My Top Picks: Affordable Skincare For A Radiant Glow

When it comes to skincare, it can be quite a difficult task to find a high quality product at a low price. You see celebrities with their silky smooth skin and their nonexistent pores post their skincare routine and products. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. You get a little burst of joy in your heart because you think “finally, I can have skin like this”….until you realize that their face wash alone costs $150 dollars. Don’t worry, I was that person too. I thought I would just have horrible skin forever because there was NO WAY that skincare products from the drug store could be of any good quality. Well I’m here to tell you that I was highly mistaken.

While there are some products that may not be worth your time, there are also drugstore skincare products that are BOMB! Before realizing this, I’d tried one or two products that didn’t work and I assumed that all cheap skincare products were the same. Lies, lies, lies. The truth is, everyone’s skin is different. You have to find what works for your specific skin type and you won’t always find the perfect product on the first try. You will find products that your skin absolutely hates, and then you will find products that your skin absolutely loves.

I’ve had my fair share of cheap skincare product fails and success, so in this post I’m going to share with you some of my absolute favorite products. These are not just products that worked for me only, but they are products that I have heard countless good reviews on, and also have recommended to friends who turned out to love them as well.

First things first, everyone needs a good basic face wash to start and end their day. Growing up…and actually still to this day, my skin has always been very sensitive. Short story…I remember in high school, I had my first outbreak of a few pimples. (yay puberty) My skin had always been clear and smooth because I never wore makeup, so when I got these pimples, my mom freaked out and ordered me a kit of Proactive skincare because she said I had “acne”. (I later learned the difference between a break-out and full on acne) I was actually excited because Proactive was really popular at the time and all these commercials showed people with bright, clear skin. I tried Proactive for a day or two and what started out as a few pimples here actually turned into full on acne. I was so confused because I was like, “how is this product that is supposed to make me have clear skin, making me have even worse skin than I did before?” Long story short, my mom was never allowed to be dermatologist again, I never used Proactive again after that, and I realized that I have to be very, very careful of that products that I put on my skin. This leads me to one of my first favorite products.

1. Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser

Price: $3 – $10.00

Cetaphil has been around for quite some time, and many people use it, which speaks to its level of quality. This is one of the best affordable daily facial cleansers because it is quick, light, and will actually leave you with visible results. It’s designed for all skin types, normal to oily, it is unscented, so perfect for those with sensitive skin, and its non-irritating formula will leave you feeling rejuvenated and refreshed. You can find this product at your local drugstore or grocery store such as Target, Walmart, CVS, etc. Depending on the size, you can spend anywhere between $3.00 for a small travel size if you’re looking to test it, or $7 – $10.00 for a full size bottle.

2. St. Ives Face Wash

Price: $5.00

This face wash has a little bit more, what I like to call, “Umph”. This has been a staple in my skincare routine for the past few years because it cleanses and exfoliates the skin with little micro beads. I love the apricot scrub. It smells amazing and it isn’t too harsh for my sensitive skin. The ingredients in it are 100% natural, including the exfoliants, and it will leave your skin feeling smooth night and day.

3. Neutrogena Rapid Clear Toner

Price: $9.49

I used to never use toner, until someone showed me the benefit and necessity of including it in your face wash routine. A lot of times, we wash our face and automatically assume that is as clean as can be… until you take a pad of alcohol or toner and rub your face and realize there is still dirt beneath your pores. Toning is important because washing our face cleanses the surface, but using toner penetrates the pores getting all of that excess dirt that we didn’t get the first time. This toner is a good product because it is not too harsh on skin, and it is perfect for all skin types whether you have severe acne or just tiny bumps.

4. CeraVe Moisturizer & St. Ives

Price: $14.00

5. St. Ives Moisturizer

Price: $7.00

When it comes to moisturizing, I could go on and on about all of the amazing products out there. However, when I am on a budget, I still like to have a quality product that suits my skin. CeraVe and St. Ives are two of my top favorite affordable moisturizing products. CeraVe is perfect for people who have extremely dry skin. It does a great job at locking in that moisture that will last for hours, however, it is one of those creams that, when you put it on, you know you’re wearing lotion.

I personally do not like that feeling so that is why I started using St. Ives moisturizer. Not only is it a lower price than CeraVe, it is also super silky smooth that when you put it on, it feels like butter and you forget that you’re even wearing lotion. However, it is one that you may have to continue to apply throughout the day. Overall, it all depends on your preference, but both of these products are absolutely amazing, affordable, and can be found at any local drugstore.

Once again, these are only a few of the vast amount of quality, affordable drugstore products out there. Taking care of the outside of your skin is only half of the solution, you must also watch what you input into your system because it all comes out in our skin as well. Overall, I hope you get the chance to try some of these products for yourself, and whether your face is $5 or $105, you can still get that beautiful, radiant, glowing skin.