Hello everyone! I hope you all are having a great weekend! It is finally warming up here and I could not be more excited.
Most of you know that I am a mommy to a seven month old and a full time college student. So, finding affordable skin care products that I actually
like using, as well as having a fast routine, is a must. Sometimes, I only have 10 minutes to get ready and walk out the door.
Let me tell you a little about my skin. In the winter, I have extremely dry skin with dry patches. In fact, if I am going to wear makeup, I need to exfoliate daily. Before you gasp in horror at the thought of this, this is a necessity for me. Everyone needs to find what works best for them. In the summer months, my skin leans more towards the normal end of the spectrum, however, I still get dry patches. Even though I have dry skin, I am unfortunately acne prone as well. I get the best of both worlds . . . yay!
I will list what has been working for me now that it is not so deathly freezing outside. Keep in mind, that what works for me, may not work for everyone and everyone needs to find what works best for
them. I cannot stress this enough!
Disclaimer: I am by no means an expert. Through trial and error I have found what works for me, at this time.
If you want to know what products I have currently been using, and liking, please read on!
Step 1: Exfoliate
As I previously mentioned, exfoliating is a must for me and I do this daily. I am currently loving the Blemish & Blackhead Control Apricot Scrub by St. Ives. This tub can last me up to six months, making it extremely economical! I love how the granules are bigger and I feel like this scrub really sloughs off the dead skin, leaving a beautiful, soft canvas for applying makeup.
This retails for around $6 for 10oz of product, and can be found at any drugstore.
Step 2: Cleanse
Do not waste money on cleanser. High end cleansers can be very expensive. If you spend a lot of money on cleanser, you are literally washing your money down the drain. After all, cleanser does not stay on your face. I have really been liking the Purpose Gentle Cleansing Face Wash. It foams up nicely, removes my makeup, does not leave a "tight" feeling, does not cause breakouts, and does not dry out my face. What more can I ask for?
You can pick up a 6oz bottle for around $5 and this can also be found at drugstores.
Step 3: Tone
The affordable toner that I have been reaching for is Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Pore Perfecting Toner. I must warn you, this has a very strong smell, which reminds me of vodka. However, if you can get past the smell, the product is wonderful! This does a great job at giving my face the "extra clean" feeling and balancing out my skin, without drying it out.
This can be found at drugstores for around $5 for 16oz.
Step 4: Moisturize
I am sure many of you have heard about coconut oil. But, did you know about all of the great benefits that this natural (and yummy) oil has? Besides the obvious fact that you can eat it, which will help with your digestive tract, you can use it for a hair mask, to shave with, or to moisturize. Like I mentioned, I have very dry, acne prone, skin. I have tried countless eye creams and facial moisturizers, but I have not found any that work as well as this does for the price. With that being said, I have been using this as my eye cream and my facial moisturizer. Before you say, "you put what on your face?" or "why put oil on acne prone skin?" . . . let me tell you. Coconut oil has anti aging properties, removes impurities, is an anti-inflammatory (helps with acne), is a natural sun protectant, a little bit goes a long way, and works great for my skin.
When using coconut oil you may break out at first. This is the coconut oil purging your skin (search coconut oil skin detox to learn more.) After using this for about a week, I had about three whiteheads pop up on my chin, but they were gone within a couple of days. I have not had any more breakouts caused by coconut oil.
If you are going to try coconut oil as a moisturizer, make sure that it is extra virgin, unrefined, and if you can find it, organic. Do not put refined coconut oil on your face.
You can find coconut oil in grocery stores or in health food stores. I picked mine up at The Vitamin Shoppe for around $9 and I got 15oz.
Step 5: Protect from Sun Exposure
For days when I am going to be in the sun for a period of time, when I don't wear a makeup that has an SPF, or I just need extra moisture, I like to use
Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration Sunscreen Face Lotion with SPF 30. It soaks into the skin really well, is oil free, and leaves a semi matte finish, meaning you will not get the grease face that some SPFs give you. This also wears beautifully under makeup. The smell is as good as all of the other Hawaiian Tropic products. However, I am not sure if this gives a white cast in photos or not. I'll be sure to update when I know.
I found mine at Meijer, but it is also carried at Target for around $8 for 1.7oz.
I love reading about other people's skin care routines and I hope that you enjoyed reading this!
If any of you have skin like mine and want to make a suggestion, let me know! Also, if you have used any of the products that I listed, let me know what you thought about them!
Until Next Time,
-Kaitlin
Disclaimer: I purchased all products mentioned with my own money. The opinions expressed are my own and do not reflect those of the companies mentioned.
