A Guide To The Beauty Aisle Of Trader Joe's

Here is a guide for those of you who are as intrigued by the beauty section of Trader Joe's as the food. Maybe not as intrigued, because...food. But there are some real gems to be found and almost everything is under ten dollars. It's also Trader Joe's so you can count on being sucked in to their clever marketing efforts. Case in point: bag of potatoes that introduces itself. So kind, so thoughtful.

Mango Body Butter ($4.99)

The smell of this is perfect. Maybe not the creamiest body butter in the world, but it is very hydrating. The main goal when using this is to smell like a tropical smoothie. On that front it delivers.

Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo ($3.99)

There is nothing as refreshing as peppermint in the shower. There is also something refreshing about a shampoo that just washes your hair and doesn't make seemingly impossible claims (mending split ends is farfetched, no?) It's sulfate-free, mildly clarifying, and have I mentioned it smells like peppermint? They also have a body wash in this scent. Just as tingly and refreshing.

Vitamin E Oil ($3.99)

This is a newfound love. The name is a little deceiving as this isn't pure vitamin E oil, it's mixed in with soybean oil. Vitamin E oil is thick and gloopy, so having a base oil makes it easier to spread. Good for winter or before bed. Also a good mixer. Add to jojoba for a thinner oil, coconut oil for a hair mask, or hand cream to boost the hydration. This oil means business so unless you want to look like a greased turkey I'd avoid during the day.

Ultra Moisturizing Hand Cream ($4.99)

This is a hand cream that smells like laundry. Not as luxurious as L'Occitane, but it does perform the exact same. 20% Shea Butter and thick but not greasy. This might not suffice in the dead of winter when my hands truly betray me and become not only ice cold but also as dry and cracked as a desert. As an everyday hand cream I love it.

Blueberry & Açaí Facial Scrub ($5.99)

The standout of everything here, and also the product I was most nervous to put on my face. I generally wouldn't trust a cheap chemical exfoliant (and I never trust a physical exfoliant). This claims to be a scrub, so I was worried it'd be both. However, this really is just an AHA exfoliant; it contains citric acid, malic acid, and lactic acid, as well as colloidal oatmeal and shea butter. It smells very strongly of blueberries.

I would compare this scrub to the Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme mask or the Kate Somerville Exfolikate. This happens to be a fraction of the price and delivers amazing results. It makes my skin buttery smooth and isn't irritating or harsh. It's a quick treatment, I leave it on for about a minute at night and my face glows the following morning.

I am fully on board with a budget-friendly AHA scrub that smells like blueberry jam and can be purchased alongside cauliflower rice and mini peanut butter cups.

How To Relax And A DIY Body Butter

It occurred to me the other day as I was watching Friends on Netflix as a means of relaxing after a stressful day, that I was not actually relaxing. All the stress of my day had not dissipated, but was lingering under a heavy blanket of distraction. Don't get me wrong, there's a time for binge-ing Netflix. But in order to truly relax I needed to be in the present moment. Sans social media and late 90's sitcoms.

I used to relax pretty effortlessly. I would light incense, put on a guided meditation, listen to music, dance in my room, go on walks. The day it stopped being so natural for me to relax was the day I got an iPhone. Suddenly I had other things to do to distract from stress.

To actually bring yourself peace, you have to put in effort. Maybe it's driving to a yoga class, playing an instrument, meditating, taking a bath, or listening to a Tara Brach podcast (!) We all have an activity that focuses us in the present moment and brings us a sense of peace.

And it's important to realize that being entertained endlessly by the constant stream of new information in the internet world will most likely not bring us peace. We must occasionally step away from these pleasures in order to de-stress.

For me that means running a bath, listening to Joni Mitchell and/or the Pride and Prejudice soundtrack, and lighting my favorite candle in the world (Bath and Body Works Marshmallow Fireside). Post bath, I slather myself in body butter because we all know that moisturizing is the best possible form of self-care.

Hence, the following recipe, and the reason you probably clicked on this post in the first place.

Not pictured: The grapeseed oil I used, and another glass container full of body butter because this recipe makes enough to last months. Or share, if you're feeling generous.

This is without a doubt the best body butter you'll ever use and is all natural. I usually steer clear of anything that starts with the letters "DIY," but this is worth the effort. I got the recipe from Wellness Mama and altered it slightly.

Ingredients:

1 cup Shea Butter

1/2 cup Coconut Oil

1/2 cup Grapeseed Oil (or another light oil)

10-30 drops of essential oil

1. Melt the shea butter, coconut oil, and grapeseed oil in a glass bowl over boiling water

2. Let cool for 5 minutes, and add essential oils. Use more if you want the body butter to have any fragrance. I used 25 drops of lavender but the overwhelming scent is more "health food store" than lavender. Doesn't bother me.

3. Let it cool in the fridge for about an hour until it's partially hardened.

4. Whip with a kitchen aid or hand mixer for 10 minutes, until it's light and fluffy.

5. Transfer to glass jars and set for another 10 minutes in the fridge.

The consistency is whipped but melts into a delicious creamy oil when warmed between the fingers. You only need a tiny bit to cover your whole body, it melts almost instantly into the skin and is so ultra moisturizing that I actually feel inclined to use it every day. Unlike any other lotion or body butter I've owned, which have all been relegated to the dark, sad corners of my cabinet.