Ever gone to Sephora and walked out realizing you just spent your entire car payment on skin care products? 🙋🏻♀️
Well before you get repossessed, let me save you.
We know skin care is expensive. And I’ll be honest with you, I think there are some products you should absolutely splurge on (a quality Vitamin C Serum, retinol, and night moisturizer are worth dropping extra $$ on). BUT! Some of the products that I swear by are actually pretty affordable and effective — without the crazy price tag.
Below are some of my favorites under $20:
The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% – $7.90
THIS PRODUCT IS LESS THAN $8 and will make your face SO SOFT and smooth, and reduce breakouts. The texture is a little weird — think like, a dry cream? I know that makes no sense but it will when you get it. However, I found that if I don’t overly rub it in, it won’t flake, and will work like it’s supposed to. I discovered this on TikTok and it did not disappoint. I’ve already repurchased it.
RoC Retinol Correxion Eye Cream – $17.99
Eye yi yi, undereyes. Love those little crinkles that let me know I’ve been living well and laughing my ass off. But also like, do I need the evidence of that with me all the time? Not really. This product might look pricey for how small the tube is, but it lasts a really long time since all you need is one tiny drop per under eye. It contains retinol which is a magic ingredient for reducing fine lines and wrinkles, and getting rid of baggage like United Airlines when they lost my suitcase that one time.
Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% – $12.89
Breakouts can GTFO. In high school I started getting a little bit of acne and my mom took me to the dermatologist. They gave me this stuff, which I used for years at night and it cleared my skin right up. Now it’s available over the counter at Target and I still use it when my skin starts acting up. Couple of warnings here — apparently it can make your skin worse before it gets better (though this didn’t happen for me personally), and you definitely want to either mix it or top it with moisturizer because it can be drying.
CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion with Sunscreen – $18.99
I’ve been using this for years as my daily moisturizer and I know a lot of others who do too. It’s non-greasy, fast-absorbing, and contains SPF 30 to protect your skin. I wear this every single day even if I don’t leave the house.
The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA – $8.90
Another product by The Ordinary that I found on TikTok. I have some sun damage on my skin from years of teaching cheer camps outdoors every summer (yes, even though I wore SPF). This serum contains Hyaluronic Acid (another magic ingredient), and brightens my skin, lightens dark spots, and reduces uneven skin tone. The reviews also say that it reduces acne scars if used consistently! Thank you TikTok!
So those are my favorite products that will save your skin and your wallet. Let me know if you’d like me to share my skin care splurges as well!
