My 4- Piece Budget-Friendly Skincare Routine (Product Recommendations Included)

If there is one piece of my beauty regime I love to play with and experiment within above all others, it is my skincare routine. I love massaging on all the lotions and potions, evaluating their ingredients, and seeing their results on my face. But in all my testing and trialing, I have come to learn that one can build a solid, multi-faceted skincare routine around any budget. Today. I am going to break down some of my very favorite budget-friendly options for what I consider to be all the essential steps of my routine-- all products currently retailing for $30 or less USD.

Cleanser: Thorough, gentle facial cleansing morning and night is the foundational building block of healthy skin and a great routine. Fortunately, I am finding more and more cost effective choices out there for non-stripping, yet effective facial cleansers suitable for both a morning refresh and for taking the day off at night. One option I have been loving is the Derma E Hydrating Cleanser (retails for $16 USD for 6 oz bottle). This gel face wash cleanses and soothes the skin with a combination of pore refining lemongrass and anti-inflammatory chamomile leaving the skin fresh and even while also being capable of removing light base and cheek makeup, even using just one pump.. It is best to not use this product around the eye area due to the small amount of essential oils contained in the formula, but you can easily use hot water, olive oil from your kitchen or your favorite essential oil- free facial oil (covered in a later step) to take care of the eyes.

Facial Oil: Though I am a firm believer in the high-powered, often concentrated effects of a facial serum, facial oils are also a great way to add specified treatment ingredients as well as an extra layer of moisture to your skin. Single-ingredient facial oils (made of just one fragrance-free carrier oil, NOT a potent essential oil) are often the most economical choices for oils, but do not let their simplicity fool you. One ingredient can do wonders for refining skin texture, smoothing fine lines, providing deeper hydration, and even unclogging pores in some cases. Finding which oil works best for you can take some trial and error. Oily skin, for example, can often benefit from balancing jojoba oil as a single ingredient or grapeseed oil. Almond oil works wonders for those looking to address minor hydration concerns and the occasional breakout. My personal favorite, however, both for my skin and many types across the board is rosehip seed oil. Rosehip seed oil is one of the most vitamin-dense of the single-ingredient carrier oils containing Vitamins A (for texture refining and acne reducing), C (for collagen-boosting) and E for moisture. A wonderful inexpensive version of rosehip seed oil comes from New Zealand organic brand Trilogy ($27.99 USD for a 20 ml bottle) . The brand goes to great lengths to responsibly harvest and preserve the quality of the rosehip oil in every batch it produces, leaving it its goodness potent yet soothing for the skin. One or two drops is all you need per application to give your face a full, glow-boosting treatments. To read more about the many benefits of rosehip seed oil, check out my article here, and for more information on essential oils versus carrier oils and on some other types of facial oils out there in general, take a look at this article of mine here.

Occlusive Moisturizer: Once you have put on whatever treatment oil you choose, it is important to seal in all its goodness into your skin with a layer of occlusive moisturizer in either a cream or lotion form. Moisturizers also help to create a barrier between the skin and the outside environment from pollutants and stressors during the day and also provide extra moisture and comfort to the skin as you sleep at night, protecting barrier function,

One cream that my skin loves to use both in the day and at night is the CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream (18.99 USD for a 1.7 oz jar) . Though its texture is quite thick and it is labeled a "night cream", I find the cool, balmy texture of this cream super supportive and cushy on my skin but not at all too slick or greasy, which is a big help when wearing this with sunscreen over the top (it sinks straight in and never pills) and also using this a priming step before applying foundation, depending on my needs or preferences throughout the day. At night, however, I layer it on a little thicker for almost a deep, rich moisture mask effect while I sleep without ever feeling sticky or clogging up the pores. My skin is palpably smooth and noticeably radiant the next day just from the amount of hydration it gives.

Another cream option that I have been loving, especially for more skin firming and renewing properties is the Derma- E Anti-Wrinkle Cream ($14 USD) . This cream comes in a whopping 4 oz jar, so it is very economical. It is a very emollient yet lightweight, fluffy cream that contains both a small amount of a retinol derivative (retinyl palmitate) and plant-based natural retinol alternative for extra long-lasting glow boost and firmness and further hydration and also addressing inflammation. So if you are concerned with more of the texture and healing any pigmentation or addressing wrinkles with your one-stop shop cream, I'd definitely pick this as an option too, and I find it is comfortable to wear both day and night.

Clarifying Mask: Masks are perhaps a nonessential step to a skincare routine, However, I do find comfort in keeping a mildly clarifying clay mask on hand to use as a spot treatment or as a "maintenance step" so to speak to give my pores a good deep clean every few weeks or so. My favorite of favorite clay masks at the moment of all I've tried is the GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment. I use the mini version of this mask ($25 USD for a 0,5 oz jar) , and even when doing weekly full-face treatments the small size lasts me around two months. It is a great fast-acting shape-up for any skin, especially to help treat and prevent breakouts without ever overstimulating or drying the skin. To read my full thoughts on this product, check out my dedicated review of it here.

Taking care of your skin and doing it well can be done at any cost, and with great fun and joy! Cheers to you exploring all the great options out there, and wishing you the happiest and most healthy skin.