There was a time when I was so obsessed with hair and body stuff that I often got my foot bruised in the shower. (Hear me out.) I had so many bottles and tubes of body wash, shampoo, conditioner, scrub, body oil, etc., and occasionally one of the them (or two;;) would drop from the cluttered shelf and land on my poor foot. True story.
Those days are long gone. I can't believe I used to even blend essential oil with unscented shampoo and conditioner. Now I just stick with simple drugstore things that seem to work just fine for me.
Um, I still like varieties. Which is why I usually have 2-3 different shampoo/conditioner sets and more than a few body wash in my shower booth. Here are the ones I've been happily using lately. Some of them were repurchased many times, too.
For an Asian woman who has quite typical Asian hair, I am not really into Asian hair stuff. They are relatively easy to find where I live because many Korean/Japanese markets carry them. Of course they work nicely for me, but I find them a bit one-dimensional and scented quite boringly with the generic musky florals. On the other hand, the domestic drugstores offerings are far more interesting to me, and my low maintenance hair usually leaves room for me to be more adventurous.
L'Oreal Vive Pro Nutri Gloss Shampoo & Conditioner
L'Oreal discontinued this to revamp their hair care line for worse. There were many varieties in the old Vive Pro range, but Nutri Gloss was by far the best thing for me even compared to more expensive stuff. (Did I also go through a high-end hair care phase? You bet.) The combo leaves my hair silky smooth, lustrous, and bouncy. The fragrance is something of magic as well (I'd describe it as a creamy floral with a hint of amber) and apparently boys love this. I was so sad because the new L'Oreal hair care stuff didn't do anything for me, but luckily I found a bunch of the old ones from a discount store. I hauled as many as I could and stored them in a cool dry place. Long live Vive Pro Nutri Gloss.
OGX tsubaki blossom Shampoo & Conditioner
OGX is either hit or miss for me. This one, I like a lot although I still like the Argan oil ones better (it smells like Dior J'adore minus the sharp initial notes). The tsubaki blossom shampoo cleanses very thoroughly, almost as well as a clarifying shampoo, but it doesn't strip moisture. The conditioner softens rather than coats my hair with some synthetic flims. The scent is a lovely floriental which many seem to be crazy about. I think it's nice, but nothing mesmerizing or anything. I choose this combo whenever my hair feels oilier than usual.
John Frieda Sheer Blonde Lustrous Touch Shampoo & Conditioner
Obviously, I am not a blonde but I like John Frieda Blonde lines in general. Their Brilliant Brunette is my all time favorite, but I've used more than a few different sets from the Sheer Blonde range as well and found them all satisfactory. They smell clean and refreshing, and work especially nicely for my summer hair. No, they don't turn my hair lighter.
Milbon Nigelle LX Active Cleansing & Deesee's Treatment
Not from drugstore, but these are actually salon stuff made by a Japanese manufacturer called Milbon. Rotating different shampoo & conditioner sets helps minimize build-ups. On top of that, I use Nigelle LX once a week. It is a clear gel type clarifying formula that is quite effective. I also use Deesse's treatment once a week but only on the ends for extra softness. It smells like white peach.
Johnson's baby head-to-toe wash & Original moisture wash
Johnson's baby Vanilla Oatmeal moisture wash & Honey Apple baby wash
And, I use baby wash. They are cheaper often containing nearly identical ingredients (if you have time, compare the ingredient lists of Aveeno baby lotion and daily lotion. Or you can just trust what I say here), and they work well. Some of the Jonson's baby stuff smell so good and even sexy, don't you think?
I've gone through countless bottles of Johnson's head-to-toe body wash. This is truly a great all purpose cleanser. It has been reformulated into a more slippery liquid with less attractive scent recently, but still is a beloved basic for me.
Johnson's baby moisture wash is slightly more moisturizing than Johnson's baby wash although they both come in pearly liquid formulas. The powdery clean scent of the original pink is something I revisit often although I usually get tired of it after using up a bottle. This time I bought the Vanilla Oatmeal scent which is one of the most comforting and yummiest things you can find in the price range. Honey Apple is refreshing and sweet that is perfect for spring/summer, but I like to use this as hand soap.
Not pictured, but CeraVé moisturizing lotion is pretty much the only thing I put on to moisturize my body. It works wonderfully all year round for me because I don't particularly suffer from dry skin. I mix unscented sweet almond oil with CeraVé during the cold months.
I am not using any scrub or body exfoliator at this moment and haven't taken a bath in a long time, either. That might have to change in winter, but I think I am fine for now.
How about you? What have you been using in your shower lately?
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