Are you ever mid-shower, look down at the products you’re using, and realize you’ve been robotically cleansing with the same stuff for years (if not decades)? I don’t know about you, but my shower regimen recently resembled the same one my mother taught me how to cleanse with. In other words: It was in need of a serious upgrade. After all, this time is a source of major self care—so why not make it more adult?
After slowly making the all-natural beauty switch to mimic my healthy diet (RIP dairy for the sake of my skin), it became time to stock my bathtub with the same quality of products I use in my skin-care routine. As a beauty writer, though, I’m (happily) bombarded with all sorts of shiny, new beauty finds on the market—so it’s a bit overwhelming to figure out the my shower MVPs. Slowly but surely, as I’ve started to transition to a good-for-me shower routine, I’ve found a whole new slew of products that I am head over well-moisturized heels in love with.
Read on for the five products that now live on my shower shelves and that I cannot, will not, and don’t ever want to live without.
The body wash
Love, Beauty + Planet Murumuru Butter and Rose Body Wash, $7
First of all, the bottle is so pretty that every time I get in the shower I’m tempted to Instagram it. It also happens to be made out of recycled plastic, so it’s a lovely nod to the environment. More important than what’s on the outside, though, is what’s on the inside—it’s made with Amazonian murumuru butter and Bulgarian rose oil, which makes it light on lather and heavy on moisture. It also happens to smell like a bouquet of roses, so much so that I’ve stopped wearing perfume since I started using it. I’ve become a total weirdo who regularly sniffs my skin, but that’s a side effect I’m willing to live with.
The facial cleanser
This is not your usual bar of soap. It’s made with clean ingredients like heilmoor clay (a great skin detoxifier), bamboo powder (a star exfoliant), and marula oil, which is uber-hydrating. Basically, it does it all—and it’s the perfect pH level that supports your skin’s barrier. The best part? It lathers, but doesn’t leave your skin dry post-rinsing—so it provides a squeaky clean without that dry squeakiness.
The scrub
Nyakio Kenyan Coffee Body Scrub, $35
Just because you’re cutting back on coffee doesn’t mean you can’t rub it all over your body. This Nyakio scrub is made with Kenyan coffee, which is rich in antioxidants, shea butter, and baobab oil—a combo that exfoliates and energizes skin to leave it looking brighter. The recipe was borrowed from Nyakio’s grandmother, a coffee farmer who had been using a DIY version of the scrub to cleanse her own skin for decades. Plus, there’s something about sniffing coffee in the a.m. that makes you come out feeling even more bright-eyed than usual (always a plus).
The shampoo/conditioner combo
Function of Beauty, $49
There’s something about customized beauty products that feels luxurious. Function of Beauty allows you to essentially design your own paraben, sulfate, and toxin-free haircare system via a survey about what your locks need (pretty brilliant considering all the different hair types out there). For a frizzy, dry-headed girl who has split ends, my personal formula helps nourish and moisturize my strands while somehow keeping them from going totally rogue when the humidity hits. Plus, you get to pick what color you want your shampoo and conditioner to be, which is just undeniably fun.
The lotion
SheaMoisture 100% Virgin Coconut Oil Body Lotion , $11
As fab as coconut oil is, it’s tough to not get all over yourself and the bathroom. Thankfully, Shea Moisture’s coconut oil lotion delivers the same level of hydration—minus the mess. Regardless of the season, it instantly transports you to a tropical beach (that smell!). It’s thick and creamy, but your skin will drink it up immediately upon application, which leaves your skin smooth and not at all slick or greasy.
Clean up the rest of your beauty routine with our easy guide to going au natural. And while you’re at it—the best kept secret ingredient that you should also have in your shower products is (drum roll please)… magnesium.
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