Is An Everything Shower The Cure For Everything??
The best in bath and body (plus my favorite clean beauty sale of the year!)
Shitters! Happy Diwali!!! I’m celebrating with kaju rolls, a marathon of my favorite Bollywood movies, and a PRAYER (you know it’s rough when you gotta drag GOD into it).
Anyways, before we get into it, I have a PSA! We are officially entering peak beauty sale season, starting with Credo’s 20% off sale! Credo stocks so many of my favorite skincare and beauty brands, plus their discount is more than what most people will get during the upcoming S*phora sale, so IMO it’s always worth a browse! A bunch of the things mentioned in today’s letter are part of the sale (I’ll denote everything from Credo below with one of these *), but I’m also including a few of my all time favorites at the end!
On to today’s programming! “Cure for everything” might be a stretch, but I’ve never left a long hot shower feeling worse than I did before, which has to count for something?? Whether you’re ruminating on the universe, having a good old fashioned shower cry (I’m not above it), or taking a minute to yourself away from everything beyond the bathroom door, showers are for more than just getting clean. Today’s letter is a rundown of the best of the best shower and body care staples, from the splurge-worthy to the steals. These are the things that turn the mundane into a treat—think of it as the blueprint for your best everything shower!
Pre-shower
A true “everything shower” starts before the water’s even on. Every few weeks I’ll use this botanical oil blend* as a scalp treatment, ideally letting it marinate for a few hours before washing my hair (perfect for a lazy Sunday). When I want serious body exfoliation, I use Lilis’s Instant Peel (PRIYANKA10) just before getting into the shower—it gently sloughs away your dead skin, and then you wash it off once you’re in the water. I also swapped my showerhead for Jolie’s filtered one recently—it makes the water feel like velvet! Depending on the water where you live, it’s worth checking out.
Bar soap
Perhaps unexpected, but I love an exfoliating bar soap. Flamingo Estate’s is amazing—they’re splurgy, but the bars are at least 3-4x the size of a normal one and smell divine (this buffing bar is similar in feel, but regular-sized/much less expensive). I find the Soft Services bars to be a little rough for everyday use, but if you deal with keratosis pilaris (small bumps on your arms/thighs/etc.), they’re supposed to be very helpful!
Body wash
My all-time favorite body wash is by Maude—this particular scent is my dream combination of eucalyptus, sandalwood, cassis, and Haitian vetiver, plus it’s pH balanced, so I feel safe using it on my entire body (it also doubles as a bubble bath!). My mom asked for a rec recently and that’s what I sent her, so you know it’s good! If you prefer the feeling of a scrub, I love this one by Goop*. I think of it as grown up St. Ives (I could not be trusted with that stuff as a child, I would squeeze half the bottle in one go). Honorable mention to Salt & Stone (PRIYANKA15)—these last forever, have a great feel, and come in the best scent combinations. My favorites are Saffron & Cedar and Neroli & Basil.
Face Wash
My life got better when I decided to keep a dedicated cleanser in my shower. Whether you shower in the morning, post-workout, or at night, it saves a little time and is just nice to have! I prefer a gentle gel cleanser for this—my go-to is this one by Dieux (PRIYANKA15). I also keep Josh Rosebrook’s balm cleanser* in there to remove makeup during night showers. When I double cleanse with those two my skin feels incrediiiiible.
Sidenote: I’ve included them throughout, but all of our discount codes live here. From EBY bras to Crown Affair leave-ins to Lemme gummies, you don’t have to wait for a sale to save on so many of our favorite things!
Bath Enhancements
I think of a bath as the ultimate little luxury, and a great spot to read a book or even just to work through your inbox. I’m trying to get in the habit of doing that instead of couch rotting every so often. I mix a few things depending on what I’m in the mood for, but my menu includes Saint Jane’s Bath Salts for a treat (the scent is heavenly and the packaging is gorgeous—A+ gifting material), these Magnesium Flakes via Amazon for something similar-ish but less splurgy, these eucalyptus pebbles (drop one into the tub to turn your bath water into silk), and this Mountain Pine Bath Oil (PRIYANKA15) (another fabulous gift! Smells incredible and looks so nice on a bath caddy!).
Hair Care
If it’s not a hair wash day, this is a lifesaver, and if it is one, this is. Not much has changed in my routine since this letter went out a few months ago, but tl/dr: Goop’s Whipped Salt Scrub* is my go-to when I need a deep clean, this deep conditioning mask (PRIYANKAACR20) could turn straw into silk (and a single tub will last you years), and if you haven’t tried yet, Roz’s Shampoo and Conditioner* are my favorite for soft hair (this gift set lets you save on their best staples!).
Hair Removal
I’ll be honest, I’m lasered from the neck down, so shaving isn’t a part of my daily routine, but I do need to touch up every so often, so I keep this razor in my shower. I used to use men’s ones, but the blades on this are smoother/ less likely to nick your knees IMO!
Body Moisturizer
If you’re not slathering your body post-shower, I don’t know what you’re doing. My favorite recent discovery is solid moisturizer—they’re the best for when you’re feeling lazy post-shower because you don’t have to rub them into your skin. Kate McLeod’s body stones are the gold standard—they’re WAY more concentrated than most lotions, and are especially nice for the dry winter season (these two are my favorite scents). Splurgy, but this from UBeauty (PRIYANKA20) makes your body glow like you’re in an ad—I consider it a pre-event essential! And depending on your scent preferences, these from Oak Essentials and Uni* are really nice too. I know we’re not quite into gifting season, but a luxurious body moisturizer is one of my favorite ways to treat a friend, especially this time of year!
Body Oil
Is this an essential if you already use moisturizer? No! But it’s an amazing substitute, especially during the colder months. This one by OSEA* is the OG, and was mentioned by name by two of the new mom friends I spoke with for this gift guide! If you like a marine scent and heavy duty hydration, I highly recommend! When I have the time, I use this wooden tool with the oil for a little at-home lymphatic drainage. (P.S. If you’re spending over $75, you can get 25% off on OSEA here with PRIYANKA25.)
Robes
Post-shower robe time deserved its own category! I have more robes than I am willing to publicly admit, but if you made me pick just one, it would be this waffle version. So light, SO soft, so quick to dry—it’s perfect. Less traditional, but I also reach for this one alllll the time—it’s the snuggliest thing ever and so nice to spend a lazy day in! Also, this from Crown Affair (PRIYANKA15) is the best for drying unruly wet hair. I’ve been wearing my hair wavy/natural much more often lately and I have this to thank!
Other Credo Favorites!
This fragrance was the single most popular item the last time I wrote about this sale. My five minute face lately is basically all at Credo—this OG foundation stick, a dab of these bronzing drops (they have the most natural look, though the shades run deep IMO—I wear shade two), a swirl of these powders (I combine the blush and bronzer shades—it has such a pretty velvet finish on the skin), and a brush of the brows with the end of this easy eyebrow pencil. This Root Lift Spray is 100% going in this year’s Most Wonderful Shit of the Year. And I forgot how nice a little eyeliner is for an event or night out! I love that that one is clean/safe for the eyes. More in the letters below:
