Beauty Products To Pick Up This Spring — As Seen On KHOU’s “Great Day Houston”

Have you ever gone through your medicine cabinet and found medications and supplements that expired three and four years ago? Well, chances are that, if you go through your beauty arsenal, you might encounter a similar sight. And what better way to kick off the spring season than by updating your beauty regimen? A key component of any spring cleaning process involves tossing out the old to make room for the new — and that applies to your skincare, hair care, and bath and body products too! So, as you declutter your bathroom cabinets, make room for these new products I chatted about on KHOU’s “Great Day Houston” — all of which will breathe new life into your skin and hair.

Check out the segment above and read on for the scoop on these beauty essentials!

RHYME & REASON REPAIR & RESTORE SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER

Mother Nature speaks to us through every flower and, come springtime, she has volumes of poetry to recite! Get inspired by the blossoms all around you and flaunt hair that’s as free and beautiful as a wildflower with a little help from Rhyme & Reason.

Available exclusively at Target, Rhyme & Reason is an affordable, eco-friendly, sustainable hair care brand that offers products for every hair type, texture and concern — all featuring formulas that are at least 90%  natural, vegan, and cruelty-free. Since sustainability is a priority for Rhyme & Reason, all its products come in bottles that are 100% recycled and recyclable – down to the bottle caps.

To breathe new life into parched and seemingly dormant strands, I recommend the Repair & Restore Shampoo and Conditioner ($8.99 each at Target.com), which are formulated with argan oil, prickly pear and an amino acid complex to reduce signs of damage, smooth strands, and bolster shine. With these two products, you can revive your mane this spring and give your hair a new and healthy beginning.

MAUI MOISTURE FLEXIBLE HOLD + COCONUT MILK CURL FOAM MOUSSE

Curl bosses: are your spirals looking or feeling a little limp? Well, you can help them spring back to life right in time for, well, spring, with this brand new styling product: the Maui Moisture Flexible Hold + Coconut Milk Curl Foam Mousse ($8.99 at Walgreens, Walmart, Target, and other major retailers). Now, you may associate the word “mousse” with outdated formulas from the ’80s and ’90s that left curls feeling as stiff, crunchy and brittle as uncooked ramen noodles. But fear not: we’ve come a long way since then! The new Maui Moisture lightweight foam styling mousse  helps to define and amplify curls, but it leaves hair soft and touchable — not hard or crunchy!

In fact, the mousse’s clean and vegan formula incorporates botanical ingredients like aloe vera, mango butter, and coconut milk so as to give those curls the hydration they need without weighing them down.

DR. DENNIS GROSS ALL-PHYSICAL LIGHTWEIGHT WRINKLE DEFENSE SPF 30

Want to keep skin youthful and wrinkle-free? Well, the best offense is a good defense — and that means using sunscreen daily to protect skin from harmful UV rays that break down collagen and decrease skin elasticity. But finding an effective sunscreen that’s non-greasy, lightweight, sweat-proof, non-comedogenic, and non-irritating can be a challenge. Luckily, Dr. Dennis Gross recently unveiled the best mineral sunscreen I’ve yet to encounter: the Dr. Dennis Gross All-Physical Lightweight Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 ($42 at Sephora.com).

First, this is a physical (aka mineral) sunscreen, so it creates an invisible barrier that shields skin from UV rays. This, of course, is completely different from chemical sunscreens, which penetrate the skin and work by absorbing UV rays, transforming them into heat and then releasing them away from the body. I personally advise using physical sunscreens as opposed to chemical sunscreen. Why? Well, in recent years, there’s been a lot of scrutiny regarding some of the synthetic ingredients found in chemical sunscreens, and some rather scary scientific data has been published. Oxybenzone and octocrylene for instance, can kill coral and damage coral reefs, so they have a devastating effect on our ecosystem. And there are more reasons to be concerned: n 2019, the FDA conducted a series of tests that revealed that four of the most common UV filters in chemical sunscreens— avobenzone, oxybenzone, octocrylene, and ecamsule — are absorbed by the body in substantial amounts and can stay in the bloodstream for days. This, of course, raises a number of questions about the effects of these chemicals and their safety. Clearly, physical sunscreens, which feature mineral ingredients, are a much safer alternative.

But here’s the conundrum: some mineral sunscreens leave a white residue behind that can leave you looking like a French mime. And we all know that’s not cute! That’s why I’m so obsessed with the Dr. Dennis Gross All-Physical Lightweight Wrinkle Defense SPF 30: it’s a non-greasy, breathable, lightweight physical sunscreen, and it’s powered by a transparent zinc oxide that blends into all skin tones. When you first apply the sunscreen, you’ll see a white tint to it, but it quickly blends into the skin and becomes invisible. Plus, it’s infused with antioxidant-rich lingonberry, sea buckthorn, and ferulic acid to further protect and fortify skin.

OLAY CLEANSING & RENEWING NIGHTTIME BODY WASH WITH RETINOL AND OLAY NIGHTTIME RINSE-OFF BODY CONDITIONER WITH RETINOL

It’s mid-April, and yet we’ve already had a few 90-degree days here in Central Texas, so it’s safe to say we’re all peeling off the layers and reaching for those breezy shorts and tank tops. To feel more confident while showing off a little more body-ody-ody, you can rely on the Olay Cleansing & Renewing Nighttime Body Wash with Retinol and the Olay Nighttime Rinse-Off Body Conditioner With Retinol ($7.99 each at major retailers). Designed for use as a two-step system, these products contain retinol, a high-end ingredient derived from vitamin A that’s typically found in facial care products. Retinol has been known to stimulate cellular turnover, boost collagen production, and unclog pores. When applied to the body, it can help to clear up any breakouts, make skin appear more taut and lifted, and improve luminosity, texture, and hydration.

With these derm-approved products, then, you can level up your evening shower routine, rest easy, and wake up to more vibrant and radiant skin.

NARCISO RODRIGUEZ FOR HER MUSC NOIR EAU DE PARFUM

Spring is about new beginnings, so why not try a new signature scent, right? This is the Narciso Rodriguez For Her Musc Noir Eau de Parfum ($128 at Macys.com and Nordstrom.com), which just launched this month, and it’s inspired by the mysterious nature of female sensuality.

Like all For Her fragrances, it features a heart of musk, but it’s enveloped by notes of leathery suede, white cedar, rose and luscious plum — all of which create a scent that’s earthy, seductive, and enigmatic.