The influencer: We often think of her as an enigmatic, superhuman maven who’s life is so different from our own that we just can’t even. Whether her kind insights have gained her guru status in our hearts or we find ourselves choking back a bit of jealousy when we see perfectly lit shots that are definitive proof of another woman knowing her angles better than we ever will (while erstwhile waking up puffy-eyed day after day), the bottom line is influencers know their stuff.
Just as we’re the master of our own domains (from our professional lives and family dynamics to our creative passions and the causes that motivate us), these women have hard-earned insights on the products that can take our fitness, self-care, and noshing routines to the next level.
These 14 influencers—from Morgan Haley to Laura Scott—told HealthyWay these 24 items are some of their favorite finds. Read on to see whose influence can help you find just the right stuff for stepping into your power.
[sul title=”Jules Hunt of Om & the City” subheader=”50k Instagram Followers”]
Jules is a yoga instructor, blogger, and founder of AWAKE | The Space—a New York City–based collective that aims to bring women together for “creative workshops, talks, movement, and more.” Her work, which prioritizes human connection, is clearly inspired by her awareness of and openness about her own struggles with body dysmorphia—something so many of us can relate to.
In addition to being head-over-heels for her pup Luna and actively promoting “local businesses, sustainable initiatives, and healthy habits,” Jules also gets behind:
1. A Next-Level Deodorant
Jules told HealthyWay Vapour Organic Beauty’s AER Next Level Deodorant is her go-to. The gel-to-powder stick comes in three scents: Lavender Myrrh, Palo Santo Blood Orange, and Ginger Grapefruit. The astral labels have us instantly intrigued, and we appreciate the fact that they’re formulated with plant ingredients including wildcrafted myrrh and organic oregano and holy basil.
Like many natural deodorants—including Schmidt’s (my go-to)—Vapour’s AER is formulated with baking soda, which helps absorb sweat and neutralize odor. Unlike your run-of-the-mill, grab-it-at-Whole Foods deodorant, however, AER’s botanicals and the fact that all Vapour’s products are cruelty-free, certified vegetarian, and made under a single roof in Taos, New Mexico, make this a truly luxe, and decidedly feel-good, addition to your morning routine.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Vapour-Organic-Beauty-Deodorant-Lavender/dp/B076CR63LT”]Get it on Amazon for $24[/link-button]
2. A Little Jar of Love Bugs
Probiotics, prebiotics, macrobiotics—they’re everywhere. Of course, decision fatigue sets in when it comes to picking one, whether you’re ordering online or buying local.
Jules recommends LoveBug probiotics, which come in more than half-a-dozen different formulations, including an option for immune support during cold season, one addressing yeast overgrowth, a prenatal probiotic, and multiple tiny tummy digestive aids for littles.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/stores/node/12678344011″]Get them on Amazon for $22.95 and Up[/link-button]
3. Something for Living Your Life Like It’s Golden (Golden)
Jules told us she reaches for Live24k’s Golden Fuel Golden Milk Turmeric + Collagen Blend when she wants a turmeric boost. This blend contains collagen from grass-fed sources, plus organic turmeric and black pepper, and is free of sugars and gums. 🙌
What’s more, this product was developed by another influencer who’s worked with HealthyWay, which brings us to…
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Golden-FuelTM-Turmeric-Collagen-Blend/dp/B078X5T2M3″]Get it on Amazon for $29[/link-button]
[sul title=”Minna Lee of Living Minnaly” subheader=”15.5k Instagram Followers”]
The founder of Live24K and the blog Living Minnaly, Minna Lee is a nutrition coach and certified personal trainer. Like Jules, she’s made a space for herself by opening up about her health and wellness experiences—particularly caring for herself in light of her Hashimoto’s thyroiditis diagnosis and struggling with disordered eating.
