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Whether you’re a student with very little to spend on skincare or a beauty junkie ready to layer designer products on your skin – pick a skin routine that suits you and the lifestyle you can afford.
Having a skincare routine is non-negotiable. Not because I say so, but basically, because. Your skin, no matter the condition or age, needs love and affection – this means hydration.
Let’s consider a few skincare routines:
Basic and budget-friendly
This would mean:
- cleanser
- moisturiser
- sunblock
No matter how small your budget, sunscreen is always your most important skincare product. It's basically the best anti-ageing product out there and you should be using it every day.
Local dermatologist, Dr. Visser, really changed my life when I heard him speak at a skin product launch saying sunscreen is the number one skincare product you should be using. It's even higher up the beauty hierarchy than moisturiser.
I love:
Heliocare 360° Gel Oil-free SPF 50, R459.
But a cheaper alternative that's also brilliant is the Eucerin Sun Protection Face Oil Control Sun Gel-Creme 50ml, R 226, Clicks.
It's perfect if you're worried about acne and developing skin issues from sunscreen.
Able to add a few extras
Eyes
If you have a bit more to spend I would invest in an eye cream. Serums are also great, especially as you enter your late 20s and 30s, yet eye cream is good to use from when you're younger. Don’t think about just treating a problem like fine lines and wrinkles. Rather prevent or prolong them from arriving.
Read: Should you be using eye cream in your 20s?
Currently using:
Nuxe Merveillance Expert Lifting Eye Cream, R425 – launching in March.
Use a very small amount at a time - that way it will last you a few months.
Treatments and exfoliators
I would also recommend that instead of those drinks out with friends twice a month you should go for a facial every so often. It can be expensive but try to think of it as just another step in your skincare plan instead of seeing it as a luxury like a massage or a mani or pedi.
Speaking to the professsional skincare experts at Nimue, they convinced me that getting professional treatments help your products to work better for you. It is therefore essential to combine both treatment and products for the best results possible.
An exfoliator, especially those with fruit acids and enzymes are your golden ticket to fresh-looking skin. Use it twice a week and see the dewiness return to your skin as old dead skin cells gently peel away.
Just a few of our favourite exfoliants of now:
Filorga Oxygen-Peel, available at selected Edgars and Red Square stores for R520 is a gentle peel that can be used regularly. Apply using a cotton pad, avoiding the eye contour.
My colleague Tammy tried it, and after using it once said "My skin feels so baby soft". It also looked it.
Skoon Papaya & Pineapple Enzyme Exfoliating Mask, R455 is also one of my always bests! It is all natural and just smells incredible.
Beauty junkie
This means you are able to spend relatively large amounts on beauty and prioritise treatments, pricier products and are a big fan of pampering yourself.
Expensive skincare is not necessarily always better in my opinion. There are so many wonderful products that you can find for really affordable prices. Especially local ones like Skin Creamery.
But here are a few luxe products to add to your basic routine if you can afford to do so:
Sensai wrinkle repair essence, R2835, offers an incredible reduction in fine lines and improves the skin's ability to lock in moisture, 40 ml find them here.
And from the Phyto-Blanc range, the Sisley Lightening hydration emulsion, 50ml, R2314. This product is great for skins with lots of pigmentation.
Images: Supplied
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