I smell like a hundred bucks now,
Literally.
Hygiene has a price tag.
Broke folk can’t stand the privileged woke.
Cause that showerhead looks like a pistol sometimes.
I did my best
To learn how to human.
Disposable razors reused.
Bar soap and suave.
Into milky foundation.
Into smudge pots.
Into Forty dollar face wash.
Years of cleansing myself
Desperately wanting to be clean.
Not knowing the basics.
Of basic hygiene.
I wish I had found this post when I was 13 and my mom bought me proactive for my acne. I have extremely sensitive, acne prone skin. I’m allergic to titanium dioxide and salicylic acid. It took me until now, my 25th birthday, to find a hygiene routine that works for me. My products are almost all vegan/clean beauty or classics. The products in the photo are:
EvoLuderm micellar cleansing water ($5 at TJ Maxx)
Herbal care rose hydration creme ($8 at TJ Maxx)
Youth to the People kale cleanser (like $40 for the full size at Sephora)
Pixi concealer ($15ish on Amazon)
Tarte Amazonian clay blush ($27 on Amazon)
Milk flex stick foundation ($36 at Sephora)
Pixi lipstick/liptint in primrose ($12)
Lash Paradise mascara ($18 for a 2 pack)
Kiss eyelash glue ($3 on Amazon)
Thayers witch hazel, cucumber, and Aloe toner ($11)
Not shown are my shower products and perfume:
Phlur Missing Person perfume ($96)
Dove rose bar soap ($10 pack of 6)
Herbal Essences rose Shampoo ($10)
Diluted apple cider vinegar for conditioner (it works better for me than regular conditioner and it’s inexpensive) ($17 for a two pack, lasts forever)
Arm and Hammer Essentials natural rosemary and lavender deodorant ($19 pack of 5)
coconut oil for shaving ($23)
Olay Hyaluronic Acid body lotion ($40 pack of 4)
TheraBreath healthy gums oral rinse ($16 pack of 2)
Burts Bees fluoride free hemp toothpaste ($9)
The total cost of my routine is about $425. It took me years to find and buy these products and my guess is that it costs about that much a year to upkeep. There are things I didn’t include like false lashes and my colorpop eyeshadow pallets, my make-up brushes, foot lotion, bath salts, round brush blow dryer, heat protectant, razor, and all the products that I have and tried that didn’t work for me!
The point of this post is that beauty is expensive, and it takes a while to figure out what works for you. Modern hygiene isn’t commonsense! I hope that someone finds this and can use it as a guide for a realistic “Clean Beauty” routine for sensitive skin.
Brigid Faye, Reader 