We love Trader Joe’s around here. The price is right, the food is good, and perhaps most importantly, it just makes our busy lives easier. All those snacks! All those frozen meals! Plus, there’s an entire universe of TJ’s fans online, mixing and remixing their products into easy and delicious family-friendly meals. (A shrimp burrito bowl? Gimme.)
But it’s all too easy to get caught up in your grocery list and forget that Trader Joe’s has some pretty great offerings you can’t eat, too. Well, don’t skip those aisles. Lotion? They’ve got it. A viral Super Goop dupe? Yup, they’ve got that too. Laundry supplies, personal care products, and even some eucalyptus to make your shower feel more like a spa — check, check, check. And so today, Scary Mommy editors are sharing our favorite non-food finds from this reader-fave store.
Shea Butter & Coconut Oil Hair Mask
I have been using this hair mask for years, and if Trader Joe’s ever discontinues this magical product, I will weep. After shampooing my hair, I take a dollop of this mask and run it through my hair. While it sits on my hair in the shower, I’ll shave or perform a one-woman show of Hamilton or just disassociate while the mask does its job. Then, just rinse out the mask, and your hair will be so silky and soft that you will touch it a million times a day. — Katie Garrity, Editor, News & Social
Greeting Cards
You can’t beat TJ’s greeting cards — they’re cute, a little quirky, and they’re only 99 cents! My kids are at the age where it feels like there’s a birthday party every weekend, and it’s nice not to have to drop the standard 5 bucks a pop on cards to go in gift bags. Gotta save where you can, right? — Julie Sprankles, Deputy Editor, Lifestyle
Wool Dryer Balls
I bought these on a whim. I can’t even remember why I bought them; truly, it might have been that the idea amused me. But I’ve had the same set for probably four years now, and I am never going back to life without them. They genuinely do make my clothes dry faster. Plus, I can toss stuff that’s slightly stiff from air drying in there with them on no-heat to soften them up. It’s hard to believe that something this simple works SO well, but it does! I don’t see them on the TJ’s website currently, but if you see them at your local store, snap them up. — Kelly Faircloth, Executive Editor
Ultra Hydrating Gel Moisturizer
I love a good gel moisturizer, and I was put onto this one by a friend who swears it’s a dupe for the pricier Clinique Moisture Surge. It’s hydrating, gives a slick base for my makeup, and feels amazing. I prefer something heavier for nighttime, but you can’t beat this price for a great morning moisturizer. — Julie Sprankles
Tote Bags
OK, we all know that people are absolutely bananas for the Trader Joe’s mini tote bags, which are indeed cute. And now they have little mini insulated totes (for a limited time, anyway), which are also adorable and nicely sized for lunches and pool trips. But I just want to put in a word for their big lightweight totes, which are perfectly enormous — I love my sardine bag from last year, which is an excellent shape for all manner of errands. — Kelly Faircloth
Eucalyptus
The website says they are $3.99, but in my mind, these are $2 eucalyptus bouquets you throw in your cart and feel like a lifestyle influencer and/or Mrs. Dalloway. They smell great; add them to another $2 TJ’s bouquet, or hang them in your shower and live your best life! — Meaghan O’Connell, Senior Features Editor, Romper
Coconut Body Butter
This stuff is thick, rich, and smells like coconut. In the summer, it smells summery; in the winter, it also smells summery. What could be better? — Kelly Faircloth
Daily Facial Sunscreen
This is the famous dupe for the Super Goop sunscreen, and it’s awesome. It goes on clear, isn’t too oily, and is $8.99, so it’s a steal in comparison. — Kate Auletta, Editor-in-Chief
Liquid Laundry Detergent in Lavender
I only recently became a TJ’s laundry detergent convert, but I don’t see myself going back to other brands anytime soon. I was pleasantly surprised by how clean this gets clothes — and without any weird residue. I like the lavender scent, which isn’t overpowering to me, but my husband prefers the unscented. Both give you a lot of bang for your buck. — Julie Sprankles
Brazil Nut Body Scrub
I didn’t make it to my local TJ’s in time this summer to snag the seasonal Brazil Nut Body Butter before it sold out (bummer), so I grabbed the body scrub instead. The scent is definitely more subtle than the body butter, but it still smells fantastic. TJ’s describes it as a “signature salted-caramel-meets-pistachio scent,” and if you think that sounds like a Brazilian Bum Bum Cream dupe, you’re not wrong. — Julie Sprankles