Of course, both Jules and Minna are fans of turmeric, too. Here are some more of Minna’s favorite products:
4. Saje, Not Sage
“I’m addicted to all of Saje’s essential oils,” Minna told HealthyWay, going on to say that she likes to put them in a diffuser and use them topically. Lucky for us, the brand offers their blends in roll-on applicators and dropper bottles, plus they have multiple diffuser options and aromatherapy hand soap.
Another influencer, Sammy Eason of the lifestyle and momming blog Mother of Chunk, told HealthyWay she loves Saje’s Head Soother Kit. The collection includes three essential oil blends that come in unique applicators so you can roll, mist, or wand your headache away (or at least into gentle submission). They’re 100 percent vegan and are formulated with natural ingredients including oils from flowers, herbs, and seeds—no synthetics or dyes.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Saje-Aromatherapy-Peppermint-Essential-Natural/dp/B078BCLRRS”]Get it on Amazon for $39.95[/link-button]
5. Something Grand
Or gran, that is—Kari Gran. Minna said she uses this cleansing oil for a nighttime double cleanse. Not familiar with the benefits of the double cleanse? It might be time to brush up, because this product is made specifically for washing your face before bed, which can be taken to a whole new level if you know what Minna’s up to and why.
If the possibility of balancing your skin’s natural oil production isn’t enough to pique your interest, there’s also the fact that Kari Gran products are handcrafted in Seattle, are cruelty free, and include the good stuff like wild harvested and organic ingredients.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Kari-Gran-Organic-Cleansing-3-38/dp/B00JOOYFEK”]Get it on Amazon for $35[/link-button]
6. A Whip for Your Lip(s)
In addition to Kari Gran’s cleansing oil, Minna has another favorite Kari Gran product. “Her lip whips are to die for!” she told us back in the spring, when a poppy color like Radiant would’ve been perfect.
With fall coming on, we’re feeling rich tones, like Marsala or Jeannie. Of course, Peppermint Naked is a good option for rocking a perfectly hydrated nude lip year round.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Kari-Gran-Organic-Whip-Marsala/dp/B01JV530JW”]Get it on Amazon for $23.79[/link-button]
[sul title=”Payton Sartain of Hustle + Halcyon” subheader=”58k Instagram Followers”]
Payton Sartain—freelance model and fashion, fitness, and lifestyle influencer—is a transplant to L.A. from the Lone Star State, so who better to direct us toward skincare products that’re souped up with the SPF we need?
The woman knows how to rock a swimsuit and loves to go makeup- (and pants-) free, which means she gets us and gives us something to aspire to. Here are her skincare picks:
7. A Spritz of This
Okay, more of a spray, considering Payton recommends Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Sheer Mineral Spray Sunscreen with SPF 50+ protection.
This product is formulated with biotin, tea, and Indian gooseberry extract. Water babies and anyone venturing out on a hot day with exposed skin will appreciate that it retains its sunblocking power for 40 minutes in the water or extremely moist, aka sweaty, conditions.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Dennis-Gross-Skincare-Protection/dp/B00DDVS8EI/”]Get it on Amazon for $48[/link-button]
8. For Busy Bees
Payton recommended this BB cream from Burt’s Bees—and it’s a perfect pick for busy bees, since it will help you moisturize and protect your face even if you’re looking to be as close to makeup- (and pant-) free as possible.
With SPF 15, beeswax (of course), jojoba esters, and sunflower seed oil, this is a moisturizing option that’s meant to firm, conceal, and smooth skin, whether you want a little coverage for blemishes or fine lines and wrinkles.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Burts-Bees-Cream-Medium-Ounces/dp/B015Q4ME12″]Get it on Amazon for $8.24[/link-button]
[sul title=”Artist, Yogi, and Activist Jah9″ subheader=”83.6k Instagram Followers”]
“Jazz on Dub” artist Jah9 is one of the creators I truly relish following on Instagram, and I actually got to meet her during her 2018 tour, so I’d be remiss not to include a Jah9 pick in our influencer roundup.
