As a confessed skincare junkie, I am always looking for effective products which use clean ingredients for my sensitive skin. Given the prevalence of dry skin and eczema during winter, gentle ingredients are vital to allow the skin to retain its natural moisture barrier and keep skin thriving all year round. The number one concern of many students though is that products don’t break the bank! Cult brand The Ordinary has dominated the affordable skincare world in recent times. But after finding that many of their most popular products are pretty much impossible to get hold of, let’s take a look at what other brands have to offer for an equally small price tag.
Step one of a skincare routine is a cleanser. In the evening routine, the ‘double cleanse’ system has become popular, starting with an oil cleanser or cleansing balm first to remove makeup and excess sebum from the skin. My absolute favourite cleansing oil has to be the From Green Cleansing Oil by Korean skincare giant, Purito, available from yesstyle.com for £14.24. At 200ml, this product is great value for money, and a little oil goes such a long way! The second part of double cleansing is to use a water based cleanser. CeraVe offer both a foaming cleanser (combination/oily skin) and a hydrating cleanser (dry skin), available in 473ml pump bottles, which are incredibly hard to come by at a retail price of £11, regularly on offer at most beauty stores. These cleansers are all fragrance free, which prevents excess stripping of the skin’s moisture and the risk of increased sensitivity when the skin is most fragile.
To ensure the skin remains hydrated and moisturised, an ingredient I love is snail mucin. This may sound revolting, but research has confirmed its hydration and skin healing properties as well as its collagen production, which is essential for anti-aging. Benton offer a great snail mucin serum, retailing at £11.13 from yesstyle.com. Similarly, The Inkey List’s £5.99 hyaluronic acid serum also works to keep the skin hydrated, whilst reducing the appearance of fine lines. As a naturally occuring substance in the skin, it works to draw in moisture from the atmosphere, giving the skin much needed hydration, particularly during winter when the air is significantly dryer.
The need for a thicker moisturiser in winter is common, as a form of more intense hyrdration when the skin has a greater tendency to dry out. First Aid Beauty, a brand which is becoming evermore popular in the clean skincare industry offer an excellent choice with their Ultra Repair Cream, currently on offer at feelunique.com for £10.93.
Despite the common perception that sunscreen is only necessary in the summer, the risk of sun damage and early aging is present all year round, so everyday application is a must! Daily wear, though, demands sunscreens which are lightweight and don’t feel too heavy on the skin. Purito’s Centella green level unscented sunscreen (10.92 from yesstyle.com) is an incredibly lightweight option, which neither clogs the pores nor feels sticky. Neutrogena sheer zinc oxide spf 50 (£8.67 from Amazon) is another non-greasy, affordable choice. Both are mineral sunscreens, which are less likely to cause irritation than chemical ones, and, with little white cast, they are also easily appliable to all skin tones.
With an expanding student-friendly skincare market, there are plenty of affordable options to take care of your skin, whatever the season!
Header image credit: goodhousekeeping.com