Affordable Skin Care Products
Not to hate on high end skin care, but damn is that stuff expensive! Like did they go to heaven to retrieve the tears of angels for this toner? Did Johnny Depp personally kiss each one of these cleansers before they were put on the shelf? Does it come with an esthetician to expertly apply this for me? Why is it 200 dollars though?
The good news is, there really are products at your local grocery store that can cover every basic skin care need. No, I’m not kidding. Behold: an affordable skin care routine and products…
 PM Cleansing: At the end of the day, I remove my makeup with Neutrogena Makeup Remover wipes. They are a serious godsend, and even remove waterproof makeup.Then, I cleanse with Cera Ve Hydrating Cleanser to remove any remaining makeup and sunscreen. I love this cleanser because it doesn’t strip my skin. If your skin feels tight or squeaky after you cleanse, your cleanser is too harsh! Your skin has a natural barrier that holds moisture in, and keeps bad things out. When your skin is stripped or damaged by a cleanser or exfoliant it will be more prone to dryness, sensitivity, and significantly more prone to blemishes. Keeping your skin’s moisture barrier is probably the most important aspect of your skincare routine.
Exfoliate: Every few days, I uses an exfoliate to remove dead skin cells. If you’re using something with sharp bits in it (looking at our St. Ive’s apricot scrub), please for the love of your skin, STOP! Products that have bits (apricot kernels, walnut, etc) will murder your skin and cause micro tears that allow bacteria in. These are among the worst products on the market. Exfoliates with micro beads (rounded) are better for you, but terrible for the environment. In addition to all of this, physical exfoliates don’t evenly remove dead skin cells.
A chemical exfoliant isn’t overly harsh and will evenly and more thoroughly remove dead skin cells. I use Stridex Maximum Strength Pads. Be sure to let your skin dry after use to get the full benefits of this product.
Moisturize: At night I really go ham on the moisturizer. Like I need to change my pillowcase every morning ham. Moisturized skin is the prettiest skin. It reduces redness, helps with dry patches, plumps skin, reduces pore size…basically all of those things we use foundation to cover up. First, moisturize with a heavy moisturizer. I used Cera Ve Moisturizing Cream. It has hyaluronic acid in it which is a moisture binding ingredient than can hold 1000 times it’s weight in water. You want this stuff on your skin. Then, you’re going to apply a thin, THIN, THHHIIIINN layer of Vaseline. Yes. You heard me correctly.
Vaseline is non-comedogenic and wont break you out unless you have a Vaseline allergy. Using this over your moisturizer will lock it in and let it work it’s magic. When you wake up in the morning, don’t be surprised if you look like a Victoria’s Secret model. I know it seems so weird and you’re probably like “This chick is nuts!” but just trust me. Slap an old T-shirt on your pillow to keep it from getting yucky and when you wake up in the morning your skin will feel like a kittens fur on a sunny day.
AM Cleansing: To remove any Vaseline residue in the morning I use Simple Micellar water on a cotton round. Micellar water is just water with electrically charged particles in it that loosen anything that shouldn’t be on your skin. It’s perfect because it removes leftover makeup, dirt, oil, and soap residue without having to rinse. That cuts down on my daily routine and makes getting out the door so much easier
FYI: You should ALWAYS patch test all skin care products before using them on your entire face!
Do any of you use these products? Let me know your favorite drug store skin care faves in the comments!
