There are many products out there with a "guarantee" to make you look your best - unfortunately, not all products are created equal, not even ones try to make you think that their outrageous prices means better quality. Sadly, it is often the frugal alternatives or drug-store brands that can easily provide you with the results you desire. I’m here to share with the 10 products I use on a daily or weekly basis for making my face look its best. I can say with utmost certainty that these products have been very effective and are affordable, and go a long way.
Morning Round-up
When you get up in the morning, what’s the first thing you notice about your face? Is it puffy or red eyes? Oily skin? I recommend Origins‘ No Puffery cooling mask for puffy eyes. The clear gel comes in a 1 fl. oz squeeze tube, and is made from mushroom extract, which is known to reduce puffiness and irritation. Just apply a thin layer to the areas around your eyes, including under your eyes. Then you can either let it soak in for 10-15 minutes and wash off, or opt to apply this after doing all your facial cleansing and moisturizing and keep it on your skin for the entire day. It is $20, but well-worth it. I have had it since May 2008 and have only now gone through half the tube!
While you’re at it, use natural lubricating eye drops to refresh your eyes. My choice is GenTeal in Mild formula. If you suffer from allergy eyes or dry eyes, it does a fabulous job cooling your eyes and works well with contact lenses. It comes in a 0.5 fl. oz. squeeze bottle, and depending on how much you use it, can last several months. Since I tend to have really bad allergies, I only use it during the times when my prescription drops don’t do enough. But I have also used them at various points in the day when wearing my contacts. So for me, I can make a bottle last several months. But it’s also somewhat pricey for my budget, at as much as $10 depending on where I go, so I use it wisely. The reason why I spend the money on these drops is because they work so well, are opthomologist recommended (mine was the one who introduced me to them), and do not contain the preservatives in them that drops like Visine do. Did you know that while Visine "gets the red out", when used on a long-term basis, they will keep making your eyes red just so you have to keep using them?? Plus, extensive use puts you more at risk for glaucoma.
Cleaning Your Face
I have used many, many facial cleansers out there since puberty. Many of them work well, others not enough. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on finding the perfect cleanser, only to find it in the form of the drug-store staple Cetaphil! I use the Daily Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin in a 16 fl. oz. pump for around $22. It is gentle on my skin, has no harsh fragrances, and it doesn’t leave any residue. The best part is, it seems to last forever! I’ve had it since the beginning of 2009, and there is still around 2/3 or more of the product remaining. When I need to exfoliate every 3 weeks or so, I just add a handful of sea salt or sugar to the cleanser, and that takes care of sloughing off dead skin. When my hormones make my skin either more dry post-menstruation, or more oily just before and during that time, I do some additional treatments. After washing my face with the cleanser, I apply some sour cream or yogurt to my skin and rinse (for dry days), or I mix baking soda with water to form a paste and apply it on my face as a mask then rinse (for oily, acne days).
Once my face is washed, I balance the pH with any brand of Rose Water I can find. The cheapest was at an Indian grocery store for $2 for the 10.5 fl. oz. glass bottle. Considering I only use about 2 dabs on a cotton ball at a time, it goes a long way. In fact, I just bought this particular bottle 2 weeks ago, and I have only used what might be considered the equivalent to 2-3 tablespoons of it. I love the smell and the fact it is a natural skin toner.
A product I use occasionally to aid me in skin cell renewal is Aveda’s Tourmaline Charged Radiance Masque. It should only be used 1 time a week or bi-weekly, but using it does make a difference. It comes in a 4.2 fl. oz squeeze tube for $20. It is definitely a luxury item, I use it sparingly, and it has lasted me well over 1 1/2 years so far. I notice that by using the product, it gives me an even skin-tone.
Sealing in Moisture AM and PM
When the rose water has absorbed into my skin, I can use a moisturizer. This has been another area where I have tried products of every kind, finding that none of them last as long as I would like, especially for the prices I pay for them. Moreover, I have discovered that it is essential to have 2 types of moisturizers - day and night. But paying high prices for 2 seems absurd. So I chose Earth Science’s Almond-Aloe Moisturizer with spf 15+ for day, and Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula for night. I have been using the spf moisturizer by day, since the beginning of 2009. It comes in a 5 lf. oz. bottle for around $5, with a light cinnamon-almond scent that is rather soothing. Believe it or not, it is considered for men’s skin, but I find that its formula is more soothing for women’s sensitive skin, and not a messy cream like many women’s products are. All I need is a dime-sized amount and my skin is adequately quenched. I still have about 1/3 of the bottle left. At night, I use the cocoa butter, since it is ultra moisturizing and smells divine! Not bad for a 3.5 oz. jar for $5. It has lasted me 14 months, and I still have enough for a few more weeks with the amount that’s there. Just one swipe of my finger contains enough of the product to apply to my face.
Once a month, I also do another nightly ritual instead of using the cocoa butter. I use L’Occitane’s Creme Masque, but only the trial size .5 oz. the ultra-moisurizing treatment is meant for overnight usage, rather than as what you think of for a mask. L’Occitane has great product lines, but are much too expensive for my tastes. So when I discovered they had a bunch of trial sizes for less than $5, I just had to get a jar of this particular item. Use it once a week or bi-weekly for best results. You will definitely notice smoother, softer skin when you wake up in the morning.
Give Me Some Lip
There is something seductive about lip glosses, balms, and lipsticks that you can easily find yourself accumulating a plethora of them before you know it. I have bought my fair share. These days, I stick to eco-friendly and natural balms with an occasional tinted gloss. Whatever I do, I always finish my facial cleansing routine by putting some sort of lip balm on my lips. Since the beginning of this year, I have had Alba’s Passion Fruit Nectar Lip Balm in a .15 oz. tube for $3 that is so moisturizing I only need apply it in the morning and at night.
Completing Your Look
After all that I’ve mentioned for treating your face, you may not need to add cosmetics. After all, a beautiful, glowing face is what everyone tries to achieve with cosmetics, anyway. You can really save yourself some money if you can do this without needing any enhancements. But, I have also used tons of it myself, having spent several hundred dollars for something that can make my skin look good and be healthy for it. A few years ago, I switched modes entirely and went on an organic route, searching for good coverage at affordable prices. Then I discovered mineral make-up, and couldn’t believe what I had been missing! But the prices were shocking…$60 for a combination of foundation, powder, and blush was ridiculous. So I did some research and found Everyday Minerals. I was blown away by their modest prices and free trials (you just pay shipping for $5). So before long, I had a complete set of cosmetics to use when I felt the occasion needed, including: 2 foundations, loose powder, a buki brush, 3 eye shadow brushes, and 2 free eye shadows (one I use for blush) for around $30! I like that my skin can breathe in the products, so my pores don’t get clogged up, and I can still have great coverage. Because of the cosmetics being in powder form, I have used my existing regular-sized products for almost 2 years!
Resources
https://www.everydayminerals.com/
http://www.etbrowne.com/products/Default.aspx
http://www.origins.com/home.tmpl?ngextredir=1
http://www.aveda.com/index.tmpl?ngextredir=1
http://www.loccitane.com/29/1/2270/34000/A-True-Story.htm
