Step up your self-care without spending too much

By Samantha B. Gordon

If you’re anything like me, you may be thinking of how the changing weather is going to affect your skincare routine or how you should style your hair for the fall instead of the summer. This may call for new tools and products to help you get the job done, and thankfully, there are ways to save on some of the items you may be looking to buy. Whether you need to replace your old hair dryer or you need a hair steamer to keep frizziness and dry hair at bay, there are plenty of savings right now.

And if you’re looking for discounts on other home care essentials like neck massagers, bathroom scales, in-ear thermometers, showerheads, and even over-the-counter hearing aids, we’ve got you covered there too.

Consumer Reports tests and evaluates plenty of these products in our homes and labs, and I keep track of all the prices to alert you when those that perform well are available at good prices. Below you’ll find the best offer available right now.

Skincare Fridges

Easy-Take Skincare Fridge

The Easy-Take Skincare Fridge is the only skincare fridge we evaluated that has an LED mirror on the front door that has three brightness levels, which comes in handy if you’re trying to save space on your vanity. The fridge has one removable shelf, but the height can’t be adjusted. The door closes securely with a magnetic closure, but its capacity is smaller than other models we tried, and it was unable to fit a 13.5-fl ounce bottle of Micellar water.

Facetory Skincare Mini Fridge Ice Cream Series

The Facetory Skincare Mini Fridge-Ice Cream Series is the most luxurious-looking of the fridges we evaluated, with a few glam features that set it apart. This fridge, which does not include a mirror on the front, has a built-in light that turns on whenever you open the fridge door. It also features a real-time temperature display within the fridge and a sturdy brown fabric strap at the top for portability. It also has a removable shelf that can not be adjusted, and it comes with accessories that include a small interior door shelf for holding masks and other slim items and a separate sheet mask compartment that will take up considerable space on the bottom shelf but would be convenient for anyone who uses a lot of masks.

Insect Repellents

Ben’s Tick & Insect Repellent Wipes

These stand-out repellent wipes from Ben’s are among the top-performing products in CR’s testing. With 30 percent deet as their active ingredient, they earn a top rating for protection against mosquitoes. They’re only about average when it comes to their tendency to damage clothing fabric – so if you’re concerned, test one on an inconspicuous spot.

Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent2 Pump

This pump spray from Repel is one of the best deet-free repellents and one of the best-performing of any that CR has tested, deet-containing products included. With 30 percent oil of lemon eucalyptus as its active ingredient, it earns an excellent rating for protection against mosquitoes and ticks. Plus, CR’s testers found that this product tends not to damage fabric or other materials, unlike many insect repellents.

Neck and Back Massagers

Nektek Shiatsu Neck and Back Massager

This massager, made famous on TikTok, falls in the middle of the pack in terms of pricing, compared with the other models we evaluated. The reviewer found that the nodes pressed into their neck in an uncomfortable way, but two others who tried it loved it, so you might find the massager is just right or not right at all (but don’t worry—there’s a 30-day return window on Amazon). However, when it came to heat, this massager really shone. It reaches temperatures of 109° F. You can use this massager on various body parts, and it even comes with a car adapter, making it a boon for road trips.

Homedics Cordless Shiatsu Massage Pillow With Heat

The Homedics massager sets itself apart from the other models we evaluated because it’s wireless and rechargeable. This normally makes it a bit pricier, but the discount and on-page coupon help make it a more reasonable purchase. Because it’s more of a pillow shape, our evaluator said it was harder to use on shoulders, but it was comfortable on their back. The only downsides are the heat function doesn’t get quite as hot as other models, reaching only 93º F, and there is no way to control the speed.

Neck Fans

Arctic Air Portable Neck Fan

For $9 less than we’ve seen in weeks, and the lowest price it’s ever been, the Arctic Air neck fan has the best airflow angle of every model our evaluator tried (and it’s not even adjustable). It’s also on the louder side, so it may only be a good choice if you don’t mind a little extra noise near your ears.

