LeLang is not found in supermarkets. It is not found on marketplaces. In Italy, it is purchased from partner pharmacies and para-pharmacies and, for those who do not have one nearby, on the website. I am often asked whether this is a branding choice, a way to seem more exclusive.
It is not a branding choice, but a functional one. A functional dermocosmetic product only works if it is chosen for the right skin and used in the right way, and the only place where this choice is made with someone in front of you is at the counter.
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Elisa Avalle · Founder and dermocosmetics specialist
The channel through which you sell a product is part of the product. A formula designed to be recommended, placed on a shelf with no one beside it, is something else.
Langhe, October 6, 2026
What the counter can do that a shelf cannot
Someone walks into a pharmacy and says, “I have sensitive skin.” The pharmacist does not give them the cream for sensitive skin: they ask what they are using now, how long their skin has been getting red, and whether it burns or feels tight. In two minutes, that generic statement becomes useful information, or leads to a referral to a dermatologist.
That is the point: the difficult part of giving advice is not knowing the products, but understanding which one concerns the person in front of you. A functional formula, with active ingredients at carefully studied concentrations, performs at its best when someone has done this work before the purchase. Without it, there is a risk that it will be used on the wrong skin, or in the wrong way, and judged on the basis of a result it could not deliver.
The pharmacy is not a niche channel
Sometimes people who hear me think that choosing pharmacies means giving up on volume. In reality, pharmacies are the second-largest cosmetics purchasing channel in Italy: according to Cosmetica Italia, pharmacy sales exceeded €2.2 billion in 2025, with around €1.5 billion of that relating to skincare.
According to the forecasts for 2026, presented in September, the pharmacy channel is growing by 3.5%, more than the average for the domestic cosmetics market, estimated at 2.3%. These figures tell us something simple: people looking for a skincare product and wanting advice already know where to go.
“We do not sell in pharmacies because it is elegant. We sell in pharmacies because that is where someone asks the right question before making a sale.”
Why we are neither in mass retail nor on marketplaces
This is not a judgment on those who are there. Every channel has its own logic, and some products work perfectly well on their own on a shelf or in a search results page. Ours do not, because they were designed for a different journey.
There is also a matter of consistency toward the pharmacies and para-pharmacies that work with us. If a pharmacy invests time in learning about our formulas and explaining them to its customers, that work must be protected. We cannot ask a pharmacist to recommend a product and then compete with them using the same product elsewhere. We addressed the issue of margins in dermocosmetics, from the pharmacy’s perspective, in the article on the average discount in dermocosmetics.
So why does the website exist?
Because not everyone has a partner pharmacy nearby. The network began in Piedmont and expanded to Lombardy and other regions, but it does not yet cover all of Italy. For those who live far from our points of sale, the website is the way to access the products.
The website also has another purpose: providing information. Here I write about how formulas are created, what the regulations say, what works and what does not. When there is a partner pharmacy or para-pharmacy in your area, my advice is always the same: buy there, because that is where you also get the conversation.
Consultation for those who live farther away
For those who do not have a nearby counter, we have created a free 15-minute online consultation, which I conduct myself. We look at your skin and current routine, and decide where to start. It does not replace a pharmacist, but it tries to do the same work: start with the person, not the catalogue.
What we ask of partner pharmacies
We ask for time, more than space. Time to learn about the formulas, to know which active ingredients they contain and why, to recognize when a need is cosmetic and when it should be referred to a doctor. In return, we work only with them and do not put them in competition with other channels.
Our protocols, too - the LeLang skincare sets with several products designed to work together - are available all year round in partner pharmacies and para-pharmacies, not just online. The most popular is the one for deep wrinkles.
Deep Wrinkles Protocol The protocol is suitable for all skin types. The products are applied from the lightest to the most structured to pro... Discover Deep Wrinkles Protocol
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy LeLang?
At partner pharmacies and para-pharmacies. If there is not one near you, on the lelangskincare.com website.
Why is LeLang not on Amazon?
Because in Italy we have chosen to sell only through partner pharmacies and para-pharmacies and our website. This choice is related to the type of product, which needs to be recommended, and to respecting the work of the pharmacies that distribute it.
Are cosmetics sold in pharmacies different from those sold in supermarkets?
From a legal perspective, no: all cosmetics sold in Europe comply with the same Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. The difference lies in the type of formula, which is often more functional, and especially in the presence of a professional who provides advice.
I am a pharmacist. How can I work with LeLang?
You can find the information on the Become a partner pharmacy page.
Elisa Avalle is the founder of LeLang Skin Care, specializing in dermocosmetics at the Universitat de Barcelona. She founded the brand in the Langhe for Italian pharmacies and para-pharmacies.
Sources for this article
01 Cosmetica Italia, Pharmacy Cosmetics Group: data on the pharmacy channel in 2025, presented at Cosmofarma Exhibition, Milan, March 31, 2026
02 Cosmetica Italia, Study Centre: 2026 forecasts by channel, presented at Milan Beauty Week, September 16, 2026
03 Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cosmetic products
On the website: where to find LeLang · skincare recommended by AI · how I choose the active ingredients in LeLang formulas · LeLang protocols
