Skin Care Budgeted!

With Lockdown in Canada having starting a little over a year ago, and quite on and off, many skin care influencers have risen to stardom with their education, knowledge, and experience with many brands. . In these times of Covid-19, maskne (mask acne), and the countless hours of self isolation to over observe our skin care concerns has bloomed a new, and more informed buyer when it comes to skin care. But can it be accessible for everyone? Below I've listed several products that are tried and trued or recommended to me by my peers.

I kept this routine in mind for a 3-5 step routine of Cleanse (Single or Double), Moisturize, and SPF. These recommendations are great for a full face budget from $30.00 - $50.00 CAD.

I will only be recommending these steps as I personally believe them to be important all personal hygiene routines. Under eye creams, treatments, and serums can become quite expensive in price, and are not always necessary in one's routine.

***Please note that while I am a beauty specialist, these are my personal opinions and is meant to be fun and resourceful. Please always seek knowledge and information from your family physician, dermatologist, estheticians, and other experts in the field***

Remember the basics of skin care:

1) Cleanse or Double Cleanse

Cleansing your face helps like the dirt and debris from your skin. This is imperative to prevent pre-mature aging and clogged pores. Sometimes dirt can settle into fine lines and wrinkles, making you appear older. There are many to choose from. Select one with a pH that matches the acidity of your face. Typically people can have a pH of 4.5-5.5 depending on a variety of things such as age, diet, lifestyle, and skin health. Double cleansing is essential if you wear make-up! Be sure to use a Micellar Water, Cleansing Balm, or Oil to lift and remove any make-up from your skin. Do this prior to using a face wash.

2) Toners, Serums, Mist, and Essences

These guys the super heroes of the skin care universe. They typically have a smaller molecular size than that of a moisturizer. This makes them ideal for skin absorption of skin care actives. They aren't a necessary step, but can help treat specific skin care concerns, or aid in the efficacy of products you already use.

3) Eye Creams

An optional step in any skincare regime. It is important to identify what your eye concern is before investing in an eye cream. Lack of sleep, deep set eyes, and genetics will play a large role in whether an eye cream is eye-deal for your routine. Reducing the look of deep set eyes is typically impossible from an eye cream perspective, and is more of a bone structure problem; talking to a doctor or dermatologist about fillers or botox may suit your fancy. If you only get dark eyes from lack of sleep, nothing will cure it more than getting the sleep you need-though there are under eye creams for that. Issues such as hyperpigmentation, dryness, and puffiness from allergies are more reasonable to fix with an under eye cream, as long as you select the right one.

4) Moisturizer

One of the most important steps in any skin care regime, and arguably non-negotiable. This seals moisture from leaving your stratum corneum (the outer most layer of the skin). By preventing water loss in your skin, it will stop it from becoming overly dry or excessively oily.

5) SPF

Another non-negotiable step in your skin care routine! It's inherent to have SPF in your routine as it prevents skin cancer, and sun damage- which accost to about 80% of aging in skin.

With this knowledge in mind, let's begin!