Shower Files: Every Product Our Editors Keep Stocked at All Times

A carefully curated shower lineup can set you up for a centered, energized day or help you wash away the day’s stresses. If you’re looking to upgrade your own routine, read on for the tried-and-true products currently lining our editors’ showers.

Liz Ritter, executive editor

“I’m slow to get through skin care, but anything in my shower seems to move at warp speed. Right now, I’m loving Innersense shampoos and conditioners—everything in the line provides that sort of lightweight hydration you need in the summer. I swap between that and R+Co Bleu and sneak in a Shu Uemura mask ($69) when I can. Beyond my bath salts that take up the majority of the real estate on the side shelf, SACHAJUAN Fresh Lavender Body Wash ($41) is a staple. It smells so, so good and never dries out the skin.”

Brittany Burhop-Fallon, beauty director

“This changes very often, but here’s what I’m currently stocking: For shampoo, I switch it up every single wash, depending on what my hair needs, as long as one of the washes per week is purple shampoo to eliminate brassy tones in my blonde hair. Right now, I’m volleying between SexyHair’s BIG Volumizing Shampoo (the red bottle that’s been beloved for years)($17-$30), Klorane Detox Shampoo with Aquatic Mint (this is my second bottle; the minty-mojito scent is AMAZING)($10-$20); Anomaly Hydrating Shampoo (Priyanka’s brand hit the nail on the head with this formula, and it’s $6!); and Philip B. Icelandic Blonde Shampoo ($44-$140), which I leave on for about three minutes. For conditioning, I prefer masks and leave-ins versus traditional rinse-out formulas. Chris Appleton’s Money Mask ($45) is such a cool texture and ultra-nourishing; Odele’s Leave-In Conditioner ($12) is lightweight and I love the pump format (no lids to remove in the shower); and Amika Soulfood Nourishing Hair Mask ($12-$42), which I’ve used for years and I still can’t get enough of the brand’s signature scent (it really lasts in my hair, even after blow-drying).
For body care, I’m pretty good about exfoliation because I have to keep my KP in check, and I love a grittier scrub like Sunday Riley Charcoal Smoothie ($38). Bath & Body Works’ whipped and foaming scrubs are some of my absolute favorites, too, and I’ll use whatever scent is in season—right now it’s Sunshine Mimosa ($17). When it comes to body wash, I try to pick something without fragrance because my exfoliators are often heavily scented, so Dove’s Sensitive Skin (~$6) and CeraVe’s Hydrating Body Wash ($11) are go-tos. I also typically shave in the shower, and lately I’ve been loving the Hanni razor ($38).”

Danielle Fontana Dooley, senior digital editor

“My dark hair doesn’t exactly play well with dandruff, so I alternate between Head & Shoulders Clinical Strength Dandruff Defense ($9) to keep flakes away and Redken Color Extend Brownlights Shampoo ($23) to keep my balayage from getting brassy. Then I’ll throw on the Olaplex No. 8 Mask and let it absorb while I cleanse and shave, always with a Billie razor ($9). I’ll use a bit of the First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub ($28) on the backs of my arms to soften stubborn bumps and nothing compares to Nécessaire’s Eucalyptus Body Wash ($25) when I need to exhale after a long day.”

Olivia Wohlner, editorial assistant

“Shower time is very sacred to me, so I like to use products that help me wash away everyday stresses and calm me down. Soothing, soft fragrances have always been my main source of relaxation, so I take it to the shower with my body wash, Dr. Teals Body Wash Sleep Blend With Melatonin & Essential Oils ($5). I can’t express my love for this enough—it foams into a wonderful consistency, it smells like sweet lavender and chamomile and it imparts a good night’s rest. Also included on my shower shelf is a good exfoliant; right now I find myself reaching for Glytone Enhance Brightening Cleansing Powder ($50). I don’t use this every day, but I use it when my skin needs a much-needed pick-me-up, and it truly does just that. My favorite hair mask of the moment is the Virtue Restorative Treatment Mask ($30-$66), which I received in my TestTube. The scent lasts in my hair until I wash it out next, and it turns my dry, brittle strands from parched to hydrated in seconds.”

Tatiana Bido, features editor

“Right now my hair is in a transition phase from highlights to a full head of blond hair, so to keep the yellow out I’m using Pureology’s Strength Pure Blonde Purple Shampoo and Conditioner ($9-$73). The one thing that has really helped get my recently processed hair back to its healthiest looking state is the K18 Biometric Hairscience Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask ($75)— it conditions, smooths and helps give my newly platinum strands a beautiful sheen. For my entire body, the Bawdy Body Wash ($30), a water-activated powder body wash is gentle enough to polish my skin every day. For a weekly treatment, I’ll use the Pixi Glycolic Body Peel ($24) to keeping my skin glowy from head to toe. When I need deep moisture on my skin when it’s getting too dry in the summer sun, Miami Beach Bum Bum + Body Cream Orange ($45) has both nourishing and brightening properties for everything below the belt. The Bawdy Oil by Bawdy Beauty ($65) is my final step and gives me that all over sheen that makes me feel like I’m vacation somewhere far away like Bali or St. Tropez. To top it all off, I’ll spritz the Acqua di Parma Blue Mediterraneo Fico di Amalfi Eau de Parfum ($82), for the exact same reason—a quick sensorial escape to seaside afternoon somewhere far, far away.”