. You’ll probably spend a little more here, but you’ll have the best luck finding the exact product you’re used to back home.

Pro-Tip: Head down to the pharmacy section and even what you would consider the grocery section for your sunscreens, face washes, and other toiletries.

3.) Mercadona and other grocery stores: While you won’t find as many of the brand names you’re used to, don’t completely overlook the supermarkets! They tend to stock face washes, shampoos/conditioners, and even makeup at very competitive prices. It may be a bit of trial and error to decide what it is you like out of their selection and what you prefer to splurge on elsewhere, but there are some definite scores—the most notable being the 1€ packs of makeup remover wipes at Mercadona!

 

Hope that the information helps you decide what you’re going to pack with you and what you can safely plan to purchase once you’re living abroad. If there are any particular brands or products you’d be curious to know about (or if you’re in another country you’d like us to provide a comparison for), send us a message or drop a comment below. We’d love to collaborate on another price-check for you—same goes for non-cosmetics, too!!

Feel free to let us know about any of your other packing woes, we’re happy to help!

 

Sincerely,
Spain