Jisulife Portable Neck Fan

This neck fan, which is a great price right now, may be a great tool to keep in your arsenal for hot days. For the price, you don’t get any bells and whistles like cooling or mist that you can find in pricier models. It simply blows air at three speeds. It’s also not adjustable, so you can’t aim the airflow, but the vents wrap all the way around the fan to cool your face and neck.

Hair Dryers

Rusk W8less 2000

The Rusk W8less is a great, no-frills option for when you’re on the go. It’s lightweight, gets nice and hot, and, unlike many hotel hair dryers, doesn’t smoke and singe your hair. The W8less has three heat settings, two-speed settings, and a cool shot. It comes with one concentrator nozzle. And it has an internal ion generator plus a ceramic and tourmaline-infused grill to fight that frizz.

GHD Helios Hair Dryer

The GHD Helios, while not as fast as a Drybar model or the popular Dyson dryer, still scored well in our dry-speed tests. It’s one of the loudest we tried, but it gave our testers voluminous locks. The Helios has two heat settings plus a cool shot, two speed settings, and a concentrator attachment. It also features a brushless motor, which could mean that this dryer will last longer than those without one.

Flat Irons

Conair Double Ceramic Flat Iron

The Conair Double Ceramic Flat Iron is a great lower-cost option if you’re in the market for a new one. It has five temperature settings, a rare find at this price, and it heats up in about 30 seconds, but the temperatures vary about 6 degrees from whatever you set it to. Our evaluator found it to be a bit clunky to use, but it’s small, light, and easy to maneuver thanks to pivoting plates and a swivel cord.

Hot Tools Pro Artist Black Gold Evolve Ionic Salon Hair Flat Iron

Hot Tools hair styling tools are a common sight at hair salons, and for good reason. Our evaluators found that this flat iron heated up fast and was easy to use. It has variable heat settings to give users more control, and the plates are slightly longer than most straighteners, a feature that could be useful for styling longer hair. It’s important to note that the temperature consistency isn’t reliable and could vary by as much as 20 degrees from the set temperature during use. It has a 2-hour window before it automatically shuts off, so you’ll want to remember to unplug it after every use.

GHD Platinum+ Flat Iron

The GHD Platinum+ flat iron is at the best price we’ve seen in a long time. It delivered great results for all three evaluators who tried it. It has only one heat setting of 365° F, but it takes only 21 seconds to heat up and then keeps that heat consistent. It comes with a silicone holder so that you can store it before it’s cooled down all the way, and the swivel cord and pivoting plates make it easy to handle. Best of all, the On button is on the inside of the handle, so you won’t accidentally switch it off while you’re using it.

Hair Steamers

Siswow Hair Steamer for Natural Hair

If you’re looking for a nourishing treatment to combat hair dryness, the Siswow Hair Steamer may be the product you’ve been searching for. Of all the hair steamers we tried, this was the only one that made no noise, and its lengthy cord added extra convenience. Setup was effortless, and our evaluator didn’t notice a single drip while using the cap. It has three settings—30, 45, and 60 minutes— and after use, she and her daughter both had noticeably softer and easier-to-detangle hair.

Sunscreens

Alba Botanica Hawaiian Lotion SPF 30 Aloe Vera

This Alba Botanica Hawaiian Lotion provides excellent UVA protection and has decent ratings for its ability to shield you from sunburn-producing rays. And its SPF level is close to that claimed on the label. It has a plastic (“beach ball”) and clay aroma reminiscent of fragrance-free products. It left a greasy, draggy residue on testers’ skin.

Eucerin Advanced Hydration Spray SPF 50

This Eucerin Advanced Hydration SPF 50 spray is a solid performer with broad spectrum protection. Its tested SPF comes close to its labeled SPF 50. Like the sunscreen above, it also has that plastic fragrance-free aroma, and it left a slight draggy film on testers’ skin.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Melt-In Milk Lotion SPF 60

This pricey La Roche-Posay Sunscreen Milk delivers on its broad-spectrum promise in CR’s tests. Although it falls short of its SPF label, it still provides very good protection from sunburn-producing rays. It’s a thin, runny lotion that has a slight aroma of plastic that’s sometimes associated with fragrance-free products. It leaves a moderate amount of greasy film and a slight sheen on the skin.

