I have been obsessed with any and everything skincare since I could stand on two feet. My mom relayed a story to me recently where one day about 19 years ago, she took her eye off of me one afternoon, only to find a 1-year-old Kate knee deep in her beauty drawer, sampling anything I could get my small, grubby hands on. Nowadays, my friends refer to any pharmacy I walk past as my personal “black-hole,” knowing that if I make any advance into said store, I may never be seen again. To those points, I’ve always been obsessed with the concept of beauty products, the way they look, feel, smell, the effects they leave, and the promises they make but often can’t keep. It’s a rabbit hole I fell into years ago, and have no intention of pulling myself out from anytime soon. The hours I’ve spent delving into this world of product-based self care has become somewhat of my passion.

To my surprise, I recently fell into an even deeper, less unearthed rabbit hole: clean beauty. The concept of “clean beauty” as a whole sounds almost redundant, as if what someone puts on their face wouldn’t be clean in the first place. Not exactly the case, I discovered. There is a whole new market of beauty that always is accompanied by something followed by “… -free,” (from paraben-free, silicon-free, etc) bringing awareness to the fact that all these years the products you’ve been using somehow have a multitude of chemicals and irritants just below the surface of a dense ingredient list. With that, clean beauty has started a revolution of skincare, where less ingredients is synonymous with higher quality.

Unless you are studying molecular chemistry, I highly doubt you could even pronounce half those long-winded, 20-letter words on the ingredient list of nearly any product on a store’s shelf. These words almost act as a disguise for a range of chemicals and other ingredients that should simply never go near one’s delicate skin. The jumble of letters that appear on the back of your every day moisturizer can seem wildly overwhelming, and even after some background checks, there were many times I was still left with questions as to why my products had nearly 50 ingredients (1/2 of which I couldn’t even pronounce on a good day).

All in all, my love of shopping has been a blessing and curse, and due to such an innate addiction, I have accumulated a store’s supply worth of cosmetics. Does this deem me worthy or saying what’s right and wrong in the world of beauty? Absolutely not. However, my passion for not only the beauty industry, which coincides with my extremely meticulous way of selecting a new product for purchase is the sole reason for this piece I give you today.

With all the latest and greatest beauty products surfacing, it woke me up from my “clean skincare blindness.” During my “clean” craze, I did some deep-diving on products I have used in the recent months, and I am thrilled to rave about my findings here with you all.

Here’s to my first post, may it not be the last <3

Note: I back most of these products’ credibility not only from their website and list of ingredients, but by generating an analysis of each ingredient’s effect on health (via the app OnSkin). I am not a skincare professional, this is all opinion based on personal research and preferences. Enjoy!

HAIR CARE

Of all the products I desperately kept throwing into an AI, skincare generator, hair care products were by far the furthest and fewest apart. Luckily, there are a few that make the cut, meeting a range of hair care needs, and wallet needs. Here are a few of my favorites, and ones I have personally tested out myself. For reference, I have always struggled with dry, frizzy hair (which has not been aided with NYC’s insane summer humidity) but these products worked like a charm for mine, and I hope they will for you, too!

Rōz Hair Milk Serum has single-handedly tamed my frizzy hair. No matter what I do with my hair, whether I air dry it or blow it out, there is always a halo of frizz that accompanies my look. This serum has made it so easy to just have a sleek, easy hairdo, without looking greasy or oily.
Rahua Rahua Rahua, I have nothing but a shining review for this brand. Rahua promotes their brand through a testament to pure ingredients, sourced in a sustainable manner. I will be so honest, I was nervous to try out a shampoo that is made entirely out of clean ingredients, because quite frankly, would it be as effective as non-clean shampoos? The answer is absolutely. This shampoo (and conditioner) combination leaves my hair silky and shiny, while actually cleaning my scalp and hair. Match that with their heat spray, and you are honestly good to go for the entire day with silky hair.
Native is a brand that I immediately noticed hit the shelves when it first came out. At least to my early knowledge, this was one of the first brands I saw as a kid that promoted minimal ingredients for a clean, more honest product. Since then, Native has made a home in nearly my entire family’s daily routine, from body care, to deodorant, and even skincare. The brand remains a stable, consistent and affordable clean beauty staple that I will use time and time again.
I don’t know about you, but the Acure line of products was a childhood staple for me. The products are simple, to the point, but genuinely effective. My mom introduced to the line when I was in my early days of high school, and after all these years, it will always be a go-to.

