My non-negotiable health products as a wellness editor

Emilie Lavinia/The Standard

What we love: Medical-grade sensors, three membership tiers, Free access to Natural Cycles, 14 days of battery life, can track up to 70 biomarkers, New jewellery straps look great

Take note: Device and membership costs are separate, some features limited to knit strap, MG doesn’t have GPS

According to hi-tech health scan company Neko, 45 per cent of people in the UK have a wellness wearable. That doesn’t surprise me at all. I look around on any given day, and I see people sporting fitness trackers, smart rings and running watches. When I first started wearing a WHOOP I didn’t expect much, but using the technology to track my sleep, hormones and habits actually changed my life. I was able to map symptoms I’d been struggling with and connect the dots between headaches, anxiety and missing periods. I also ended up taking much better care of myself day to day.

So now I’m a WHOOP evangelist, and I’ve upgraded from the 4.0 to the 5.0 MG. I think it’s empowering to be able to gather data on my health given that women’s health research is so underfunded, and it’s useful for me to be able to share that data with medical professionals to avoid being fobbed off or ignored – which is what happened to me for years. You might prefer a different style of tracker or find that keeping a written diary works better for you. In my view, tracking your health is worth it, however you do it.

My only criticism of the WHOOP was an exercise in vanity – I didn’t like the chunky fabric strap because it didn’t really go with my outfits. But obviously this is a company that thinks of everything, and the latest strap looks like designer jewellery. The device itself and the subscription are an investment, but if you see benefits in tracking your health or you have specific wellbeing goals, I think it’s the best wearable in the game.

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What we love: 620-660nm wavelength, 120 red light LEDs, Built-in headphones

Take note: Big and bulky, and hair can get caught

For years I’ve been trying to get my hair back to how it looked before I took a pair of kitchen scissors to it at age 15. It was long, red and shiny and for a long time I used extensions to mimic the swish of healthy hair and bleach to fake thickness and body. After I started seeing Izabella Bordignon, a trichologist who advised me to ditch the extensions, I also started using a red light device to stimulate new hair growth.

These glowing helmets come in various shapes and sizes (beware dupes and duds in the LED space because there are many), but the most effective I’ve found, due to the placement and power of its LEDs, is the one from CurrentBody.

A combination of using the helmet and making some lifestyle and hair product changes over the past couple of years has meant that my hair now grows six inches in a matter of months – most people’s grows six inches in a year. Sure, I look a little odd wearing the helmet for ten minutes every day, but my hair is long, strong and shiny, so I have no regrets. The every day part is important because red light only works if you’re consistent with it, like most wellness devices.

The helmet comes in two sizes, so it’s suitable for everyone, and it has built-in Bluetooth headphones so you can continue watching or listening to something or take a call while you wear it. It’s bulky, plastic and ironically catches on my hair a bit when I take it off, so I’d advise removing it with care, but for the results I’ve seen, it’s one of my favourite pieces of wellness tech.

Emilie Lavinia/The Standard

What we love: Sustainable materials, sonic vibration, quiet motor, comes in a range of colours, and UV charging case

Take note: Two-minute timer isn’t long enough, and Sonic can feel tickly at first

I recently went for an in-depth X-ray and AI scan of my teeth and gums carried out by dental expert Dr Sorabh Patel, and when I asked him which toothbrush I should be using, he recommended the one I actually use, so I felt very proud to have chosen well. I’ve used a SURI toothbrush since the brand’s first incarnation and have never looked back.

A clever sonic toothbrush with great cleaning power and good sustainability credentials (which you don’t often see in the oral health category), I much prefer it to other electric toothbrushes I’ve tried.

I predicted that the oral microbiome would be big news this year and have been dedicated to keeping my mouth healthy to also keep my brain and gut healthy. The SURI Pro 2.0 delivers up to 33,000 sonic vibrations per minute via a very quiet 50dB motor.

It offers two cleaning modes, a pressure sensor, a two-minute timer (which I actually dislike because it always times out before I’ve finished) and a waterproof aluminium handle. The heads are made from plant-based materials and can be replaced and recycled.