When interviewed by HealthyWay, she focused more on her spiritual and cultural interests than making product recommendations—sharing (in the tongue-in-cheek way only a lyrical poetess can), “I am reading Her-Bak: The Living Face of Ancient Egypt, watching my herb trees grow, and listening to my intuition more and more.”
Thus, our Jah9 recommendation is some fresh-pressed vinyl for the record player you treated yourself to that really is so much more than a glorified piece of nostalgia.
9. “Things That Make Your Body Feel Good”
The official editorial review for this album points out that “Jah9 specializes in feelings. Her unique vocal delivery spins a narrative thread that attracts fans of reggae and other genres to a new space along the musical landscape.”
If you aren’t familiar with reggae or dub, you owe it to yourself to experience Jah9’s powerful beats. And who doesn’t need to be reminded of the importance of the healthy things (like staying hydrated, working it out on our yoga mats, and eating well) that make our bodies feel good? Cue the needle and give yourself permission to celebrate.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Feelings-Jah9/dp/B07DXS3RFT”]Get it on Amazon for $12.98[/link-button]
[sul title=”Jess Jones and Wendy Lopez of Food Heaven Made Easy” subheader=”51.5k Instagram Followers”]
Dietitians, diabetes educators, and BFFs Jess Jones and Wendy Lopez have their nosh game down as evidenced by their beautiful food photography and all the healthy, accessible recipes on Food Heaven Made Easy.
That said, they’re also passionate about skincare and beauty products. Here are their recs:
10. Back to Basics
With all the extract-, peptide-, vitamin-, ester-, and whatever-other-ingredient-packed lotions, creams, and serums on the market, sometimes it’s nice to evade the extras and moisturize with a single-ingredient option. Jess recommends Desert Essence 100% Jojoba Oil for Hair, Skin, and Scalp.
Desert Essence is a trusted and easily accessible brand, and Jess told us, “I don’t use anything on my skin but this…I even wash my face with it.”
Personally, I like to moisturize my legs with it immediately after shaving—especially on rainy days when I’m planning to wear a dress or skirt. True story: I have a weird thing about the feeling of my lotioned legs getting wet after the lotion was supposed to dry. Moisturizing with natural oils means no regret-worthy “lotion slime.”
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Desert-Essence-Organic-Jojoba-Oil/dp/B000Z91JAQ”]Get it on Amazon for $7.96[/link-button]
11. Eye Like It
Wendy’s a fan of Zuzu Luxe liquid eyeliner, as are over 250 other people who’ve given the product 4- and 5-star reviews.
The eyeliner comes in not one, not two, but seven different colors, which means you can keep it classic with Raven (aka black) or get artsy with the copper-toned Luxor or bright blue Azure.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Zuzu-Luxe-Liquid-Eyeliner-Raven/dp/B002H6SVMY”]Get it on Amazon for $15.59[/link-button]
[sul title=”Morgan Tyler of the Southern Yogi” subheader=”507k Instagram Followers”]
Morgan Tyler started out a swimmer and is now one of the most influential yogis on Instagram. She’s a woman who knows about starting over: She got a degree in vascular ultrasound, pivoted, worked as a barista, went through a divorce, and—not too long ago—switched to a new Instagram account where she promotes her wildly successful Ab’Asanas.
One of the things that’s grounded and comforted Morgan during these (very relatable) changes? Tea, and more specifically, dessert tea from Tazo and Bigelow, which we can definitely get behind. She told HealthyWay she can’t travel without buying these two options:
12. Something Yummy (And a Little Nostalgic)
Bigelow describes Morgan’s number one pick as “Yummy Caramel Tea,” but officially it’s called Salted Caramel.