SKINCARE

I have always been lucky with my skin, shockingly due to the fact a good chunk of my middle school years was spent dousing my face in nearly every single serum in my mother’s collection. There’s no reason for a 12-year-old to be using retinol… But, in the last year or so, my skin has started having more issues, a lot more frequently, might I add. Dealing with stubborn acne can be one of the most frustrating things, especially because there are so many unknowns associated with the origins of sudden adult skin issues. Take that issue and multiply it by the fact that I have clinically dry, cracky, flaky, desert-like skin (probably due from living in crisp AZ heat for 18 years of my life), finding skincare that not only cleanses, but doesn’t leave my skin more dried out than before has proven difficult. About a year ago, after a magical facial (using all/only Korean products), and my first ever facial (I had a phobia of people touching my face) I started using mainly Korean skincare. Being mainly water-based, 90% of the Korean skincare brands that I used I found to be extremely clean and effective, and most importantly, ACTUALLY hydrated my skin. Thus, I did extensive research and product testing with a few major brands you can get in the US. Since then, I’ve narrowed down a few favorites that I couldn’t rave more about to pretty much anyone who asks, and sometimes to those who don’t!

BODY/SHOWER

I’ve never been big on bar soap, well up until a few months ago. Bar soap is truly so easy to find clean options for, but things can get a tad tricky with liquid versions. I tried the castile soap options, and unless it’s in a bar soap format, it quite frankly feels like you are washing yourself with laundry detergent. Even after being converted to a bar soap gal, I was still on the hunt for a liquid soap that didn’t want to make me scream when reading the ingredients. To my surprise, a few winners I already knew and loved stood out amongst the rest. Here are my findings:

Acure you’ve done it yet again, nothing more I can say here besides, a 10/10.
Naturium is definitely a new one for me, but I was captivated initially by the bottle’s sleek and almost vintage looking packaging. Out of all the body washes within this line, this Multi-Vitamin Daily Nutrients Body Wash reigns supreme in the clean department. This would be a good option for anyone who wants a straight forward, clean product for body wash.
Baylis & Harding, again (I am a broken record), is a new one for me, as well. As I was perusing Whole Foods three weeks ago, I stumbled upon this body wash, hoping and praying that it wasn’t false love at first sight. When running a check on its ingredients, I was happily granted the information I was looking for (it was very very clean!) I love everything about this liquid body wash, from its natural botanical scent, to the way it lathers. I highly recommend!
Finally, this brings us to bar soap. Up until a few months ago, I was a bar soap hater, I always felt like it left a strange waxy residue. I was converted recently after only having bar soap as an option, and honestly, I was not mad about it. Dr. Bronner’s soap has always caught my eye whenever I pass by a beauty section in a grocery store by its iconic simplistic, yet personal packaging. I would suggest getting the fragrance-free option, but you can’t really go wrong with this brand!

TEA

This seems a touch off-topic, but I swear there’s a connection. I’ve always had a certain hankering for a cup of tea at night, and funnily enough, I have a feeling it’s improved not only the way I feel, but the way I look. Tea has a long history of being utilized in various holistic health and wellness practices, and subconsciously, I had been utilizing myself in a very similar fashion. No matter my mood, a cup of tea always feels right. If I’m feeling extra fancy, I’ll make tea from scratch, which usually entails some fresh ginger, lemon, cayenne pepper or turmeric (depending on the mood of the hour), and some honey. After some light research, I discovered that there are a few types of tea that have studies which show genuine holistic health benefits from consistent consumption. I am biased to a few types of tea myself, and here are some that will always be my go-to’s:

Yogi is one of my favorite tea brands, from their creative tea mixes, to how strongly they taste when brewed. However, you can genuinely find these three teas in some way shape or form with other brands (this just happens to be my favorite and go-to)!
A brief rundown of each tea, when to drink, and why!
Peppermint: extremely effective in reducing bloating, I typically drink this before bed to wake up feeling refreshed
Ginger: same kind of deal with peppermint, but I love to drink ginger tea with a squeeze of lemon and dash of honey when I am feeling a bit under the weather. Ginger has a lot of antioxidants that can help with nausea and bloating, and along with honey, I always feel like it helps with throat pain. You can drink ginger tea whenever you’re feeling a tad bloaty, or just simply craving a healthy, warm drink.
Skin Detox (aka Rose Water Tea): This might just be my new favorite tea on the planet. I saw this on a shelf of a grocery store while I was back home visiting, and swiped it immediately because I am a sucker for an eye-catching marketing ploy. All in all, though, rose powder has several key benefits like collagen production, detoxifying qualities, and even helps with sleep(and for my gals out here reading this, it really helps with period cramps!). I also drink this at night!

SUPPLEMENTS

This is definitely a new category for me in the last year or so, but one that continues to rule the forefront of my every day routine. My mom is the tried and true supplement girl in the family, and the one I credit to putting me onto this health wave. A major fault of mine is how inconsistent I am with routine, I blame ADD, but honestly I am just not disciplined enough to remember to take supplements every day. However, having a few simple ones that you know you can take at the same time each day has helped enormously. Below are a few I have been using for extended periods of time, some for about a year and others just for about a few months. Nonetheless, I have repurchased each time and time again, and here’s why: