If you looked in my beauty basket five years ago you would have sworn I was a French woman or a medical student.  Or a total snot.  That was back before kids, when I had a professional career outside the home and was newly married – a lightning fast period when I was fancy-free to spend gobs of money on looking great. 

But I have a confession: My hair, skin and nails look a lot better now, and I purchase a majority of my beauty items at the supermarket.  Seriously.  No more upsells by fancy facialists or throwing $50 worth of hair care products in my bag as I pay for my haircut.  The place where I buy my family’s milk, bread and toilet paper houses a great deal of professional-quality beauty products. 

In my experience and trial and error testing, here’s the best of the bunch:

Aveeno Positively Radiant - This is the cleanser my dermatologist recommends to all of her female clients age 25-55.  She says it provides the perfect balance of moisture while still eliminating the bacteria that causes pimples. 

L’Oreal Vive Pro Color Vive Shampoos and Conditioners - This line hydrates my hair and prevents my hair color from fading better than any of the salon brands.  And I’ve tried them all, ones with hemp, caviar, ones with celebrity hairstylist names.

Jergens Natural Glow Firming Daily Moisturizer  – I prefer the subtle, safe color this lotion adds to my skin better than my former Mystic Tans.  Since it takes a few days to work, you can just haphazardly rub on and not worry about orange lines.

Witch Hazel - Dab on that big zit you feel coming on, then rub on your nighttime moisturizer, and that puppy will be gone when you wake up in the morning.

Oil of Olay Complete Night Fortifying Cream – This stuff is the bomb.  Doesn’t clog pores and zaps fine lines. 

Crest White Strips – Studies have proven that these accessible whitening strips do just as great a job at whitening your smile as those fancy treatments your dentist tries to talk you into.  Why not just buy a box at the grocery store and take your own family to Florida, rather than paying for Dr. Smiley’s kids banana boat ride?

So the next time you’re out of milk at 8pm, why don’t you peruse the aisles and see what you can find to replace those bigger ticket items we’ve all been talked into by trendy salespeople.  You put that money you’ve saved towards that vacation.  Just don’t forget the generic label sunscreen!

Jessica uses her grocery store beauty products with pride as A Parent in Silver Spring.