The charging case also works incredibly well because it keeps the toothbrush charged for at least a month, and it has a little UV light inside to kill off bacteria too. There are also a few lovely colours to choose from, including ‘winter fern, ‘sea mist’ and ‘sunset bloom’ – for a toothbrush, it’s very aesthetically pleasing. But the headline news is that it works well and manages to clean around fixed braces and removes plaque without being too harsh on gums.

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What we love: Most effective countertop filter, Hot water setting, Remineralises water, comes with a glass bottle, wastewater is good for plants

Take Note: An investment, and takes up space in the kitchen

My research over the years has brought me to the conclusion that filtering your water is better for your health than not filtering your water. Studies on area-based water pollution in the UK and microplastic volume are hard to ignore, so I filter my tap water at home. There are plenty of very good filters on the market, and you can apply different layers of filtering technology depending on how thorough you want to be.

My favourite and, in my opinion, the most thorough filtration system on offer for home use is the Skuma – a countertop reverse osmosis filter that removes 99.99 per cent of contaminants from water. We’re talking pesticides, PFAS, microplastics and even viruses. It’s an intense machine.

Some people I’ve spoken with don’t like it because it filters so well that you have to add minerals to the machine to add back into the water. Some filters leave minerals intact, but that means they’re also leaving some contaminants in the water too. My partner also doesn’t like the sound of this machine, but I think the noise it makes is a small price to pay for the best filter. You could add wine, puddle water, any liquid and the filter will produce clean water without any trace of heavy metals or microplastics.

I’ve had it for two years, and it’s probably one of the best things I’ve ever used. It also has a hot water setting and comes with a glass bottle – because there’s not much point filtering your water if you’re going to drink it from a plastic cup or bottle. The wastewater is actually great for your plants too.

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What we love: Temperature controlled mattress, Daily data report, Pregnancy mode, Control with app, Built-in alarm

Take note: Some users experienced leaks, High price point

This mattress topper has saved my relationship, saved my sleep and saved my life during the many heatwaves we endured as a nation during the summer months. It’s another investment, but one that’s worth it in my view because this smart mattress is seriously smart. The Eight Sleep controls the temperature of the bed, tracks your biometrics as you sleep and adjusts to improve your sleep quality.

Whenever I sleep in a bed that isn’t my own, I notice the temperature straight away because at home I set the temperature so it’s ready for me to slide in. My partner’s side of the bed is usually set to a totally different temperature because our bodies respond differently and rest differently. My favourite feature is being gently woken by a steady rise in temperature, and I can control all this from the app. There are built-in alarms and sounds too, and there are also specialist modes built into the tech for pregnancy and menopause.

Each morning I get a text that tells me how many hours of deep and REM sleep the mattress thinks I got, and though my Pod 4 isn’t always quite as accurate as the data my WHOOP delivers, the new Pod 6 offers more data points and much more accuracy thanks to a far more finely tuned system along with a host of other new and improved features.

If you don’t want to actually wear a tracker but you want a look at your sleep habits, the Eight Sleep is a great tool to help with improving sleep duration and quality – and avoiding a bed divorce.

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What we love: 100 per cent natural, 97.8 per cent organic, contains bio-retinol, smells amazing, absorbs and dries quickly, and suits all skin types

Take note: Not suitable for people with tree nut allergies

Body brushing and body oiling go hand in hand, so after brushing and showering, I hydrate my skin. I like to treat this whole experience as a bit of a ritual so that I can do important things like check for lumps or changes, breathe in the pleasing scent of the oil and get my lymph moving a bit more.

The oil I like to use is a skin-safe hydrator with rose and cacao from Evolve – an organic functional skincare brand that I recommend to absolutely everyone.

The oil is 100 per cent natural and 97.8 per cent organic (legit brands will always state this rather than just saying something is “organic” when it only contains 1 per cent organic ingredients), and it contains a bio-retinol from plants that smooths skin beautifully. It absorbs quickly and dries without staining clothes, so if I’m in a hurry I can just slap it on and go too. It smells amazing, and it’s also vegan and cruelty-free.

We spend a lot of time worrying about our faces and the products we’re using on them these days, and I think we often forget to show our bodies love and care. The Wild Divine oil offers a nice excuse to check in with everything from the neck down after a shower and leaves you smelling really sexy in a totally skin-safe way.

