We swapped our top beauty brands for Amazon Essentials—here's what a week taught us

I rigorously ration my expensive personal care products: a coin-size dollop of shampoo, a quarter-size dollop of conditioner, and a single squirt of toothpaste each morning and evening. Nowadays, restocking even simple items costs nearly as much as a full cart of groceries. That's hundreds of dollars literally going down the drain. And if you run out of everything at the same time… you might as well take out a loan.

Halloween may be over, but I got the scare of a lifetime when I couldn't squeeze any more out of my shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotion, and more. And I couldn't squeeze a re-up of that many products into my current budget. Amazon Essentials is a great place to shop for clothing, but it also has plenty of personal care items. I grabbed everything I needed—eight products in total—for less than $65.

Amazon Essentials Biotin & Collagen Shampoo

My hair and I have always been picky about shampoo. My hair is thin and fine, yet longer than average, so finding a shampoo that lathers well without weighing my hair down has been tough. I picked up the Amazon Essentials Biotin & Collagen Shampoo, which is comparable to OGX Thick & Full. It's made without phthalates, parabens, or sulfates, but is packed with collagen and biotin for body and shine.

What I liked

Because this shampoo is affordable, I assumed it would have the smell and texture of a cheap shampoo: a thin liquid that hardly foams and smells like my grandma's house or a chemical fog. I was pleasantly surprised, though the shampoo's purple color caught me off guard. It has a light vanilla-and-lavender scent and a thick texture that produces an impressive lather. One or two pumps were enough for my long hair, and it rinsed out easily, leaving it clean without making it feel dry and lifeless.

What I didn't like

The shampoo is thick and viscous, which I like, but that makes the pump hard to press. If you've ever put regular hand soap in a pump meant for foaming soap, this was a similar experience. It took a bit of elbow grease to squeeze out two pumps to wash my hair.

Amazon Essentials Soft & Sleek Conditioner

To round out my hair routine, I wanted to try a conditioner. I originally selected the Amazon Essentials Biotin & Collagen Conditioner to complement the shampoo, but Amazon was out of stock. Instead, I selected the Amazon Essentials Soft & Sleek Conditioner. With thin, fine hair that's longer than average, I was hoping for softness without the weighed-down feel.

What I liked

Conditioner is as much of a struggle for me as shampoo. Many conditioners are too heavy, weighing down my hair and making it feel or look greasy. This one, surprisingly, didn't. My hair felt soft and air-dried with little to no frizz, something that's uncommon for me.

What I didn't like

This conditioner missed the mark for me. The smell is overly floral with a hint of straight chemical, almost like hair dye, and it's too watery for my preferences. I used much more product than I normally do to compensate for how thin it is, but I still struggled to get a good coating on my hair.

Amazon Essentials Total Moisturizing Body Wash

Amazon compares its Amazon Essentials Total Moisturizing Body Wash to Olay Ultra Moisture, and it's infused with shea butter for deep, non-greasy hydration. I never remember to put lotion on after my showers, but I hate feeling dry, so I was excited to see if this would leave me moisturized without the lotion-hands I hate.

What I liked

This body wash is thick, with a texture similar to a body butter. Instead of a bubbly, soapy lather, it glides over skin, leaving it moisturized and soft. The bottle is huge, and a little product goes a long way. Even after a week of daily use for two people, there's barely a dent in it.

What I didn't like

The scent is a light floral, which isn't my favorite, but it didn't irritate my sensitive skin or linger after I rinsed off.

Amazon Essentials XL Face Towels

I have sensitive skin, so I use disposable towels after washing my face. My dermatologist recommended Clean Skin Club's Clean Towels, but I was paying $18 for a pack of 50, which comes out to $0.36 per towel, plus any applicable shipping. Once you break things down in dollars and cents, it seems ridiculous to pay that much for a single-use towel. Amazon's answer, the Amazon Essentials XL Face Towels, cost $12.57, just $0.25 per towel.

What I liked

Many disposable face towels either have a strong bamboo or plant scent or are so fragile that they leave lint all over your face. These did neither. They have zero smell, in fact, and while they're soft and thin, they didn't leave any fuzz behind after I removed my makeup or dried my face. The XL size offers ample space to remove a full face of makeup and keep your fingers clean. These are a near-exact dupe for the Clean Towels, for much less.

