Glowing Skin on a Budget: A Complete Brightening Skincare Routine (For $50 and Under!)
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Jump to: Build Out Your Skincare Routine
When it comes to skincare, many people assume that achieving a radiant, healthy complexion requires splurging on expensive skincare products. However, getting great skin doesn’t have to come with a crazy price tag.
I know that when I first started looking for a skincare routine, I was trying not to spend too much money on products because I had no idea if I would like them or if they would even work for me! Luckily there are a lot of affordable products out there that are also effective and enjoyable to use.
In this post, I’m providing some affordable product options for each step of your skincare routine, all intended to help brighten your complexion:
Pick one of each product to build your own brightening skincare routine (think “Choose Your Own Adventure” style)…. all for $50 and under!
Let’s gooooo ➡️➡️➡️
If you’re looking for a baseline morning skincare routine, check out: The Simple Morning Skincare Routine for Beginners
Build Out Your Skincare Routine
Step 1: Pick a Cleanser
Each of the cleansers below is very gentle, making them suitable for daily use, even for sensitive skin. They’re great for the morning when your face might need just a light cleanse to prepare it for subsequent products.
Prices: $12 and under
Step 2: Pick a Toner
These toners contain ingredients like rice extract, Niacinamide, and Vitamin C, all of which are known for evening out skin complexion and gently brightening the skin.
Prices: $13 and under
The Face Shop Rice Ceramide Moisturizing Toner ($12)
Brightening ingredient: Rice extract contains antioxidants, minerals, and amino acids that help reduce inflammation. Peptides in the rice extract can also inhibit melanin synthesis, lightening the skin.
Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Hyaluronic Toner ($13)
Brightening ingredients: Black Rice contains Vitamin B and Niacinamide, which can reduce hyperpigmentation and dark spots, brighten the skin, and even out skin tone, as well as antioxidants that protect skin from environmental stressors. Bamboo Shoot Bark contains antioxidants that soothe the skin and improve the appearance of skin discoloration.
Maycoop Raw Sauce Rice Toner ($10)
Brightening ingredients: Rice water is rich in antioxidants and compounds that can brighten the skin, reduce pigmentation, and even out skin tone. Centalla Asiatica, Birch bark, and Chestnut bark help calm the skin and even out complexion.
Step 3: Pick a Serum
Given that the toners above have active brightening ingredients, a serum is an optional step. But if you’re looking for super targeted action, each of these serums employs different brightening ingredients to deliver potent effects, all at affordable prices.
Prices: $10 and under
Good Molecules Daily Brightening Serum ($8)
Brightening ingredient: Beta Arbutin lightens dark spots and evens out skin tone by reducing the production of melanin.
The Ordinary Niacinamide + Zinc Serum ($10)
Brightening ingredient: Niacinamide helps brighten skin by regulating the spread of pigment, which can help fade hyperpigmentation.
Versed Stroke of Brilliance Brightening Serum ($10)
Brightening ingredients: Vitamin C helps reduce the appearance of dark spots and hyperpigmentation by inhibiting an enzyme that produces skin pigment and promoting collagen production. Licorice root extract can help remove excess melanin and regulate melanin production.
And lastly….Step 4: Pick a Sunscreen
Protecting your skin from the sun’s rays is a MUST during the day. In addition to supporting skin health, wearing sunscreen can help with evening skin tone and preventing dark spots and hyperpigmentation from developing.
Prices: $15 and under
Neutrogena Invisible Daily Defense Face Sunscreen ($14)
Brightening ingredients: Contains ginger extract to help improve skin radiance and antioxidants to help fight environmental aggressors that can damage and inflame skin.
Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture Airyfit Daily Sunscreen ($15)
Brightening ingredients: Niacinamide helps brighten skin by regulating the spread of pigment, which can help fade hyperpigmentation. Daisy Flower Extracts contain polyphenols that suppress melanin production. They also contains exfoliating acids, like malic and tartaric acids, which help with natural cell turnover.
SOME BY MI V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen ($13)
Brightening ingredients: Vitamins help reduce the appearance of photodamage by inhibiting the activity of melanin pigments formed by UV rays. Niacinamide further helps brighten skin by regulating the spread of pigment, which can help fade hyperpigmentation.
And there you have it… a complete brightening skincare routine that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Remember, great skincare is less about the price of the products and more about good ingredients and finding what works best for your skin’s needs. So go ahead and try out the affordable skincare product combo you picked above, and let me know how it goes!