Spring Cleaning For Your Face, Body, And Smile — As Seen On KHOU’s “Great Day Houston”

How seriously do you take your spring cleaning? Do you half-heartedly sweep the floors and consider your mission complete or do you draft an entire game plan as if you were a pro football coach strategizing plays for future games? If you’re the type to break out the sturdiest of rubber gloves and go into overdrive when cleaning your home, wiping down smudges on walls, sweeping and mopping behind heavy appliances, dusting hard-to-reach spots around window frames and door frames, shampooing rugs, cleaning out and reorganizing the fridge, and so forth, then you know first-hand that getting everything squeaky-clean requires a great deal of effort. Well, what if you were to allot the same type of effort to detoxifying and refreshing the skin you live in? What if you were to channel some of your energy into spring cleaning your face, body, teeth, and hair? That’s what I chatted about when I stopped by “Great Day Houston” recently: beauty products that can help you decongest pores, remove dead surface skin cells, whiten teeth, eliminate peach fuzz, and more. Check out the segment video above or click here to watch on KHOU’s website and read on for more details about the products seen on air and how they can hep you hit refresh for spring!

SHEAMOISTURE AFRICAN BLACK SOAP CLARIFYING MUD MASK

Designed for blemish-prone skin, this mud mask (which retails for $15.99 at Walgreens) is formulated with African Black Soap, a substance that has been used in Ghana and other West African countries for centuries thanks to its wound-healing, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, acne-eradicating, skin-softening and anti-aging properties. What exactly is African black soap? Well, it’s made by harvesting ingredients indigenous to these West African regions such as shea tree bark, cocoa pods, palm tree leaves, and plantain skins, then sun drying them and roasting them until they turn to ash, before adding in water and natural oils like shea butter or coconut oil and letting the mixture cure for several days. This SheaMoistue mask, then, features African black soap that was made in a culturally authentic way — not whipped up in some lab — using a recipe handed down from one generation to the next. And since the mask contains soothing tea trea oil and shea butter, it doesn’t irritate or dry out the skin — it just absorbs excess oil, draws out dirt and impurities, soothes red and distressed skin, and eradicates acne-causing bacteria while strengthening the skin’s own defense system.

SHEAMOISTURE AFRICAN BLACK SOAP BAMBOO CHARCOAL DETOXIFYING FOAMING FACIAL WASH

To give your skin a clean slate on a daily basis, you can reach for SheaMoisture’s African Black Soap Bamboo Charcoal Detoxifying Foaming Facial Wash ($10.99 at Walgreens), which features both African black soap and bamboo charcoal. The latter has been buzzing in the beauty world for the last few years because of its ability to absorb toxins, drawing them out from deep inside pores as if it were one of those super-sized Acme magnets Wile E. Coyote used in his attempts to nab Road Runner — except, this magnet actually works and doesn’t end up in chaos! And unlike so many overly drying cleansers, this one contains aloe to soothe the skin so your face never feels tight, itchy, or dry.

ZO SKIN HEALTH EXFOLIATING POLISH

Think of your stove for a moment. Remember when it was brand new and the drip pans were a pretty and shiny silver shade? Well, if they now look like lumps of coal, then you probably haven’t been scrubbing them frequently enough. Now imagine that your skin is one of those drip pans. If you don’t properly clean it — not just spritz it with a Lysol-like cleaner and wipe it gently, but really scrub it down — it can lose its luster. Enter the Zo Skin Health Exfoliating Polish ($67 at ZoSkinHealth.com), which will not only remove any dirt and debris but will restore that glow to your skin. The gentle scrub contains fine magnesium crystals that slough off any surface impurities and remove dead surface cells, revealing a more youthful and smoother complexion. But the benefits go beyond simple exfoliation: because this product contains vitamins A, C, and E, it delivers antioxidant protection and it helps to stimulate cellular regeneration and collagen production, which means it also leads to a more even-toned complexion, less visible aging signs, a lit-from-within radiance, and an overall smoother texture.

DERMAFLASH 2.0 LUXE

To keep the spring cleaning metaphor going, I’ll compare dead cell build-up to a stubborn coat of dust and dirt on a mirror or, for that matter, on the exterior of a car. When those surfaces are coated with dust and dirt, they can’t reflect oncoming light as effectively, right? Now think of your face as that mirror or that car hood which, unbeknownst to you, has a thin film of dead surface cells that are quite literally stealing your shine.  The Dermaflash 2.0 Luxe ($189 at Dermaflash.com, Sephora.com, and QVC.com) is like a windshield wiper or a glass-cleaning bonnet for your face, but the most luxurious one ever! This at-home dermaplaning device features a proprietary stainless steel edge that very gently — and safely — scrapes away dead surface skin cells while using sonic vibrations to more effectively facilitate the process. Because it’s a more thorough form of exfoliation, dermaplaning produces results instantly so that, immediately after using the Dermaflash 2.0 Luxe, you’ll likely notice your skin looks more supple and glow-y. Moreover, this device will help you eliminate any peach fuzz on your face, so your skin will feel and look smoother than ever, your skin care products will more effectively be absorbed, and your makeup will go on seamlessly.

How is the Dermaflash 2.0 different from its predecessor? Well, it comes with two different speeds so you can better customize your options, it’s sleeker and more sculptural than its original iteration, it features a charging cradle that’s compact and convenient, and the design is more ergonomic so it feels even easier and more intuitive to handle.

