When building a skin care routine, it’s important to remember that products don’t need to be expensive to be effective. Adopting a simple, three-step approach that includes cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting your skin can help reduce skin care costs while keeping your skin healthy. In addition to simplifying your approach, follow these tips from board-certified dermatologists to be skin and savings smart.

When building a skin care routine, it’s important to remember that products don’t need to be expensive to be effective.Adopting a simple, three-step approach that includes cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting your skin can help reduce skin care costs while keeping your skin healthy.

Limiting the number of products you use can also help, as using several different products can be costly. It can also irritate your skin and make signs of aging more noticeable, according to American Academy of Dermatology Association.

1. Cleanse your skin

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Cleanse your skin before applying skin care products and before going to bed. A gentle cleanser removes dirt, oil, and debris, and helps prevent clogged pores and breakouts. To prevent irritation, limit face washing to twice a day and after sweating.

It might seem simple, but washing your face takes time and attention. Doing it the right way could make the difference between beaming skin and an acne breakout.

Use a gentle makeup remover to get the job done before you start actually cleansing, especially before bed. For clogged pores, try the double cleansing method. This two-step routine uses natural oil (i.e., castor, olive, or sunflower) to remove dirt and then requires a mild face wash to help wash away the oil.

Dip a cotton swab into micellar water, makeup remover, or natural oils to remove makeup around the eyes. A cotton swab helps you gently tackle tightly lined areas without tugging on your skin.

Scrubbing can strip the skin of its natural protective barrier. The best way to clean skin is with your fingertips, gently massaging for at least a minute or two.

Cleansers to avoid

• bar soaps

• perfumed or dyed

• harsh, foaming cleansers

• daily exfoliating cleansers

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Your skin has a natural barrier that protects it and helps it retain moisture. While using a scrub or cleanser with beads might feel soft on day one, scrubbing too hard or using these products daily can damage the outer layer of skin. One sign of over-exfoliation is skin hypersensitivity. This can cause irritation, breakouts, and even a stinging feeling when you apply products.

2. Give your skin the care it needs with budget-friendly products

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Instead of buying expensive products online, do a little research and look for cheaper alternatives. If you are looking for a Vitamin C or hyaluronic acid serum, just check for brands that offer budget-friendly products. Some companies over-hype their products to match with their high price tags. So don't fall into a marketing trap and look for companies that believe in affordable and effective skincare. There are a lot of companies who don't spend much on fancy packaging or excessive marketing so that they can keep their costs as low as possible. Support such companies.

3. Use effective DIY home remedies to treat skin problems

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Some DIY home remedies really work and they give better results than most expensive products. You just need to know which ones work and which doesn't. That can either be done through trial and error or you can follow beauty gurus' advice and take suggestions from them. A good egg mask is great for hair and yoghurt-based skin packs always work. So try new things and see what works for your skin.

Dehydrated skin lacks water. Continued stress and inadequate water consumption can weaken your skin’s lipid barrier, leading to moisture loss. Dry skin looks dull, tired, wrinkly and can lead to additional problems like itchiness and patchiness. Fix this by applying fresh aloe vera to your face.

Body care can often get ignored, lockdown or not. An essential step to include in your routine is exfoliation, as the accumulation of dead skin cells can lead to dryness, bumpy skin, ingrown hair and generally dull-looking skin. Mix some Epsom salt in a gel cleanser like the Pears Naturale Brightening Pomegranate Body Wash for a refreshing bathing experience!

Tea tree oil is an excellent ingredient to have on hand for skin emergencies. Its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties can help deal with a whole list of skin issues, particularly acne and skin infections. Use your face tools to massage the oil in or add a couple of drops of the same in a mattifying face mask like the Lakmé 9 to 5 Matte Moist Clay Face Mask to make the masking session even more beneficial.

Do not throw away the used up coffee grounds from your filter; instead, mix it up with some olive oil and apply it to your skin to wake it up! The compounds found in coffee have been known to reduce the appearance of cellulite, fight acne, and reduce the appearance of dark circles. Lightly dab on the mix without rubbing, leave for about 15 minutes and wash off with lukewarm water.

4. Skip extra steps

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You don't need to follow every step of a 7-step or 10-step skincare routine. You can customise your skincare routine as per your skin's needs, which you would know the best. If your skin is dry then use triple moisture routine, i.e. essence, serum, and moisturiser. Some even use facial oil after that which is okay if your skin is super dehydrated or dry. But if you have oily skin, you can just use oil-free non-comedogenic moisturiser and cut back on extra products. So avoid spending money on products that you don't require and focus on your skin type. If you limit the number of skincare products you use in a day, you will not just save some money but it will also improve your skin in a way. Using too many products can irritate your skin and make signs of ageing more noticeable. So, follow the rule, the less the better.

5. Buy samples or trial sizes first

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We all want to try the new skincare product that is currently taking the skincare industry by storm. And that can cost a lot of money and most products don't even end up working for us. In such a scenario, the best way to have the best of both worlds is to buy trail sizes and try out a product for a week before investing in it.

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