What I didn't like

Packaging was a common problem among the Amazon Essentials items I tried, and these towels were no exception. The cardboard was difficult to rip, even along the perforation. While trying to open the box, I ripped it in multiple places outside the designated tabs. Keeping the towels contained helps them stay clean, so it was frustrating that the box nearly fell apart. The towels also have ridges designed to help remove makeup, but they can feel rough if you catch your skin the wrong way.

Amazon Essentials Salicylic Acid Cleanser

A salicylic acid cleanser is a must-have for anyone with acne-prone skin. I've used ones from CeraVe and La Roche-Posay in the past, but they were nearly indistinguishable, so I figured the Amazon Essentials version might be similar and even cheaper.

What I liked

The cleanser has a mild scent, without the chemical bite of others I've tried that irritated my eyes. It lathered up well with a bit of water and didn't leave my skin feeling tight, dry, or irritated. Acne can be caused by so many things, but I do believe my skin cleared up slightly after a week of using the cleanser nightly.

What I didn't like

The pump was hard to push down with dry hands and downright impossible when my hands were already wet from prepping my skin. It dispenses only a tiny amount of product with each pump, so it took three pumps to match a single pump of my previous face wash.

Amazon Essentials Micellar Water

Amazon compares its Amazon Essentials Micellar Water to Garnier Sensitive Micellar Water, which I normally use to remove my makeup. They're both dermatologist-tested for safety on sensitive skin and made without alcohol or fragrance. The price difference is negligible, so I was more interested in performance.

What I liked

Most micellar water leaves a greasy, sticky sheen behind, including the Garnier Sensitive I've been using. The Garnier removed my makeup efficiently, but my eyelids would stick together long after I took off any eye makeup until I scrubbed them raw with a towel or applied face wash to my eyelids, which is a dangerous game. Amazon Essentials' Micellar Water was a pleasant surprise. My eyes didn't feel sticky after removing my mascara, and it took only two passes to remove it completely, whereas the Garnier took four.

What I didn't like

I was happy with everything about this product, and I think I'll reach for it instead of the Garnier from now on. Since the packaging is a simple flip-top lid, there wasn't much that could go wrong.

Amazon Essentials Dry Shampoo

My hair rarely gets greasy, but my dark, grown-out roots draw far more attention to my part, making it look 10 times worse. Any time I feel an inkling of grease, I grab my dry shampoo. I've used waterless shampoo foams, dry shampoo powders, and sprays, and I was curious how the Amazon Essentials version would stack up.

What I liked

The dry shampoo has a slight citrus-vanilla smell that I enjoyed. Unlike some others I've tried, it doesn't smell like hairspray or baby powder. A few sprays were all it took to eradicate the grease at my hairline, and there was no demarcation line of visible powder in my hair, either. My hair was shiny and soft, and it still felt light.

What I didn't like

As with a few other Amazon Essentials products I tried, the nozzle takes some force to press. I have long nails, which make it hard to press things firmly with my fingertips, so aiming the product at my hairline was a bit difficult.

Amazon Essentials Body Oil Gel with Cocoa Butter

This body oil gel is paraben-free and promises deep hydration without greasy residue, thanks to a cocoa butter formula.

What I liked

This body oil smells divine, like brown sugar and shea butter. The hydration claims held up; even in the Florida humidity, the oil delivered extreme hydration and absorbed quickly into my legs, leaving a slight shimmer.

What I didn't like

While the oil absorbed quickly on my legs, it left my hands greasy and shimmery, more like Edward from Twilight than the bronzed, glowy goddess my legs were going for. The oil's lid also wouldn't close fully after the first time I opened it. The plastic had no cracks or other issues; it just didn't fit together after I removed the tape that held it shut during shipping. Since oil is greasy and can stain, I'll have to find a new container to store it in.

Should you replace your routine with Amazon Essentials?

Yes, for personal care items you aren't picky about

For some products, the brand-name version is better, but for most personal care products, the name on the label doesn't matter. If you're looking to stretch your budget without giving up certain products, swapping them for Amazon Essentials is a smart choice.

My previous shampoo and conditioner alone would have cost me nearly as much as I spent on this entire eight-item haul. Aside from a few packaging issues and the conditioner, I was happy with all of my swaps. I think a few will become a lasting part of my routine.