Each retro-looking box of goodness contains 20 individually wrapped tea bags in foil pouches, meaning it really is perfect to travel with, as air and moisture are locked out until you’re ready to pour yourself a cup of caramel brew. Note that this blend contains black tea, meaning caffeine.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Bigelow-Tea-Salted-Caramel-bags/dp/B00O7UCA2U”]Get it on Amazon for $6.99[/link-button]
13. Do blondes really have more fun?
Well, we can’t really ask a tea that, but this Butterscotch Blondie blend from Tazo does come in delightful packaging.
Considering that it contains black tea (so quite a bit of caffeine) and hints of sugar-free, sweetener-free butterscotch and vanilla, it has the potential to fuel a good time for any tea lover—regardless of your hair color.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Butterscotch-Blondie-Dessert-Delights-filterbags/dp/B074ZHMKXL”]Get it on Amazon for $6.38[/link-button]
[sul title=”Triathlete Nicole Loher” subheader=”14.5k Instagram Followers”]
Nicole Loher’s IG bio reads, “I run. a lot,” which is true.
But she does so much more than that, like working as the global digital editor at Christian Louboutin, teaching at NYU, and giving those of us who are caffeine free an influencer-approved tea recommendation.
14. Loose Leaf, Caffeine-Free Tea in a Smart-Looking Tin
Nicole and (going by the Amazon reviews) a lot of other smart ladies are fans of this complex tea brought to you by Rishi, which means seer or sage. Fitting, considering the recommendation comes from an NYU professor…
The Turmeric Ginger Ayurvedic blend is hot with a sweet finish, thanks to the inclusion of ginger, licorice, and Meyer lemon, which are all organic. According to Rishi, the pungency of the ginger root in this tea is well balanced, which is something we can aspire to as we pour ourselves a cup.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Rishi-Tea-Turmeric-Ginger-Ounce/dp/B00AR6Q5JC”]Get it on Amazon for $9.79[/link-button]
[sul title=”Remy Park of Veggiekins” subheader=”84.5k Instagram Followers”]
Vegan, gluten-free recipe developer and yogi Remy Park maintains an Instagram feed so chock full of yoga poses, good eats, and thriving houseplants that Senior Editor Taylor Geiger admits it leaves her green with envy.
In addition to curating a uniquely vibrant feed, Remy’s extremely knowledgeable when it comes to clean beauty, cruelty-free fashion, and living green. Naturally one of her favorite products combines the best of eating fresh with preventing food waste.
15. A Hug for Your Favorite Fruits and Veggies
What better way to say thanks to your fruits and veggies for all their natural deliciousness than by helping them last as long as possible rather than throwing spoiled pomegranate, tomato, onion, or other halves away?
Remy recommends Farberware’s silicone Food Huggers, which will help you do just that without generating any plastic waste.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OQ3PQ5G”]Get them on Amazon for $8.95[/link-button]
[sul title=”Tori Simeone of TorrSim” subheader=”10.2k Instagram Followers”]
Tori Simeone is a Tone It Up Trainer, Pure Barre instructor, and certified holistic health coach, meaning she knows a thing or two about taking care of her body.
She’s also outspoken about how she invests in self-care: from taking solo getaways to whipping up new meals that feature adaptogens and enjoying time at home.
16. Coconut for Days
Tori is a fan of Kopari—and not just because of their “let’s grab life by the coconuts” approach to creating products that “make you look gorgeous with ingredients that make you feel great.” She actually told HealthyWay that Kopari is among her favorite finds because she loves the women behind the company and that supporting brands that are made with love from the beginning is something she loves.
Personally, I’m down to try their organic coconut melt because…massages.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Kopari-Organic-Coconut-Melt-Moisturizing/dp/B06XB8V8MF”]Get it on Amazon for $34[/link-button]
17. For Cultivating Your Green Thumb
When HealthyWay interviewed Tori back in May, she was reading Rose Ray, Caro Langton, and Ro Co’s House of Plants: Living with Succulents, Air Plants and Cacti, a hardcover that features gorgeous photography by Erika Rax.
