The Fabulous Five

The time has come to praise 5 of my favorite staples all in one go. I don't even know if they can be called favorites though, because I've basically grown up with them around the house and even when I use any one of them less frequently, I almost always replace it as soon as it's used up. I have no idea what else could be good substitutes. They are the kinds of products both my mom and grandmother used on me as a kid, and to this day, I get the most bang for my buck out of them. I'm always surprised that some people have never used any of them, because they are so inexpensive, so easy to find, so gentle, and are truly multi-purpose.

Drum-roll, please. The products I don't think I can live without (in no particular order - I don't have the heart to rank):

Johnson's Baby Powder (or generic), ~$5.00 @ Drugstores
Johnson's Baby Oil (or generic), ~$5.00 @ Drugstores
Pond's Cold Cream (usually dry skin formula), ~$5.00 @ Drugstores
Vaseline, ~$5.00 @ Drugstores
Oil of Olay, ~$8.00 @ Drugstores

I use baby powder almost anywhere I sweat or where things get kinda funky. More than deodorant, body wash, or soap, not using baby powder makes me feel kind of gross and unclean. It now comes in medicated, scented, and cornstarch formulas too, so if you have sensitive skin or like some fragrance, there are plenty of options.

Baby oil to moisturize, year round. I especially love the lavender scented one, and now they have a gel formula, too. I prefer this to most creamy moisturizers because as you rub it into your skin, it heats up just a little bit and feels more like a nice, quick massage instead of a cold slather (especially nice in the winter). I'm not fond of body creams, and so have always preferred baby oil.

Pond's Cold Cream - what can I say. This is my go-to makeup remover (eye makeup included), facial/lip/hand/body/toes/heels/elbows moisturizer, hair-smoother, and "eye cream." We tend to stock up on the dry skin formula at home so that's what I'm used to, although before it came out, we always had the original formula. Now they have colored caps to indicate formula. Goodness. Who needs colored caps when you're as straightforward as cold cream??? When my skin is extra dry, I rub it into my regular moisturizer, and occasionally with baby oil. It's a little too greasy to use alone for my skin type, but I still go for it from time to time in the winter. And I love the smell. Oddly enough, I've never actually used it as a regular cleanser, although that's its original purpose.

Vaseline and Oil of Olay are the only two products that I have recently not stocked up on as much, only because I end up using the Pond's Cold Cream for my lips a lot and then whatever lip balm/lipstick is handy throughout the day. But for about the first 24 3/4 years of my life, I applied Vaseline on my lips at night. Like the Pond's and baby oil, it's also a great makeup remover. I've also learned that a few dabs on select spots (like lids with eye shadow, blush, bronzer, etc.) gives an instant, subtle glow that stays put.

Oil of Olay is a staple especially for the warm months if you just want a simple moisturizer that will do its job. My face has been angry with me since I turned, oh, 13, but I've only recently begun trying other types of moisturizers. Before that, it was Oil of Olay and none other. It also comes in a "complete" formula with SPF - love it. But I still love that little pink bottle. Once I'm done experimenting, I'll go back to it.

There you go. The only products I can recommend without fail.