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Budget Beauty Tuesday -- Skimp or Spend?
Well, I wish I had some great find to rave about this week, but I don’t. No great finds last week. I don’t really think I did that much shopping for beauty stuff now that I think about it. But, since it is Budget Beauty Tuesday, let’s consider skin care beauty products that you can skimp on and those that are worth the splurge. 1. Cleanser — Skimp! Cleanser is on and off your face in a few seconds. Even though we should cleanse our skin for at least a minute, most of us don’t. That’s why it’s okay to skimp on cleanser. But, even with skimping on the price, you can still be sure you get the right bang for your buck. Look for ingredients that are appropriate for your skin type or condition. If you have acne, over-the-counter (OTC) look for ingredients like salicylic acid, tea tree oil, alpha hydroxy acids, benzoyl peroxide. And you can find these cleansers easily on any drugstore aisle. Try: Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash which has 2% salicylic acid and glycolic acid. (salicylic acid is an anti-bacterial and glycolic acid exfoliates the skin, allowing the salicylic acid to work deeper in the pore) A buy at $6.99 If you are concerned with anti-aging, you can even find budget cleansers that include ingredients that help you fight the clock. Check out Pond’s Dramatic Results Age-Defying Cleansing Towelettes. I love cleansing towelettes, and these deposit Vitamin A, retinol and Collagen. At least that is the claim. I have to test that one out…But the price is right. $6.99 for 30. 2. SPF — Skimp! You can find quality sunscreens ad drugstores with an SPF of up to 50. Check out brands like Neutrogena, Aveeno, Almay and Olay. So a few words of advice about SPF: If you are woman of color, you need sun protection. At least an SPF 15 on a daily basis. My friends ask how my skin tone stays so even — SPF sister! And let’s do some math — If you use an SPF of 20 and layer it with a foundation that has an SPF of 15, what is your total SPF? If you said 35, you are WRONG! You only get the highest SPF you applied. For you porcelain skinned hotties out there — you need a daiily lathering of at least an SPF 30, and then layer your moitsurizer and/or foundation that may or may not include an SPF. My moisturizer that I have been using for quite some time is Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew SPF 28. It’s around $12 in the drugstore, but as I recently found a stash at my local Grocery Outlet for under $5. And yes, I stocked up big time! 3. Now SPEND! All that change you have squirreled away on a daily treatment for your skin, or a trip to your favorite spa for a facial! For me, I like to buy potent serums that turn back the hands of time. So for day, a vitamin C serum — keep skin even and helps inhibit sun damage. And for night, a vitamin A or retinol. I happen to love still be in love with the granddaddy of Vitamin C’s — Cellex C High Potency Serum. Sephora must be phasing it out, because it is at 40% off right now. Runners up include Dr. Brandt Lineless C serum (love it) and Ole Henricksen Truth Serum — a natural alternative. So, what would you splurge would you love for your beauty dollars? Share!
Tracey Brown