Long after I had outgrown the target demographic for children’s and baby shampoos, I continued to use Johnson’s Baby Tear Free Shampoo because I loved the smell. Since then, I’ve switched over to sulfate-free shampoo, but I still find myself drawn to baby products, because I’m always looking for products that won’t irritate my skin—and what could be less irritating than stuff that’s specifically to touch the skin of babes?

Sometimes name brands are worth the extra cost (as we established in our last edition of “Save or Splurge?", the CVS-brand generic version of CeraVe moisturizing cream just wasn’t up to snuff). But other times, things are a bit less clear. I’ve been using Whole Foods' 365 Everyday Value Gentle Skin Cleanser over the past few months, and it’s hard to deny that the packaging is almost a direct duplicate of Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser’s design and color scheme…

We may not haggle here in America (at least, not in the big box stores), but boy, we do love a good sale. One of my mom’s favorite sayings is, “Never pay full price,” so I feel like I’ve failed my second-generation upbringing if I pay full price for anything.