My Cheap but Effective Skin Care Routine

I literally cannot even count how many different face cleansing products I have tried that just didn't do the job!


During my hormone riddled teen years, I had moderate acne mostly on my face, chest and back. Especially during that time of the month, I could usually count on my face having a few painful pimples plus scattered blackheads and whiteheads. In most pics of me during that time you couldn't even tell cause I was a master at over exposing my pics til they're so bright you couldn't see the zits!  I'm 23 now and I still get an occasional monster that refuses to cover up well with makeup. Other than that though, my face is pretty clear. I do have a few bumps particularly on my chin area but nothing as bad as when I was a teenager.

I have tried I feel like everything under the sun, including Proactive, Neutrogena, and Clean and Clear without effective results. It wasn't until I was pregnant with my second and didn't want to spend the money on something that doesn't even work that I realized maybe the problem was all the chemicals going onto my face! I switched to different products and have kept it the same for a few years.

This is my everyday skin care routine that I've found helps curb my acne and is super simple and cheap.

First off I cannot stress the importance of REMOVING YOUR MAKEUP BEFORE BED!!!!
This is super important and has changed my skin since I made it a priority to always remove my makeup before going to sleep. Even if it's so late and all you want to do is crawl into bed, please please at least grab a makeup remover wipe and get that makeup off!!

Ok so every morning and night I cleanse my face with one thing.

Dove White Beauty Bar

This stuff cleanses my skin so well, it doesn't leave my skin too dry, it's gentle, and for less than $10 you can get 6 bars which usually last me about 6 months. You can find this anywhere!

Also morning and night after I wash my face, I follow up with Witch Hazel.

Yep witch hazel, the stuff they tell you to use on your down there after giving birth because it's gentle, safe, has cleansing and anti-bacterial properties, helps with swelling, helps to repair broken skin and helps to heal and soothe other skin irritations. I just pour a little bit (enough to cover my face) onto a cotton ball or round and use it like a toner. It lasts a long time and is pretty cheap too. Like less than $5 a bottle cheap.

Did I mention everything is super cheap???

After the witch hazel, it's time to moisturize. I only moisturize in the morning and not at night. This is for one reason, I have pretty oily skin, I don't moisturize at night so my skin can breathe and repair itself while i'm sleeping. Since I started skipping the moisturizer at night, my skin is less oily and I feel like it's been clearer. When I do moisturize (in the morning) I use Cerave Moisturizing Cream.

This stuff is aaaamazing!!!! It's super moisturizing yet light and non-greasy. It's fragrance free and won't clog your pores. It contains ceramides to help moisturize and protect the skin barrier. It also has hyaluronic acid. What is that you say? Hyaluronic acid is a substance that is naturally found in the body. It's found mostly in the eyes and joints because it acts as a cushion and lubricant. It's another amazing ingredient in this cream that helps to heal and moisturize the skin. This is the only thing that isn't as cheap as everything else on this post but it's still pretty cheap. At $10 to $15 it's still cheaper than higher end moisturizers and a little goes a looooooonnnnnggggg way!

That is my daily/nightly routine. 

Twice a week it's Exfoliation Day!!!

On Tuesdays and Fridays, before cleansing in the morning, I use a homemade facial scrub that has sugar, honey, baking soda, cinnamon, coconut oil and cocoa powder. All of which have great benefits to using on your skin.

Looks like poo, smells like chocolate and leaves my skin feeling super smooth! I just take a little bit, mush it in my hands and scrub my face. Then I rinse it off and wash with the Dove soap.

After the facial scrub I like to use a facial mask. I really love the Freeman Feeling Beautiful line of masks as they are cheap but effective. There's also a ton of different varieties for different results.

Freeman Feeling Beautiful Clay Mask Mint and Lemon

Avocado and Oatmeal Clay Mask

Dead Sea Minerals Anti-Stress Mask

Revealing Peel-Off Pomegranate Mask

Facial Pineapple Enzyme Mask

Charcoal and Black Sugar Polishing Mask

My faves are the Mint and Lemon clay mask, the Dead Sea Minerals Anti-Stress mask and the Charcoal and Black Sugar mask. But they're all great. I got these at Ulta when they were having a BOGO Free sale (which they have all the time). They're normally $3.99 each but combined with a coupon, I paid around $9 for these six.

After that I moisturize with the Cerave Cream as normal then apply a lip balm. My current fave besides my beloved Nivea Lip Butters,

Smith's Rosebud Salve

Smith's Rosebud Salve is about $7 at Sephora and can be used for anything that needs a little extra dose of moisture! It smells sooooo good like roses and it's super moisturizing! When using on your lips, you don't need a lot for your lips to be super soft so this tin lasts a long time!

My skin is by no means perfect. This is the skin care routine that has worked for me but may not work for someone else. No matter what you do or use what's important is if you are getting the results that you want and feeling as good as you should be. Feeling beautiful as you are!!

Feel Beautiful!!

"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future."