If you have searched for A313, you have probably seen two names: A313 Pommade and A313 Cream. People write to us about this most weeks, usually with the same worry attached: that they have bought the wrong one, or that one of the two is a copy.
Neither is true. Here is what is actually going on.
“Pommade” is a French word, not a different product
Pommade is simply the French word for ointment. It describes a texture, not a separate formula and not a separate brand line. The original French product is sold as A313 Pommade Vitaminée A, which translates to roughly “A313 vitamin A ointment”.
So when you see A313 Pommade and A313 Cream sitting side by side, you are usually looking at the same idea described in two languages. That is the whole mystery.
Where it gets muddled is that some sellers use “Pommade” as though it were a stronger, more exclusive version, and price it accordingly. It is not a different strength. If a shop is charging you a premium because the tube says Pommade, you are paying extra for a translation.
What the texture actually feels like
This part is not marketing, and it is worth knowing before you order.
A313 is genuinely thick. It is an ointment-style base, not a light lotion. Out of the tube it is white and dense, and it does not disappear into the skin the way a gel-cream does. Most people warm a small amount between their fingertips first, which makes it far easier to spread.
If you are used to watery serums, the first application can feel like a lot. That is normal, and it is not a sign that something is wrong with your tube.
So which one do you buy?
Here is the honest answer: for most people asking this question, the difference that matters is not Pommade versus Cream. It is which product in the range fits what you are actually trying to do.
The A313 Cream with Retinol and Vitamin A is the classic. Rich, ointment-style, with retinyl palmitate. This is the tube people mean when they say “A313”. If you are starting out and you want the original experience, this is it.
The A313 Anti-Wrinkle Moisturising Face Cream is lighter. It is a daily moisturiser with vitamin A rather than a dense ointment. Some people use the classic two or three evenings a week and this one on the other nights.
The A313 Eye Serum is made for the eye area, where the classic tube is usually too heavy.
The A313 Body Lifting Cream takes the same idea below the neck.
If you genuinely cannot decide, most people start with the classic tube and add the others later, once they know how their skin responds.
How to tell you have the real thing
This matters more than the naming question, because A313 is copied.
Check that the tube is sealed, and that the box carries a batch code and an expiry date that match the tube. Check the EAN barcode against the manufacturer’s. Look closely at the print quality. Counterfeits are often close, but the text is slightly soft or the colour is slightly off.
And buy from somewhere that can tell you where the stock came from. We are the official distributor for Europe, which means the tube you receive came from Pharma Développement in France, stored correctly, with a full paper trail behind it. That is not a marketing line. It is the entire reason to buy from a distributor rather than from a marketplace listing.
The short version
Pommade means ointment. It is the French name for the same rich texture you get in the A313 Cream with Retinol and Vitamin A. There is no secret stronger version, and nobody should be charging you more for the word.
What you should be checking is not the name on the tube. It is who sold it to you.
