5 Hair and Skin Care Products I Currently Can’t Live Without

I spent a few lonely days this month keeping myself occupied while my boyfriend was out of the country for work. While he was away, I tested some new products and, of course, I had my cats and friends for company, and not to mention you lovely readers!

I thought it was high time to share some of the hair and skin care products I’ve been absolutely loving lately, so here they are. A lot of these are things I didn’t necessarily expect to like, but now I’m singing their praises.

1. Dove Advanced Regenerative Nourishment Serum-in-Oil

When Dove Advanced Regenerative Nourishment Serum-in-Oil ($5.99) caught my eye, I was interested…but I wasn’t convinced I actually needed it. I only wash my thin, often flat hair once or twice a week to avoid excess oil, so adding more oil to my hair wasn’t something I was inclined to do. But it has actually helped.

Normally I use about one pump, and then I flip my hair upsidedown and massage that through my ends — but only my ends, and maybe to around the middle of the length of my hair, but never to the roots.

That’s been the key to not having the oil increase the oil already atop my head.

My ends do tend to get a little brittle at times, and Dove Advanced Regenerative Nourishment Serum uses a mixture of palm, coconut, sweet almond, and sunflower seed oils. Oddly enough, it actually does leave my ends feeling light and fluffy.

2. KMS California Dry XTreme Hairspray

I don’t have a ride-or-die hairspray, so I usually bounce from brand to brand. KMS wasn’t a brand I’d previously heard of before, but now thanks to KMS California Dry XTreme Hairspray ($19.50) it’s one I will definitely repurchase from.

This hairspray tames my flyaways and still leaves me able to run my fingers through my hair at the end of the day. Seriously, there’s nothing more annoying than trying to brush your hair or run your fingers through your hair quickly and actually pulling out strands. 🙁

3. Ponds Evening Soothe Cleansing Towelettes

When my boyfriend was out of town, I spent a lot of time with friends, and that often involved being out late. Several of my friends are leaving the city after graduate school, so I took the week to spend time with people I haven’t seen in a while. Getting back to my apartment at 2 a.m., though, didn’t leave a lot of time for skin cleansing.

I mentioned liking the original scent Ponds cleansing towelettes in my post about wearing makeup at the gym, and the Evening Soothe ones ($5.49) are just as great when your skin needs a quick cleansing.

Like the regular ones, they aren’t the best at taking off my makeup, but as far as getting off that grimy feeling from the subway and the city in general, they’re top notch.

4. Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Cleanser

For a more rigorous cleansing, I’ve been turning to Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Cleanser ($9.99), which I use in tandem with Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser. When my skin is feeling extra clogged, or when I’m dealing with pre- or post-menstrual acne, Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Cleanser is great. The jelly-like consistency is also tons of fun, and the cleanser isn’t overly dehydrating (also, they brand is super eco-friendly!).

Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Cleanser Active Ingredients: Salicylic Acid 1% Inactive Ingredients: Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Propanediol, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Caprylate,Polylactic Acid, Charcoal Powder, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract*, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract*, Cucurbita Pepo(Pumpkin), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract*,Aspalathus Linearis (Rooibos Tea) Extract*, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Iron Oxides (CI 77499), Alcohol, Fragrance. *Certified Organic Ingredient

5. Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Mask

Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Mud Mask ($15.99) is an excellent precurser to the cleanser, but the thing is, if I don’t stop myself, I might tend to overuse this mask.

It contains an array of fruit and vegetable extracts, like tomato (obvs), but also aloe, watermelon, and…lentil?

I’ve never seen lentil used as a beauty product ingredient before.

Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Mask Active Ingredients: Salicylic Acid 0.5% Inactive Ingredients: Water, Propanediol, Bentonite,Kaolin, Glycerin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Galactoarabinan,Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe) Leaf Juice, Charcoal Powder, Allantoin,Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta (Lentil) Seed Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum (Tomato) Fruit/Leaf/Stem Extract*, Gingko Biloba Leaf Extract*, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin), Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract*, Aspalathus Linearis Extract*, Xanthan Gum, Iron Oxide (CI 77499), Alcohol*, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance. *Certified Organic Ingredient

I think this mask could be a dupe for the Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask. I’ve tried both, and I honestly like this one quite a bit more. My skin feels softer and cleaner afterward.

I hope you try and enjoy some of my…enjoy-ables! Have you used any of these before? Let me know!