What Skin-Care Brand Founder Indie Lee Buys at the Drugstore
Here at the Strategist, we love hearing about everyday stuff that actually works. That line of thinking extends to the drugstore — and even grocery store — beauty products in our medicine cabinets, shower caddies, and makeup bags. In our series “Beauty Aisle,” we talk to folks in the beauty industry — aestheticians, hairstylists, makeup artists, dermatologists, and the like — about the go-to affordable products they keep stocked. For this installment, Strategist beauty writer Krista Bennett DeMaio chatted with Indie Lee, founder of Indie Lee Skincare, about the products she loves at Whole Foods.
A mini spa treatment
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I’m obsessed with this brand. I love its bar soaps, bath soaks, and especially the shower steamer. It’s like a spa vacation in your shower. You put one on your shower floor and the eucalyptus or lavender becomes effervescent. Your shower smells so good. It’s a real aromatic treat.
Her everyday cleanser
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This is what I use every day. It’s in my shower and on my vanity. It’s a gel cleanser you can use morning and night. It’ll remove all your makeup, but it’s not going to strip your skin. It contains blackberry extract, which is rich in polyphenols. It’s just fantastic. And it’s packaged in postconsumer recycled plastic. I designed this line for Whole Foods so people can explore Indie Lee without the higher price point.
A natural-fiber loofah
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When you choose body tools, always look for the natural elements because they’re going to end up in the garbage. Loofahs are actually a gourd — I grow them at my house. So this is a great option. It’s sustainable; it’s not going to sit in a landfill. Even if it’s not organic, at least you know it’s a vegetable base.
A do-everything soap
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A classic. You can use this castile soap on anything. It does everything, and I love that it also comes as a bar soap. Dr. Bronner’s is a great brand, really committed to regenerative agriculture and stewardship of the earth, which means taking active responsibility to care for the earth — it’s a phenomenal, phenomenal brand.
An ecofriendly bodywash
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This Australian brand has really great hand and bodywashes, but it also has fruit and vegetable washes that use essential oils for their fragrance. I love what Koala Eco is doing.
A 16-free-polish line
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Mineral Fusion has great colors and staying power, in terms of chipping, and the polishes are clean.
Nontoxic feminine products
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It’s so important to look at what’s in your feminine-hygiene products. You are inserting some of these products into your body, so you really need to be mindful about their ingredients. Flo is a great product line made with organic bamboo.
A trusted toothpaste
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My all-time favorite toothpaste, hands down, and it’s from a small brand. I love it because it doesn’t contain fluoride, which we don’t need to be ingesting. It’s great for enamel health and breath.
More expert drugstore picks
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"You just massage it on and your skin looks better."
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"It’s that go-to for 90 percent of our ailments. It’s magic."
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"When the twists come out, they stay. When I use it, I feel like my hair has a softness."
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"It gives me a supple, glossy look with the perfect amount of color."
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"I have rosacea and so many cleansers flare me up, but this one is impressive."
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"The best thing about it is it doesn’t feather. It doesn’t smudge."
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The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.