Hi! Nicole here, fashion attorney turned co-founder of Qatch. I’m 38 years old, a new mom, and obsessed with skincare. My perfect morning is waking up, applying some moisturizer and SPF and being able to walk out the door feeling confident.

I’m here to tell you the unsexy things I’ve been using for 10 years that deliver touchable, glowy, clear skin that still have women asking me what my skincare routine is.

Not the most instagram-worthy products, but they work wonders.

Price range: $9-$36  |  shop body wash →

I’ve seen The Ordinary's salicylic acid pop up on my FYP for weeks now. People are showing how they use it post-shower, apply it to their legs with a cotton pad, and voila! smooth, sexy legs. I know this works, because I’ve used it. But somewhere between becoming a mom and adding anti-aging products to my routine, I realized I just didn’t have the time to soak 10 cotton pads and then apply to each section of my legs. So I started looking for for an alternative… and I found something better.

The Proactiv salicylic acid body wash not only simplifies the process for me - in the shower, easy and quick to apply - but it contains 2% salicylic acid, versus The Ordinary’s 0.50%. With Proactiv’s body wash, I can also get my back, chest, shoulders, all the stuff that's out in a tank top. It’s a little more than The Ordinary’s product at $27 for 9 oz, but it also does way more. Is it sexy? Not really - but does it make you sexy? Sure does.

shop the sexiest, unsexy body wash →

Price range: $35-$80 | shop monoi oil →

This is the one that smells like Hawaii, seriously. Monoï oil - the Tahitian gardenia kind - goes on damp skin straight out of the shower, and your legs look lit from the inside for a full day. Cheapest "wait, where did you just get back from?" money can buy. I put this on my face at night when I need a surge of moisture, on my hair, on my body, cuticles… you get the idea.

Pro-tip: Make sure the Monoï oil you reach for has no more than 3 ingredients - the one I linked contains coconut oil and fresh Tiaré flowers. Some brands add fragrance (I stay away from those), and several other ingredients. Less is more.

shop my favorite Monoi Oil here →

Price range: ~$15–$27 | shop HOCL spray for skin →

Hypochlorous acid is kind of like the jack-of-all-trades of skincare because it can do almost everything. Dermatologists love it because it’s safe for your skin, for use on kids, even on surfaces to kill bacteria.

It is the same stuff your own white blood cells make to fight off bad bacteria, so it kills what causes breakouts and calms redness without stripping your skin or stinging. You just spray it on and walk away, no rinsing.

Now the unsexy part. Everyone online posts the Tower 28 one because the bottle is pink and adorable and looks good on a shelf. However, for my skin, ESPECIALLY during my luteal phase when my skin gets angry, the less-sexy HOCL by Curativa Bay clears my breakouts faster, is cheaper by the ounce, and stable for longer.

Unsexy bottle, sexy skin. Every luteal phase. Use code QATCH at checkout for 15% off.

shop the HOCL skin spray I use all year →

Price range: $24 | shop Nivea Creme (German Version) →

Okay, this one I owe to my husband. He was born and raised in Germany so we travel there a few times each year. I started following some German influencers to keep up with the trends - and a few of them mentioned using this Nivea creme. The blue tin one. When I went to buy it on my next trip, the sales associate told me girls love it because “it’s basically La Mer for ten dollars.” The next day I went back and snatching up as many of those tins as I could - and have been hoarding them on my trips ever since.

I keep these tucked everywhere. One on the nightstand, a mini in my bag. Large one outside of my shower, small one in my car, one in the diaper bag. Since I’ve started this Nivea journey about 10 years ago, I’ve also tried the soft version (white jar), which I tend to like more during the Summer months; it’s lighter and easier for hot days.

shop the $20 La Mer dupe →

Price range: $36-122 | shop PowerGlow Peel →

Peels are my favorite - I try to get one every 3 months for a number of reasons; peels help smooth fine Lines, helps fades age spots, restores radiance by removing dead skin buildup instantly clears up a dull complexion, and boosts product absorption, making all the other products I’m spending good money on, more effective.

But I can’t always get to a spa and when money is tight, I feel like I get almost the same results with these Peel pads as I would at the spa. Bluemercury’s aestheticians at the in-store spa use these exact pads when performing certain peels on clients, so you know the product is good.

It’s also only 1 step, making it approachable and easy to use. Start with the 10 treatment pack - it’s only $3.60 per peel. You’re welcome.

shop PowerGlow Peel →

Often, yes. Many unglamorous drugstore staples use the same proven ingredients as luxury products at a fraction of the price. What matters is the formula and using it consistently - not the packaging. Plenty of $10 products outperform $200 ones.

For convenience, Proactiv's salicylic acid wins because it's in a wash, not needing a cotton pad to apply, and lets you get your full back, chest, and shoulder coverage - you can't realistically apply a small dropper to your own back, which is where most body breakouts happen.

Many people consider the German-made Nivea Creme (the blue tin) a budget alternative to La Mer thanks to its rich, occlusive, old-world texture - at around $10/tin instead of hundreds. It isn't identical, but it delivers a similar heavy, deeply moisturizing feel.

Monoï oil is a Tahitian oil made by soaking gardenia (tiaré) flowers in coconut oil. It deeply moisturizes skin and hair, leaving a soft, glowy finish and a tropical scent. Apply it to damp skin right after showering for a lit-from-within look.