What Nurse Injector Vanessa Lee Buys at the Drugstore

I have a few of these and keep them in the house, in my bag, and in a tote to take on the go when I am in a rush. They are great to use for lips, face, and dry spots on the body. Right before I go to bed, I swipe over my lips and my eyelids to prevent transepidermal water loss. We just dry out like little prunes while we’re sleeping. Two out of three of my kids have eczema. So I’m constantly putting it on the inside of their elbows or on their necks, and it helps. It’s so easy and it’s so effective. It keeps the skin moisturized and protected but isn’t too greasy. The stick, in particular, dries down almost matte. The formula is a little more resilient to heat than the formula in the tub so it doesn’t melt when you are lugging it around.

I have been using this since 2012. I’ve been using it since I was pregnant. So it’s the same age as my son. I got a chemical peel and the aesthetician was this chic British woman. She was wonderful. And I was talking with her about post-care instructions — I am an astute student when it comes to post-procedure compliance — and she told me to just use Vanicream. So I use this after treatments and when I am feeling like I need extra moisture in the skin.

What I really love about Vanicream is that it is wonderful for very sensitive skin. As someone prone to breakouts, this one is deceiving because it seems rich and possibly clogging but it keeps the skin nourished and doesn’t break you out. I’m breakout-prone; I have rosacea; I have an oily T-zone. My skin is a nightmare. My staff is always complaining about how we can’t have new products because I’m the gateway. They’ll suggest a new product and then I’ll try it and I’ll say, “Nope, it broke me out. So it’s gonna break out thousands of other people. Let’s not do it.” There are only about three moisturizers that I can use, and Vanicream is one of them.

I started using this product in my 20s when I was young and single and out at the club and day parties. The girls that know, know. The gel oil is what you want for that undeniable glowing skin that catches everyone’s eye when you walk in. You’re walking in radiant and glowing, but you are leaving some trails of bronzer behind. And that’s fine. You have to commit to it. Nothing gives you this kind of deep glow. It’s great for vacation or for an event or if I’m going to be on-camera. I like to put the slightest amount right after I get out of the shower and let it soak into the skin and wait ten minutes before I put my outfit on to avoid any transfer. It comes in a massive bottle, but you need very little. It’s going to last you two years.

I’ve been using Sun Bum for ten years. I have a basket in my foyer filled with Sun Bum. I love all of its products, but this is my favorite on-the-go sunscreen stick from the drugstore. I love a stick. I just came back from using it in Hawaii all week with the kids. Each of my kids has a stick in their backpack. This formula has vitamin E, and it glides on so easily without a greasy feel. It is the perfect lightweight, protective sunscreen stick. It has a beautiful scent — I love the coconut, beachy moment.

You get this cooling effect on the skin. It’s not minty, but it kind of tingles on the skin in a very exciting way. It almost feels like when you put on aloe after a sunburn. It’s so pleasant on the skin, and it makes you look forward to reapplying, where the other ones kind of feel like a drag to reapply. It’s like, okay, I’ve gotta do my duty. It’s time to do this.

This is a new one I have been using. It is a serum-and-oil duo that needs to be shaken up before use. I love the idea of UV protection that also doubles as frizz control and adds shine. My hair type is wavy, frizzy, and apparently, as I’ve learned through TikTok, extremely porous. I only wash and do my hair once a week. So it has to be impactful. I’m not getting a redo two to three times a week. This gives this really beautiful, glossy finish to the hair, almost as if you had a keratin treatment. It’s light but gives a good amount of volume. And it’s like sunscreen for your hair with the UV protection.

Everytime I use this, someone asks what’s on my lips. It gives me a supple and glossy look with the perfect amount of color. I hate talking about dupes because I always fall for them on TikTok and it’s very rarely actually a dupe. But I have used Makeup by Mario’s plumping lip glosses and this is definitely a dupe for that — it might even be better. It’s longer-lasting, and you get so much more product, and it really plumps you. It’s a really interesting color combo with the sheen. It’s kind of cocoa; it’s kind of violet; it’s like a mermaid, oceanic look. I found it at Target. I’m always at Target; I have a billion kids. It’s funny because I’ll use the same products for ten or 15 years, but I am a perpetual consumer, so I’m always trying new things.

I have sensitive skin, and a few “gentle” micellar waters irritate my skin. They always set off my rosacea, but this one doesn’t. It removes any dirt and oil buildup from the day and is the last step after your cleanser. There’s nothing really sexy about micellar water, but for a lot of people who don’t want to do a full double cleanse, it can count as the first step before you wash your face with your regular cleanser. Much less time consuming than two actual double cleanses.

Huge skin tip from an aesthetic nurse who used to work in surgery: Use this to cleanse the underarms a few times a week. It wipes out the bacteria that causes odor. I’ll use it a few times a week. I like it better than using acids under the arm because it’s not as irritating and it doesn’t compromise the skin barrier. I’ve been in medical aesthetics for 17 years, I have a dermatologist and plastic-surgery background, and Hibiclens is used every single day to clean patients before surgery. It’s like surgical-grade cleanser for the skin. So when you use it under your arms, it kills the bacteria that is causing body odor. You’re still going to sweat. Sweat is not the problem. Sweat is not causing any of the actual odor. The odor is from the bacteria multiplying, and this takes care of the bacteria. You are still gonna have your normal sweat glands working for all the granola girls who do want to sweat. That’s totally fine, but you’re not gonna be a stinky girl, you know?

I am so picky about cleansers because I have rosacea and there are so many cleansers that flare me up, but this one is impressive. A gentle cleanser that feels like a nourishing hug for the skin. A lot of cleansers for sensitive skin are milky and don’t leave the skin feeling super-clean. This one leaves you feeling very clean but also very soft and protected. It is a great balance. I found this at a drugstore on vacation when I realized that I forgot my cleanser, and it has been in my skin-care cabinet ever since.

I have super-low ferritin, unfortunately. Everyone was like, “check your hormones, check your hormones.” Had my hormones checked. Completely normal so I thought that I was just going crazy. And then I did deeper bloodwork and found out I just have super-low ferritin, which is the storage iron in your body. So you can have normal iron in your body, but if you’re not storing it correctly, it doesn’t really matter. Your hair is gonna be falling out, your nails are brittle, brain fog, you feel like you’re dying every moment. People told me, “You have to take peptides.” It’s like, no, maybe I just need to take iron.

And now that I am taking supplemental iron, my hair is growing back stronger, my energy levels are up, and my skin is improving. I hate taking pills, so I prefer a liquid iron. It’s slightly metallic with a light berry flavor. But it’s not really thick like cough syrup. It’s a quick shot and you’re done. Pro tip: Have this one hour before a meal for best absorption!

A staple in my house. My husband and I are both very active people and have three kids to chase around so closing the day with an epsom-salt bath soak is such a mini-luxury to have before you hop into bed. I love baths. I try to take one three to four times a week. In the summer, when the kids are out of school, maybe only once a week. But I feel like it relieves the soreness and the tension in my body.

I had a surgeon recommend these to me. They really reduce hypertrophic scarring and also hyperpigmentation. I like to cut these up and use them for any skin healing I am in need of. I use them in lieu of pimple patches, they can be used on scars to improve and expedite healing, and I also use them for the back of my foot when I am breaking in new shoes. They are meant to blend in with skin so nobody notices when you have them on.