ORAL ESSENTIALS WHITENING STRIPS, TOOTHPASTE, AND MOUTH WASH

Think of your laundry. Would you just shrug at the sight of grass and tomato sauce stains on your crisp white tees and dare to go outside in those crusty tops? Probably not. You’d either find a way to restore those tees to their original state or you’d toss them and buy new ones. Now think of your teeth. Given that buying new teeth isn’t exactly an option (and shiny porcelain veneers are only an option for a select few), you want to keep your chompers nice and pearly — and it’s not exactly the easiest of endeavors since coffee, black tea, blueberries, red wine, and even lemons and tomatoes can all yellow your smile (and who wants to go their whole lives without indulging?).

And while there are plenty of teeth whitening toothpastes, strips, and gadgets out there, most can inflict quite a bit of discomfort — if not outright pain.  Hydrogen peroxide, one of the go-to ingredients in most over-the-counter teeth whitening products, works as a bleaching agent and can effectively fade surface stains, but it can also cause sensitivity and temporarily irritate gums. If you’ve got sensitive teeth and have tried a teeth whitening system, you’re likely familiar with the mind-numbing pain that peroxide can cause when it soaks through the enamel and comes into contact with the nerves in the dentin. As someone with sensitive teeth, I steer clear of all hydrogen peroxide-based whitening products and am always on the hunt for great products to make me smile with more confidence.

My latest system involves three products from Oral Essentials, the first certified non-toxic oral care brand in the US: the Oral Essentials Whitening Strips ($39.99 at Amazon.com), Oral Essentials Whitening Toothpaste ($11.98 at Amazon.com), and Oral Essentials Whitening Mouthwash ($13.99 at Amazon.com). All three products contain natural ingredients rather than harsh chemicals, bleaching agents, sulfates, and artificial flavors and dyes. The whitening strips, for instance, contain lemon peel oil, sage oil, Dead Sea salt, and coconut oil to whiten teeth in 30 minutes — all without the use of bleaching agents like peroxide (and hence without any of the sensitivity!) and chemicals like baking soda (which can damage the enamel and also lead to sensitivity). The toothpaste, similarly, gradually whitens teeth while protecting against bacteria and decay and freshening your breath. And the mouthwash contains a refreshing blend of essential oils like coconut oil, basil oil, wintergreen oil, peppermint oil, and clove oil to whiten teeth and refresh your breath without any burning or stinging.

SCENTBIRD FRAGRANCE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE

One of my favorite things to do after reorganizing, decluttering, and deep cleaning my home for spring is adding a scent that captures the spirit of the season — think cherry blossom, peony, and freesia — through a candle or fragrance diffuser. Similarly, I like to switch up the fragrances I wear depending on the season. If, like me, you enjoy switching up your go-to scents each season, then you can easily discover new scents through a subscription to Scentbird.com. For just $14.95/month, members can choose from all the options in Scentbird’s expansive catalog of over 500 designer and niche perfumes. Each month, they can select a new fragrance to test out, and Scentbird will send  a 30-day supply of that scent packaged in a refillable and portable atomizer tube. That way, you get to really experience a scent before committing to buying it based on a tiny sample you ripped out of a magazine or a pea-sized fragrance tube you were given at a department store and got to wear once. If you”date” the scent for a while and fall in love with it, you can always buy the full-sized fragrance and officially marry it; if you don’t, you can  ghost that scent and move onto the next option. It’s like swiping left or right, but with fragrances! If you’ve never been able to find your fragrance match, this service will allow you to get out there and play the field until you find “the one.” And, if you’re kind of a fragrance commitment-phobe, you can keep on dating one scent after the other without spending all your paycheck on full-sized perfume bottles that will just clutter up your bathroom countertop or vanity table.

The other great part: Scentbird just introduced new personal care and home fragrance products in delicious scents so, each month, you can choose to sample one of those instead of a new EDP — just add the desired item to your queue! The brand’s new body washes and polishes are perfect for getting your legs and arms smooth and radiant for spring, and they come in indulgent scents like Pineapple & White Amber. And if your hands are perpetually dry like mine, you’ll love the new hand creams which come in unexpected scents like White Tea & Fig or Rose & Prosecco.

DECK OF SCARLET MAKEUP SUBSCRIPTION

If you have kids, then you likely know all about the damage toddlers can do to your walls! Those mischievous little ones can leave seemingly impossible to remove smudges — not to mention pen and marker stains — all over walls that were once pristine. And when that happens, there’s sometimes no better option than a fresh coat of paint (and a good ol’ time-out for the  kids, so they learn their lesson!). This spring, then, give your face a new paint job with a subscription to Deck of Scarlet. For $29.95 every other month, you’ll receive a new face palette on a bi-monthly basis. Each palette is created in collaboration with a popular YouTube star  so that, once members receive their new palettes, they can visit DeckofScarlet.com, check out makeup tutorials from these vloggers, and follow along in order to learn how to create a multitude of looks using only the products in these palettes.  Pretty neat, right?

The palette shown here was created in collaboration with YouTube phenom Roxette Arisa, and it includes everything you need to create a full-faced look — from sultry eyeshadow shades like Bora Bora, a tropical turquoise hue, and Bora Bora, a metallic brown shade, to the flirty blush shade Lovesick, a golden coral pink; Roxtar, a champagne gold highlighter; Swept Away, a reddish brown lip color with a matte finish; and Stripped, a caramel-tinged nude lipstick hue with a matte finish. The palette also comes with a lip liner and eye liner to complete those stunning looks.

And, if you want to purchase items a la carte, you can do so (either with or without a subscription) at DeckofScarlet.com, so you can always stock up on foil or matte eyeshadow shades and snap them into your magnetic palette, pick up a new lip crayon or eye pencil, and refresh your makeup case.