Considering that I had to turn the baby succulent my sister bought me a few months ago over to my husband in hopes that he can nurse it back to health, I could probably use this read—and I know I’m not alone. The book covers knowing, nurturing, and sharing your plants and is full of images that will inspire you to step up your plant mama game.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/House-Plants-Living-Succulents-Cacti/dp/0711238375″]Get it on Amazon for $11.91[/link-button]
[sul title=”Shona Vertue, Personal Trainer and Author of The Virtue Method” subheader=”295k Instagram Followers”]
Aussie influencer Shona Vertue has 10 years of experience teaching yoga and working as a personal trainer—plus an impressive library of workout videos, including Senior Editor Taylor’s morning fave: the Vertuous Quickie, which she acknowledges is a clever name that serves as a testament to Shona’s wit.
In addition to inspiring people all over the world to get in shape, Shona knows the realities of working a 9 to 5 office job, struggling through tough breakups, and looking for inspiration from without to nourish the soul within. Thus, a recommendation we can all benefit from, especially on the rainy days.
18. What’s love got to do with it?
Well, everything, considering the book Shona told us helped her survive a tough breakup is titled Essays in Love. It’s written by Alain de Botton—a British-Swiss philosopher who believes in Art as Therapy (yes, my I-got-my-undergrad-in-philosophy-and-like-to-collage interest is piqued). Shona’s take? “I feel forever indebted to this book.”
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Essays-Love-Picador-Classic-Classics/dp/1447275322″]Get it on Amazon for $10.66[/link-button]
[sul title=”Certified Health Coach Nikki Sharp” subheader=”353k Instagram Followers”]
Nikki Sharp’s IG feed is all smiles, but her blog goes deep about having struggled to recover from multiple eating disorders—and how that journey’s involved incorporating meditation, journaling, and colorful foods into her everyday life.
Nikki also notes that she started seeing exercise as a reward, not a punishment, and that shines through, especially in the many IG pics and videos in which she’s striking powerful yoga poses in stunning settings. Still, when it comes down to it, she makes it clear that life is first and foremost about the heart and mind, which makes these books, which were on Nikki’s bedside table back in May, all the more interesting.
19. “A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life”
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: You’ve probably heard of it before. It’s a No. 1 New York Times Bestseller with over 3 million copies sold (at least one of them to Nikki!) and over 4,000 reviews on Amazon, which is a lot.
AmazonPeople say the book has changed their lives, made them better partners, and allowed them to appreciate the world more. Clearly Mark Manson—the blogger and entrepreneur who penned The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and Models: Attract Women Through Honesty, has earned himself a spot on many a nightstand.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Subtle-Art-Not-Giving-Counterintuitive/dp/0062457713″]Get it on Amazon for $14.99[/link-button]
20. Something to Catch on to
Contagious is another New York Times bestseller that Nikki recommends. This read, by Jonah Berger—a professor at the illustrious UPenn Wharton School of business— is “a world-renowned expert on word of mouth, social influence, consumer behavior, and how products, ideas, and behaviors catch on.”
Considering the warp speed at which our lives, screens, likes, and clicks are moving, these are ideas worth exploring.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Contagious-Things-Catch-Jonah-Berger/dp/1451686587″]Get it on Amazon for $10.70[/link-button]
21. Are you willing to question everything (even if it’s just for a few minutes a day)?
The intro to Break the Norms: Questioning Everything You Think You Know About God and Truth, Life and Death, Love and Sex is written by none other than the Dalai Lama—which definitely says something about this pick. Chandresh Bhardwaj, the book’s author, is a meditation instructor and “seventh-generation spiritual healer” who’s trained in the tantric tradition.
In addition to writing and teaching, Bhardwaj founded the Break the Norms non-profit, which seeks to create meditation communities “in every corner of the world with the purpose of awakening the divine consciousness within them, pulling them away from pre-programmed expectations of lack and loneliness, and facilitating a culture of abundance, gratitude, and self-awareness.”