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What we love: Vegan and cruelty-free, many scents to choose from, sustainable, skin-safe, and non-toxic

Take note: Pricier than a budget deodorant

Whilst we’re on the subject of non-toxic habits, one of my favourite skin-safe products is Fussy deodorant. It smells great (my current favourite scent is Cereal Milk from the new-season line scent up) and doesn’t contain any harmful ingredients. You’d think in this day and age, nothing intended for use on skin would contain ingredients that cause harm, but unfortunately many products do. It makes no sense to me.

But Fussy is a stalwart in my bathroom cabinet. It works well, can cope with hot weather and sweaty gym sessions and does a good job of not killing me or the planet. The formulas are vegan and only tested on humans too. There are varying price options for Fussy depending on how many sustainable refills you want to buy and whether you want to purchase a case or set up a subscription.

The main body of the deodorant is reusable, so once you’ve run out of deodorant, you pop out the cardboard container and replace it with a new one, which means you can switch up your scents seasonally too. I use it, my partner uses it, and there’s a scent for absolutely everyone.

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What we love: 23 ingredients in one powder, pre-dosed individual sachets, formulated by scientists

Take note: Can be lumpy so it's worth making with a whizzer

I have tried more or less every supplement on the market, and I’ve only found a few brands I feel comfortable name-checking or placing my faith in. A lot of supplements do very little outside of making your pee very expensive. But a clinically meaningful dose of something you’re actually deficient in, delivered in a bioavailable form and taken at the right time, can make an impact.

One of the only supplements I take is The Elevator by Sisterly. It’s a multivitamin powder formulated by scientists and made specifically for women to support hormone function, energy levels, skin, hair, nails and sleep. It contains 23 ingredients, and it comes in individual pre-dosed sachets. I’m a fan of the expert formulation – the founders themselves stress the importance of the brains behind the final formula – and the reasoning behind the doses of each ingredient.

The powder is mandarin flavoured, but take this with a pinch of salt and don’t expect a sweet flavour – the yellow powder contains no added sugars, fillers or binders. I was advised by my doctor to take CoenzymeQ10 and up my intake of B vitamins, so this is my go-to for those and for my daily vitamin D and magnesium dose. I mix mine up with 100ml of filtered water in the morning and drink it like a shot with breakfast.

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What we love: 98 per cent natural-origin ingredients, scent developed to boost happiness, skin-safe and non-toxic, contains copper tripeptides and vitamin C, and sustainable packaging

Take note: High price point

Skincare for the face is very personal; our skin and how we react to different ingredients and sensations varies from person to person. And we only get one face, so I’m very conscious about what I put on mine and how I use my products. One of the brands I’ve grown to love hails from Switzerland, and it blends neuroscience with chemistry, which to someone like me is very cool.

LOYA makes functional skincare products that go above and beyond – intended to give you great skin, but also to evoke genuine feelings of joy using the power of scent.

The silky soft plumping cream is my hero product. It contains copper tripeptides, plant-based antioxidants, lipophilic vitamin C, ectoin and acetyl hexapeptide-8, which all work to plump the skin and reduce fine lines and dark spots. There’s decent skin science here that I trust. Then comes the interesting part: the brand also uses bioactive ingredients with mood-enhancing scents to prompt feelings of happiness and relaxation during use. Essentially, the cream is what we would call a neurocosmetic.

Initially, I wasn’t sure about the unique scent, and then over time I became strangely obsessed with it – to the extent that I would hold my hands up to my face throughout the day to catch a whiff. The other thing I love about this skincare is that it’s vegan, cruelty-free, and derived from 98 per cent natural-origin ingredients.

It doesn’t contain silicones, parabens, alcohol, microplastics, GMOs, heavy metals, EDTA, PEG/PPG and ethoxylated ingredients and the packaging is sustainable too. Often, with posh creams that work wonders, you’re expected to forget your morals in the pursuit of results. I think products like LOYA and others on this list exist to show you that is total nonsense. Of course you can have glowing skin, be fancy and not cause suffering. My skin really does look amazing after using the cream every morning.