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Kids Lotion SPF 50

This La Roche-Posay Anthelios Kids SPF 50 Face and Body lotion is a winner in CR’s tests, with excellent overall protection. Its sun protection factor (SPF) comes very close to its SPF 50 label. Testers describe this sunscreen as having a plastic “beach ball” aroma reminiscent of fragrance-free products. It left a sheen and a draggy film on testers’ skin.

Neutrogena Beach Defense Water + Sun Protection Spray SPF 50

This Neutrogena spray is very good in overall performance across the board, with excellent UVA protection and very good protection from sunburn-producing rays. It does not meet its labeled SPF 50 in CR’s tests, but the protection is still adequate. It has a moderately strong tropical, fruity aroma and leaves a slightly greasy film and a notable sheen on the skin.

In-Ear Thermometers

Alcedo Digital Thermometer

The Alcedo digital thermometer earned top marks for accuracy and consistency, and despite its very reasonable price, it’s packed with features. This model can be used as an in-ear thermometer and, when an included cap is affixed over the probe, it can also be used as a forehead thermometer. It isn’t used with disposable plastic probe caps, so it needs to be thoroughly cleaned after every in-ear use. But our testers found that it was quite easy to clean. The memory recall on this thermometer stores up to 20 temperature readings. You can also use the forehead mode to measure the temperature of objects, such as bottles of formula.

Equate (Walmart) Infrared 1-Second In-Ear Digital Thermometer

This Equate thermometer scored well for accuracy and earned top marks for consistency. It’s an in-ear-only thermometer, so it can’t be used for children younger than 6 months. Cleaning this thermometer is a simple matter of removing the disposable plastic probe cap, so there’s no need to worry about earwax sticking to the probe.

This thermometer has plenty of features, including memory that stores up to 10 previous readings. Icons on the display classify temperature measurements, and the display is backlit, so it’s easy to read in darkened rooms. You can’t mute the fever-indicating beeps, however.

Bathroom Scales

Escali High Capacity Anti-Slip HC225W

The Escali HC225W is the highest-capacity digital scale we’ve tested. It can handle 560 pounds and earns excellent ratings across all our tests. Its slip-resistant surface and backlit display make it easy to use. Unlike some other scales, this model doesn’t have connectivity to share readings through a smartphone app.

Showerheads

HOPOPRO 6 Functions Handheld Showerhead

The Hopopro 6-function showerhead is an easy-to-use handheld shower with variable settings for different users. In our tests, it provided a nice-feeling shower while using minimal water. We tested it with a 1.8-gallon-per-minute (GPM) flow restrictor in place, but it comes with a 2.5 GPM restrictor if you want more pressure.

HOPOPRO High Pressure Fixed Showerhead (5 Settings)

This Hopopro showerhead was the single best fixed showerhead in our most recent tests. Testers found that it provided a great-feeling shower while getting top marks for its modest consumption of water. It has five settings and uses 1.8 gallons of water per minute.

OTC Hearing Aids

Lexie B2 Hearing Aid Powered by Bose

Now owned by the hearing aid company Lexie, the B2 was initially developed by Bose as the first self-fitting hearing aid. You set it up not with an initial hearing test but by adjusting treble and bass volume settings up and down until they feel comfortable for you, and you can store multiple settings for different situations. These hearing aids offer a rechargeable battery, so you don’t have to mess with replacing tiny hearing aid batteries. The Lexie app that accompanies the hearing aid offers lots of support as you’re getting used to your hearing aid, including the option for video calls with customer service.

Eargo 7 Hearing Aid

The Eargo 7 is one of the smallest and most discreet OTC hearing aids available, and it’s self-fitting too, so you can customize it to your particular hearing needs. Still, Eargo is also one of the priciest OTC hearing aid brands available. At a sale price of $2,450 per pair, the Eargo 7 is no steal. (Prescription Costco hearing aids, by contrast, which are programmed to your hearing by a professional, start at $1,500 per pair.) But if you’re interested in trying out the brand, now is a good time to give it a shot. And keep in mind that they come with a 45-day return period, so you can take a few weeks to figure out whether they’re right for you.

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