The 16 Things Under $20 I Use Every Day That Genuinely Make Me A Happier, Prettier, Healthier, Better Person
by Audie Metcalf
This is not to say I don’t also spend an obscene amount of money other stuff. I won’t be without THIS magic face oil, or THESE magic peel pads, and my favorite jeans on this earth are THESE, but there are many, many wildly cheap things I realized i use every single day of my life and sort of couldn’t live without. For most of them, I’ve tried fancier or most expensive versions, but these are, simply, the best.
1. Crosize Face Wash Wrist Bands
The feeling of water dripping down my forearms and onto my pajamas is the single worst feeling a human being can experience. These have entirely transformed my skincare regimen into something I love instead of something I dread.
Price: $6
2. Avène Thermal Spring Water
Perhaps you think this is “just” water. And fine it is. Except it’s not. I spray this daily after a shower or washing my face and I swear it closes my pores and brightens my skin. There are TRIALS proving it. Either way, I will not be without it.
Price: $14
3. Truff Black Truffle Salt
Perhaps you’re losing all respect for me because truffle is “basic” and “over” and that’s fine. You’re entitled to your feelings. But I shake some of this onto my daily scrambled eggs, and my mornings are demonstrably more thrilling.
Price: $15
4. CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream
This is a recent discovery, and I don’t think I’ll ever be without it. I’ve tried all manner of fancy (aka absurdly expensive) night creams, but they all broke me out. This one gives me major hydration without ever clogging my pores or giving me the dreaded morning zit. I love it layered over the bonus at the bottom of this article especially.
Price: $16
5. Dedcool Dryer Sheets Xtra Milk
This is one of those “cool girl” brands which I am decidedly not, but the slightly milky, ricey scent is addictive, and I love smelling it on my clothes and sheets.
Price: $12
6. Bragg Nutritional Yeast
From dryer sheets to vegan cheese! We do like to run the gamut here, don’t we? Just making sure everyone is aware of the magic of nutritional yeast. I’m not even vegan but I use it constantly. My new daily obsession is making a kale salad with olive oil, lemon, salt, scallions, fresh dill, northern white beans, and a big shake of this. UN. REAL. Try it and tell me about it here.
Price: $8
7. Edlund Stainless Steel Tongs
The price is a cheat but I can only find the 3-pack—which is the correct number to own. There is, without hesitation, no better tongs to own in the home. None. They’re so easy to use and they’re a bit shorter than typical tongs (gendered!) so they’re just better in the hand. I use them for tossing every salad I make, mixing anything that needs to be mixed. I literally cannot cook without them. I bring a pair when I travel. Sickness? Maybe.
Price: $31
8. CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Face Sheer Tint
We’ve crowed endlessly about this product but I must remind you here. It’s simply the greatest tinted spf ever to exist. It replaces foundation for me, and if you love a sheer, pore-filling product that gives you just a tint of color while protecting you from the sun, look no further.
Price: $17
9. Fox Run Flat Coil Whisk
Another kitchen must-have, and one we’ve written about extensively. The only way to make a truly fluffy scrambled egg. I use it in this insta video so you can fully see it in action.
Price: $10
10. True Lemon And True Lime
This my holy grail for drinking more water every day. And drinking more water makes my skin prettier. It also makes me less hungry which was a huge help in my recent 40 lb weight loss. The flavor is SO real and natural tasting—because it is.
Price: $17
11. Prequel Foot Rescue Advanced Restorative Treatment
Have you tried this?!? You know that truly heinous crack we all get in our heels during the winter? This ointment heals that crack in 2 days. I swear to you. I will never be without it. I feel like this brand is doing a lot of exciting things actually. It fully dealt with my stepdaughter’s KP in about 3 showers. Miraculous.
Price: $18
12. Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch Micropoint for Blemishes Patches
This pimple patch is literally the only one to even discuss. The micropoints are magic. I press one onto a zit the second I feel something emerging and by the next morning it’s faded into nothingness.
Price: $13
13. Wet Brush Pro Flex Dry
You know how round brushes make you want to end your life? This brush can be used while blow drying your hair and it gives body and shine and bounce and heft but you just brush it through your hair like you normally would. No twisting or holding it weird or burning your fingers. I swear to GOD my hair has never looked better because giving myself a “blowout” at home just means drying my hair with THIS hairdryer and this brush which takes about 10 minutes. So it’s just not intimidating anymore. Oh, and I use THIS spray and THIS cream and my blowout lasts about 4 days. Oh, and THIS dry shampoo and THIS spray. Trust me here.
Price: $8
14. Clean Skin Club Clean Towels XL™
Life. Changing. I use it both wet to wash my face and then another to dry. I’ve never understood washcloths. Are we really expected to hang them over the faucet when we’re done like some kind of animal? Or worse, throw them in the hamper to mold? There’s simply not good solution. So I use these. Yes, they’re single use and that’s wasteful. But I try to make up for it in other ways.
Price: $18
15. Mario Badescu Special Hand Cream With Vitamin E
Please try this hand cream. It’s so very cheap and so very good. It smells like your grandmother in the best way possible and hydrates the hell out of my dry, dry hands without any stickiness.
Price: $8
16. Buf-Puf Facial Sponge And CeraVe SA Body Wash
I love to scrub the living daylights out of my body skin and nothing comes close to this scrubber for that. I use it with THIS body wash and it makes my entire body gleam with soft, supple, youthful perfection. I have to replace every month or so but such is life. For the price I’m happy to do it.
Price: $8 for the Buf-Puf, $14 for the body wash
The 2 bonuses that are the best things on this list but they’re slightly over $20 so sue me
17. A313 French Pharmacy Vitamin A
If you’re on the fence about retinol, or prescription tredinoin hasn’t worked for you, try this. It’s an OTC French pharmacy brand and I saw results almost immediately. I use a pea-sized amount all over my skin, then slather the aforementioned (cheap) night cream above all over that. And I wake up looking like a tiny baby.
Price: $39
18. Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Nuit Travel Size Spray
If you love the idea of smelling like the hot sun after a long day at the beach, this fragrance will make you lose your mind. Once the weather is warm, I scramble through my (admittedly extensive) perfume collection to rediscover this gem, whereupon I toss it into my daily makeup bag, and proceed wear it every day for months. It’s utterly intoxicating.
Price: $30
Audie Metcalf is the Editor-in-chief of The Candidly, and lives in LA with her family. You can find more of her articles here.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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