If you’re interested in exploring meditation and spirituality and the value of mentorship and devotion, this book belongs on your bedside table, too.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Break-Norms-Questioning-Everything-Think/dp/1622035410″]Get it on Amazon for $8.85[/link-button]
[sul title=”Laura Scott of a Little Bit of Lacquer” subheader=”139k Instagram Followers”]
Harvard MD, dermatologist, and mama Laura Scott doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to sharing her thoughts on skincare, social justice, and momming. In addition to sharing glimpses of her life with her beautiful husband and three energetic daughters, she also gives her followers regular doses of real talk about self-care and the changes she’s working to enact in the world.
We appreciate that during a HealthyWay interview she put the dermatologist’s stamp of approval on a very accessible product that has been familiar to most of us since we were littles.
22. Worth Its Weight in Gold
Laura told us, “I am obsessed with Dove Beauty Bars—old news for any dermatologist since we always recommend their sensitive skin bar.”
She recently discovered their scented bars and said the Go Fresh Revive beauty bar was her spring 2018 favorite.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Dove-Fresh-Revive-Beauty-Cream/dp/B07G2T1CYP”]Get it on Amazon for $12.10[/link-button]
[sul title=”Nutritionist and Functional Medicine Practitioner Jennie Miremadi” subheader=”34.7k Instagram Followers”]
Intellectual property attorney turned integrative health and functional medicine practitioner Jennie Miremadi made a big impression on HealthyWay intern Abby Piper back in June. “Jennie gives her clients the tools they need to create lasting change,” wrote Abby. “She believes that by looking at food together with biochemistry, physiology, spirit, and psyche, we can achieve true wellness.”
Of course, we all exist at the crossroads of biochemistry, physiology, spirit, and psyche, and we can really enjoy and make the most of this when we drop in and dedicate ourselves to good self-care. For many of us, this is directly connected to making responsible, sustainable, cruelty-free purchases and using products that put a little pep in our step (or bounce in our bob?). Jennie’s product recommendation definitely checks those boxes, and then some.
23. A Hair Ritual
You might expect a nutritionist to give tips on the best food-related products, but Jennie actually shared that she recently discovered La Tierra Sagrada’s Dry Shampoo in brunette and loves it.
“It’s not only made from completely natural ingredients like cacao, lavender flower, and he shou wu—it’s also brown so it doesn’t make my dark hair turn white, which happens with most other dry shampoos.”
All La Tierra Sagrada—or the sacred earth—products are designed to facilitate “intentional ritual around our hair care.” Their luxe dry shampoos are available in blonde and brunette.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Tierra-Sagrada-Natural-Shampoo-Brunette/dp/B07F1DRFD4″]Get it on Amazon for $48[/link-button]
[sul title=”Activist and Amma Emily Baldoni” subheader=”161k Instagram Followers”]
Emily Baldoni is another woman whose creative work and family life I adore following. She’s the founder of AMMA—a company that’s “working to elevate the experience of motherhood” and is launching a brand new breastfeeding wrap—and the wife of Jane the Virgin star (and big-time activist) Justin Baldoni.
In addition to all the goodness the Baldoni family is putting out into the world, Emily also has great taste in reads. When HealthyWay interviewed her earlier this month, she said that she was getting ready to re-read a book that’s loved by many and has had a big impact on my creative life, too.
24. Something Magical 🦄
Emily calls Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert—as in the real-life Liz played by Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray, Love—“a fantastic book about creativity,” and she’s exactly right.
Treat yourself to a little mental exercise as you reconnect with your innate creativity and see if you can get on board with the idea that ideas are out there in the world, waiting to come to fruition through you.
I recommend picking it up in hardback. The cover alone is worth it.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Big-Magic-Creative-Living-Beyond/dp/1594634718″]Get it on Amazon for $14.22[/link-button]