The Best of Wellness: 13 Products That Made Our Lives Better in February 

“I have a fear that one day my bleached hair is going to completely fall out or reach a damaged point of no return, so I’m always looking for the best ways to maintain it (that don’t involve ditching my bottle-blonde look for good). I’ve been pretty loyal to my previous hair mask, but I was excited when this one came across my desk from a coworker who highly recommended it. A couple of uses later, I noticed that my hair felt stronger and thicker, as opposed to the usual light cotton candy texture that can happen with bleached strands. And it still felt soft and silky during the days when I skipped washes. I’m definitely keeping this one in my weekly routine, if anything, for my peace of mind alone.” —Lisa Brown, production assistant

“I feel like I’m constantly surrounded by Daily Harvest ads on social media and the subway (as a busy New Yorker, I’m probably exactly their target demographic), but it never seemed like something that was for me. I’m not a big smoothie or shake person, mostly because I am incredibly dependent on coffee in the morning, so adding more liquid to my breakfast didn’t seem very fun or satisfying. But I finally decided to give Daily Harvest a try when I stayed at a Westin and received a discount code (Westin recently teamed up with Daily Harvest, so guests get $40 off their first two boxes). Picking the smoothies for my box was honestly a little stressful, until I saw that they have a cold-brew-and-almond smoothie and just loaded up my box with that one—plus a few other options for good measure. 

You guys. The Daily Harvest Cold Brew + Almond smoothie has turned me into a morning smoothie person. It has 151mg of caffeine (about a cup and a half of coffee), plus bananas, almond butter, and organic cacao powder. You add your liquid of choice—I go with unsweetened almond milk, but I’ve also used skim milk and even water, and it’s all been fine. Like most of the Daily Harvest smoothies, it’s not very sweet, so you might need to add some honey or other sweetener if it’s too bitter for your taste. I personally add a scoop of chocolate protein powder to make this more filling and more like a frappucino. I’ve also added more cold brew on days when I really need to function at hyper-speed, though that’s probably not recommended. Obviously this was my favorite smoothie in the box, and I ended up ordering another box of just this. But I really like that Daily Harvest makes it easy to stop or pause packages so you aren’t accidentally swimming in smoothie shipments.” —Casey Gueren, executive editor

Editor’s Note: Daily Harvest subscription plans start at $70 per week (for 9 cups), but you can buy as many as 24 cups per week. 

“The weather this month has been so temptingly springlike that it’s been really hard to adjust my expectations when I see that the temperatures have dropped back down to the 40s and 30s again. Another source of confusion for me is that I’ve been testing these new Riviera Postcard body products from & Other Stories, and they have been fully putting me in the vacation mindset. The scent is something similar to a sweet lemon poppyseed muffin but has a little bit of a tangy sorbet element to it thanks to the pineapple in it. I like to use the body oil right after a shower to lock in moisture, and it smells so uplifting and citrusy that it’s like the scent equivalent of a SAD lamp.” —Lori Keong, commerce editor

“Oh, and did I mention there’s also a body scrub version of the body oil? It’s great if you want to go to town on some dead skin in the shower while you breathe in whiffs of the Amalfi limoncello scent going on here.” —L.K.

“I finally have a desk mug that looks cute and keeps my iced coffee cold and my hot drip, well, hot! I know YETI is a trusted brand when it comes to insulated drink-ware and their 14-ounce Rambler had really good reviews online. To be totally honest, this isn’t a to-go mug—and it’s not designed to be. The lid that comes with the cup doesn’t have anything to cover the opening; even if you buy a separate magnetic lid (the 30-ounce lid fits the 14-ounce mug), YETI is very transparent that this lid won’t prevent leaks. And that was okay for me because I only wanted something that I could keep at work. But the *best* part of this purchase is that I get a discount at our company’s café for bringing my own mug. No more paper cups, people!” —Kenny Thapoung, associate director of audience development and distribution

“When was the last time you heard about breath spray? Like, 2008, with Listerine’s pocket spray? Because, same. I normally hoard tins of Altoids like the grandparent I am, but I swapped them out for this spray from innovative beauty brand Alleyoop when I went on a date last weekend and was pleasantly surprised. It has a natural mint flavor that wasn’t so overwhelming that my date knew I was prepping for smooches, and it’s in a discreet vial that looks like perfume. Ditched the guy after the second date, but the spray remains a backpack essential.” —Sarah Madaus, editorial assistant

“I’ve been looking for a new sweater that’s light but not too bulky and warm enough that I can forget about my huge winter coat, so I was excited when I was gifted this cozy Amundsen Peak Half-Zip. It’s supersoft and made out of 100% merino wool, which makes it extra warm, but it’s also breathable enough that I don’t overheat. Plus, I love the patch detail on the sleeve as an added pop of color.” —Cheryl Carlin, senior manager, analytics

Available in sizes XS to XL. 

“Maybe I’m just sick of winter, but the sample I received of these bronzer drops (in the shade Gilded Glow) was exactly what I needed this month. They’re a very light liquid-y texture, and a little goes a long way. You can mix them into your moisturizer or other products for a little glowy boost, but I prefer pat a tiny bit onto my cheekbones like a highlighter.” —S.J.

“Odele launched a line of hair-care products exclusively at Target earlier this month, and I was lucky enough to preview some of them. One helpful addition is that you can read checklists of different hair textures and thicknesses on the back of the shampoo, conditioner, and styling product bottles to find out which hair types each is recommended for—it’s way more streamlined, efficient, and specific than other brands that I’m constantly blind testing. The Air Dry Styler has been my favorite of Odele’s so far—it keeps my fine curls frizz-free and moist, and is perfect to apply as a touch-up when I get in the office. (The subway can be frizz-enhancing, let me tell you.) It leaves my hair smelling great and feeling soft.” —Hannah Pasternak, senior editor, emerging platforms

“In the time of selfies and TikTok, I’m always in desperate need of an easy way to mount my phone to any surface, which is why I was tickled to come across the Dop, which is a handy little suction mount that fits on my existing Popsocket (and has its own ring, in case you don’t own one). The suction mount can be attached to any surface, so it’s an easy way to go hands-free following your favorite recipe or taking a video of yourself trying the latest dance craze.” —C.C.

“When these new Each & Every deodorant launches came across my desk, I had my doubts, to say the least. I had just tweeted about how all aluminum-free deodorants claim to work and never do. And as a part-time cycling instructor and full-time sweaty person, I need underarm protection that’s going to do its job. I was pleasantly surprised by the Juniper & Mint scent, though; it’s like a gin and tonic for your pits. I reminded myself that it’s a deodorant, not a miracle worker, so I tested it out on my rest day. Readers, after the day was done, the only B.O. I smelled was from the guy next to me on the subway. I think I’ll actually keep this one around for all my low-sweat days." —S.M.