What a Cosmetic Chemist (and Sunscreen Expert) Buys at the Drugstore

Listen, I love a fancycleanser. But would I spend $80 on a cleanser? I don’t know about that. I absolutely love this cleanser, and it’s so inexpensive. It’s fantastic. This is honestly as good as any expensive one. It’s not super-drying or -stripping, but it cleanses really, really well. What I really like is thelackof ingredients. It’s very minimal and doesn’t have a lot of common irritants, so it’s perfect for anyone who has sensitive skin.

I use PanOxyl’sacne wash for breakouts. The benzoyl peroxide is the key ingredient in this one. A tip for this product: If you deal with body odor, use it on your armpits or anywhere else in the shower, leave it for a minute or two, and then rinse it away. It’s going to helpdeodorizethat area since benzoyl peroxide is antibacterial. It’s great for face and acne but also for armpits, groin, or anything that has odor. Make sure that you really rinse it off well, though, because it will bleach yourtowels. The benzoyl-peroxide towel-staining phenomena is a reality for anyone who’s used those products. It’s very frustrating. And if you’re worried about benzene being harmful, in my professional opinion there isn’t enough evidence to suggest that benzoyl peroxide becomes cancerous in a shower environment. Even with the benzene in those products, after heating for a long time consumers would need to consume the entirety of the product to be exposed to all of the benzene present. However, if anyone wants to exercise an abundance (and an unnecessary level) of caution, they can keep any BPO products out of the shower or hot cars.

This is basic. It’s Cetaphil, but it is great for moisturizing the face and body. It comes in an enormous tub. It’s not super-greasy. It’s got a lot of those standard ingredients people look for: a little bit of niacinamide, panthenol (good for sensitive skin), andglycerin. Even though the texture is quite rich, it’s not superheavy. It doesn’t feel like you’ve just slathered on gross, greasy body cream. They really nailed the texture and how it sinks in. Some people are like, “I can’t use the same thing for both the face and body.” It’s all totally fine. I’d say if you have really oily skin, then it might not be the best, but if you’re normal-to-dry skin, then this will work well. It’s just a good one-and-done product. It’s very much something you’d get for a man with a sparse skin-care routine.

Oh my God, this is the best affordablesunscreenhands down. There is zero competition. It’s water resistant, and a lot of water-resistantsunscreensare known to make skin super-shiny or -oily. This is not that at all. It has a perfect natural finish. It’s a chemical sunscreen, so it’s really transparent and works for all skin tones. I use it on my body and face. I’ve never had any of the annoying eye sting that comes with a lot of chemical sunscreens. It comes in a huge bottle, and you can get it in a two-pack on Amazon for 15 bucks. It is perfect in every way. It sounds like Banana Boat is paying me, but they’re not. I just love this product.

[After publishing this article, Sass entered a partnership with Banana Boat.]

We’re getting into summer, and people often forget to putSPF on their lips. It’s still skin, but you don’t want to put normal sunscreen on your lips; that’s insane. I’ve been using this product for years and love it. O’Keeffe’s is just that brand a lot of people associate only withhand creamsand thick hand salves, but trust me on theirSPF lip balm. It is really moisturizing, and it doesn’t have a weird taste. I feel like so many lip balms right now are unflavored, vanilla, or mint for reasons I don’t fully understand. This has a nice orange-sorbet taste that I enjoy.

Nizoralanti-dandruff shampooshave ketoconazole, which is going to be great if you have a dry, flaky scalp and dandruff. It also has evidence that it helps with hair growth. But if you have curly hair like me, then the regular Nizoral can dry out your hair. I use the two-in-one, which has some conditioning ingredients, so it helps your hair not feel as dry afterward. Most people think that you have to leave it in your hair for a couple minutes before rinsing it to get the benefits. You don’t. You can just slather it on your scalp and rinse it out. Basically, it has certain ingredients, along with the cleansing ingredient, that let it seep into your scalp. It’s still going to deposit those ingredients regardless of if you rinse it immediately or let it sit. And you don’t really want to use this on your whole head of hair if you don’t have to. It’s really a scalp-focused product. I’d also say, for most people, you should use it two to three times a week to start out.

People have asked if the Olay retinolbodywashis a scam. They think since it’s aretinolin a wash form, it must be going down the drain. It’s not, actually. It has this ingredient, guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, that has a positive charge and allows the retinol to stick to the skin. It’s a similar technology that happens with the anti-dandruff shampoos and other two-in-one shampoos. The reason why more brands aren’t able to do this is because it’s expensive. Olay is a big multinational, and they have money to spend. So the Olay retinol bodywash absolutely does work. It’s a great gentle way to get retinol on parts of your body that have pigmentation, wrinkles, or crepiness without adding a whole new separate product to your routine. I would say, like the Nizoral, start at two to three times a week and see how your skin reacts. Then you can adjust frequency depending on your results and how you want to tweak things. Just don’t use it on any tender regions, but it’s great for arms, legs, back, and butt.

This works similarly to the Olay retinol bodywash, but hyaluronic acid is the main ingredient. It has that same ingredient, guar hydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, that lets the hyaluronic acid stick to your skin as you’re rinsing it off. It leaves a layer of hydration on your skin. You know how sometimes with cleansing balms, you rinse it off and there’s a residue that’s left? This is not like that. After using this, your skin feels clean but more hydrated. It doesn’t feel stripped or dry. And it pairs well with a good body lotion. You get that extra boost of hydration from the bodywash.