Taking good care of your hair and skin is unbelievably important. Although this may not be the case for everyone, I find self-care to be beneficial for my self-confidence. Cosmetic companies make it their mission to tell you how great their products are in comparison to others and why you need their products to improve your livelihood. With so many companies spouting the same slogans, trying to find what products are worth buying becomes immensely difficult.
During the height of COVID, I became fascinated with skincare and whether or not the products I had been using were safe for my skin. My obsession with well-known Youtuber and skincare specialist Hyram fed my interest. I would spend hours watching his videos and making notes of products to buy, products to avoid, and ingredients I should pay attention to. Not only that, but I’ve dyed my hair more times than I can count, so I’ve tested my fair share of hair care products. I’ve spent years throwing money at the cosmetic industry so you don’t have to (or at least, not anymore). These are the products I swear by and think you should also try!
Skincare
Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 ($38)
Wearing SPF is vital in protecting your skin from aging, sunspots, and skin cancer. As a Floridian with pale skin, I’m at the top of the list for risk of sun damage. I loathe the feeling of sunscreen on my skin and the white cast so many brands leave. I did some research about the best daily facial sunscreens for oily skin, and Supergoop was a prime contender. This cruelty-free and reef-safe SPF is one of the most remarkable finds of my life. It sets on the face similar to a primer and is entirely sheer while protecting against the sun.
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser ($16.99)
You have probably either heard of, seen or tried this product for yourself. I am a die-hard fan and user of this product. I have been lucky in not dealing with acne that was not hormonal for most of my life; however, I have very oily skin. I have tried countless products from the drug store, Sephora, and dermatologist’s office, but none compare. A few months back I bought a new face wash supposedly made for oily skin from Massage Envy after a facial session. No words seem a better fit to describe this product than saying it sucks. Whenever I return home and use my CeraVe, my skin feels refreshed and is far less oily than after using the product I keep at my university.
Hair Care
VERB: Ghost Shampoo and Conditioner (both $20 individually)
I could not speak more highly about any hair products than I do Verb’s Ghost collection. I have been dying my hair since I was 13, meaning I’ve spent 6 years trying different hair products made for color-treated hair. No product has ever performed as Verb’s Ghost collection does. I specify this specific collection because I had a completely different result when using their hydrating line, it did not give the color care results I was hoping it would. The inconsistency isn’t necessarily a bad thing, the products are just made for two different purposes. The Ghost products are immaculate in protecting color-treated hair from fading, tripling the last of salon color in my hair.
Eva Nyc Therapy Session Hair Mask ($16)
This is a new purchase for me, but it has already worked wonders on my damaged hair. I am currently trying to recover my hair from the damage bleaching had on it. This product smells and feels AMAZING.