The Best Skincare on a Budget
I love my skincare. My makeup doesn’t sit right, and it doesn’t feel right, without a good base. I find that this is kind of metaphorically resonant as well. If your base isn’t solid, then there’s no way that everything you put on top of it will work out. So, now that it’s clear I care about my skin, I also care about my wallet. I can’t really afford a bazillion dollar routine. As much as I would like to cover my face in La Mer and Tata Harper, that’s just not happening for me. Skincare is essentially just rubbing money into your face, and I need to be rubbing nickels on there, not benjamins. Let’s talk about good skin on a budget.
I figured I would do through my day start to finish and share the drugstore items I use. First, every day, is my Lactic Acid 10% +Hyaluronic Acid from The Ordinary. I had picked this up because I had heard it was a dupe for the Sunday Riley Good Genes Serum. I had a sample from Sephora of the Sunday Riley and loved loved loved it, but $160 for the bottle was just NOT. GONNA. HAPPEN. The Ordinary offers a bottle of the same size for just $10. It has drastically changed the texture of my skin (for the better). Using an acid on your skin is supposed to give you beautiful baby skin, and while I’m not there, I think that it’s helping.
Next, I use my Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 100. When using an acid, your skin gets sensitive. A dermatologist told me that once, so I’ve keep believing it. Since then, I’ve been extra careful to use sunscreen. I’ve used some super spendy sunscreens and nothing beats good old Neutrogena.
The last thing I use before I put on my makeup is the Acure Day Cream. I got my first bottle of this in a subscription box, probably as far back as 2012. Since then, I’ve used it nearly every day. It has lots of things that I’m supposed to like for my skin, like CoQ10 and argan oil. It’s a light, seemingly natural, day cream. It’s easy, and I like it.
After my day has ended…it’s time to clean it all off. First is my Neutrogena Makeup Wipes. If I’m wiped (lol) or have been out late, sometimes this is all I’ll use. These are safe, they’re cheap, and they take off most of my makeup right away. I’ll follow this up with the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water on a cotton pad to get off any other makeup that’s still clinging on. As an aside, I’ll sometimes use the Garnier Micellar Water in the morning too, but a lot of the time I don’t really wash my face with products in the morning. Should I?
For a more heavy-duty cleanser, I like the L’Oréal Paris Pure Clay Cleanser. It turns from a red clay consistency to a mousse. It has lots of claims, but the important thing is that it makes my skin feel super clean but doesn’t dry me out. The last thing that I do before bed is rubbing on my Soap and Glory Night and Flight Cream to provide a ton of moisture all night long!
There are a few things that I really wish that I could find a drugstore option for. I haven’t yet found a budget skin oil that I like, and I also haven’t found a good drugstore eye cream. My eyes are super sensitive, and I haven’t found an eye cream that doesn’t irritate them for less than $30. Skin oils haven’t yet sunk down to the drugstore yet. Acure has one, but I didn’t like it, and I’m not quite ready to make another order from the Ordinary (based on the train wreck happening there right now). I’m looking for suggestions if you have any for me!
