Bugdet Friendly Skincare Routine/Products

I generally lean towards skincare even though it may seem like I prefer makeup but I do really love a good skincare routine with products that work well. Most of the skincare products I use are budget friendly and a few are a little expensive/mid range but I find that what really matters is what works for your skin and understanding your skin. Also, what works for person A may not necessarily work for person B even if your skin profiles may seem similar. However, I have gathered some budget friendly skincare products which have been tried, tested, loved and repurchased by me. I didn't include products like serums, moisturisers and sunscreen in this post as this post will be super long so I will be blogging about those later. Just a little heads up; my skin is predominantly combination/oily with naughty shiny T-zones by mid afternoon but it leans towards normal/combination skin during Autumn/Winter. I have also suffered from acne for a while and I am currently trying to get rid of the post acne hyper pigmentation/blemishes I have behind. Also, I don't use all these products at once but I just pick a few depending on how my skin is feeling...let's dive in....

Eye Makeup Remover
This is always my first step to my skin care routine after I wash my hands and take out my lenses. In the past, I just used wipes and other makeup removers to remove my eye makeup but I have since started using separate eye makeup removers. My favourite one is the Rimmel Just Let It Go (£3.59) eye makeup remover as it feels so gentle on the eyes and it removes all my eye makeup including waterproof mascara. It does not feel oily or greasy and I am so impressed with it. Another good eye makeup remover is the Garnier version which is lovely and I have written about it here. You have to give the bottle a little shake before using it. It leaves a very slight greasy feeling on the eyes but it 's nothing unbearable and it is so much better than many others I have tried.




Makeup Remover
Once I am done with the eyes, I move on to the rest of my makeup and I have a variety of makeup removers depending on how my skin is feeling and the weather. During Summer/Spring, I prefer to use something with some moisture which feels refreshing and I usually opt for the Simple Exfoliating Wipes (review here) which I think is one of the best drug store makeup wipes (review here). It does not feel too wet or dry; it just has the right amount of moisture and it does a good job in removing makeup. On other days, I use the Garnier Micellar Water (review here). It is easily one of the best dupes out there for Bioderma Micellar Water (review here) and it feels so refreshing on the skin. I just dispense some on a cotton pad and remove my makeup and I am ready for cleansing, On colder days (A/W season), I prefer something which feels creamy and balmy and I have two options; a cleansing oil or a hot cloth cleanser (creamy balm). For cleansing oil, I opt for the the Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Oil (review here) which is a good product for the price and it removes all my makeup well although we did not get off on the right foot at all but I really like it now. I also love the Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser (review here) which is so lovely and I have fallen back in love with it again. It feels really soft on my skin and melts really well into the skin. I take this off with a muslin cloth and I love it.

Cleansers
Some people usually stop at removing their makeup and assume they have cleansed their skin. While I am no dermatologists, I know (from experience) that removing your makeup is just the first step to cleansing your skin and you need to cleanse your skin further. I always opt for simple cleansers which do the job well. My favourite cleanser is the African Black Soap-Dudu Osun (review here) which is so lovely and it has made such a difference to my skin, I recently introduced the Neutrogena Visibly Clear Gentle Exfoliating Wash which has gradually become one of my favourites as well. It cleanses my skin really well and offers some gentle exfoliation on the side. It feels so gentle and it has really improved my skin. Another cleanser which I absolutely love is the Cetaphil Cleanser which is one of the best simple cleansers which is suitable for my skin type and it is amazing for sensitive skin. I have a few other cleansers but I reach for these ones often because they work well for my skin.



Toners
I have spoken about a variety of toners here and I am pretty sure many people include toners in their skin care routine now. A toner helps your skin prepare for any treatment, serums or moisturisers. I love the Lush Breath of Fresh Air (review here) and Botanics Hibiscus Brightening Toner (review here) which works really well on my skin. The Lush toner is one of the most refreshing toners I have ever tried and it balances out the moisture levels on my skin especially after cleansing. The Botanics Brightening Toner (review here)  is one I have grown to love as it helps revitalise my skin when it looks dull especially during the A/W season. The Simple Kind to Skin Toner (review here) is also really hydrating and it makes my skin feel soft and smooth while I use the Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Toner is my acne buster toner although it does feel a little harsh on my skin but it keeps acne off which is why I love to use it still.



Masks/Scrubs/Exfoliating
I usually put on a mask or do a deep exfoliation on my skin about once or twice a week as I find that it helps draw out any impurities that may be lurking behind on my skin. My favourite mask is the Super Facialist Clay Mask by Una Brennan which is such a lovely budget friendly clay mask that removes any embedded impurities under my skin. As we all know, clay is one of the staple ingredients in many masks but this one also contains salicylic acid amongst other ingredients which help decongest the pores and I let it sit on my skin for about 20 minutes or more for a thorough deep cleanse. I also use the Botanics Microdermabrasion Scrub/Mask (review here) once a week for some good exfoliation of any dry dead skin on my face to renew my skin and let the new skin shine through. It has really tiny particles which you slightly feel on your skin but it's not abrasive. The only problem I have with it is the difficulty in rinsing this off when I am done.



Something Extra (Serum and Spot Treatment)
I would do a separate post on serums and moisturisers but I thought it would be nice to throw this in case, I get very lazy and never post it. Once my skin is clean and fresh, I feel that's the best time to treat your skin, One of my favourite serums is the Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Serum (review here) and I love how soft and smooth it leaves my skin. It also helped with my hyper pigmentation and dark blemishes because it is a lovely chemical exfoliant; thanks to its Glycolic Acid content. I also love the Lush Grease Lightning Spot Treatment (review here) which works a treat on spots although it is much slower than my beloved La Roche Posay Effaclar A.I spot treatment (review here) which has to be one of the best spot treatments I have ever used. It works overnight and works really well on spots and reduces their size significantly. Lastly, the Botanics Refreshing Roll On Eye cream (review here) is just so amazing and revitalises my under eye especially when I have had very short nights/sleep.



That's it folks! I know it's a super long post but these products have worked really well for my skin and they are staples in my skincare routine. I hope you have enjoyed this post and I will see you in my next post....x