Great skincare on a budget: 5 things I tell women every single week

1. Use less - it's more concentrated than you think

Here's the thing about truly good skincare: it's concentrated and potent. The active ingredients are actually in there, in amounts that do something.

Which means you don't need a lot at once.

A few drops of a good serum. A pea-sized amount of a good cream. That's it. When you slather it on like body lotion, you're not doubling the results - you're just burning through the bottle in half the time. Don’t use too much at once! It’s simply not necessary.

One trick that makes a little go even further: apply to damp skin. Right after you cleanse or mist, while your face is still a bit dewy, a few drops spread further and sink in better. You use less, and your skin drinks up more.

2. Some is always better than none

Can't afford to use that serum every single day? Use it every other day. Or a few times a week. You will still get so much more benefit than if you'd talked yourself out of it completely and used nothing at all.

Using a great quality serum semi-regularly is better than not using it at all.

3. Spend where it counts, save where it doesn't

Before you decide you can't afford the good stuff, look at your entire routine - because most of the time, there's room to shift things around:

• Maybe there's a product in there that isn't really doing much for your specific skin goals (is your toner really necessary? Sometimes it’s not)
• Maybe two steps could be handled by one product that does double duty (can you use your retinol as your eye cream too?)
• Maybe the money is better spent on your actives - the serums and treatments doing the heavy lifting - while you keep cleansers and moisturizers more affordable. Not everything needs to be the splurge.

Ask me! I have so many women come to me wanting help tweaking their routine to maximize the benefits while respecting a budget. Often, it's absolutely doable. Sometimes - depending on your skin issues and goals - it's not (and it depends on what your idea of a budget is of course). But you never know until you ask.

And anyone who knows me knows I will never, ever recommend something expensive for no good reason. That's a promise.

4. Build a routine you'll actually finish

A small routine you actually use will always beat a bathroom shelf full of half-used jars you bought chasing the next shiny thing.

Three products you love and finish do more for your skin than ten you dabble in and forget. So resist the urge to always try to latest new thing and curate a small selection of products that work for your skin and give them a real, consistent chance to work.

5. Get honest about what you actually want

Okay. This last one isn't a money-saving tip. It's more of a gentle perspective shift…

Do you actually want maximum anti-aging results?

Because if the answer is no - that is completely, totally fine. Truly. Not everyone wants that, and you do not need the best products to have healthy, happy skin, or to be worthy exactly as you are. I mean that with my whole heart.

But if the answer is yes and you really want the best products (and best results)... and you also keep telling yourself you can't afford it... it's worth sitting with one honest question:

Is it that I truly can't afford this right now? (Very possible)

Or is it that I want the best products but I'm just not willing to prioritize my skincare routine, and the money would actually be there if I spent less on other things?

Two very different situations. One you can't do much about right now. The other? You can change. It’s totally up to you what you choose to prioritize. 

So here's what I'll leave you with

Use less. Use it smart. Use it on damp skin. Stretch it out when you need to. Build a routine you'll actually finish. And when in doubt, ask…

If you'd like a second set of eyes on your routine, reply and tell me what you're working with - I'd love to help you find the sweet spot between real results and your real-life budget.