How to Not Spend a Fortune on Skincare: 8 Tips for Students Living on a Budget

Everybody wants to be good-looking. And while beauty standards change with the times, there is something that’s perennial: clean, healthy, radiant skin is never out of fashion.

Paparazzi photos of Hollywood celebrities battling with their skin imperfections don’t help — we still crave to look as perfect as the heavily retouched images from the magazine covers. But how do you even get close to that when you’re not a celebrity but a student on a budget? 

Luckily, money is not always the key. Here are a few proven tips to make you look better without spending a fortune on cosmetics and cosmetologists. 

Avoid Stress 

A lot has been said about the negative effects of stress, but did you know that stress can literally show on your face? There’s a strong connection between the brain and the skin, research indicates. If you need evidence, just look in the mirror when you’re stressed out about something! 

Surely, it’s simple to say you should avoid stress — yet, how can you actually do it with all these academic deadlines, exams, etc.? For one thing, there’s an essay writing service EssayHub that offers affordable and efficient homework help. It won’t hurt using it every once in a while for the sake of your health, beauty, and general well-being! 

Get Enough Sleep 

If you’re not satisfied with your looks and don’t know the source of the problem, think about how much sleep you get. Not sleeping enough hours doesn’t only make you feel tired, unfocused, and unproductive — it makes you look crappy, too! 

The average healthy amount of sleep a young adult should be getting is somewhere between 7 to 9 hours. So, if you’re getting less than that and don’t look great, it’s time to rethink your daily routine and reset the priorities. 

Maintain a Healthy Diet 

“You are what you eat,” they say. But what’s more, everything you eat shows on your face! So, stop consuming pizza and snacks like there’s no other food in the world, and you won’t need to spend a fortune to make your skin look healthier than it is. 

And if you think healthy food is expensive, just do the math — compare the prices on quality food with those for skincare and makeup products. Then, think about the other multiple benefits of maintaining a healthy diet. Do you still have any doubts? 

Don’t Wear Too Much Makeup 

Here’s a mistake the majority of people with skin problems make: trying to conceal the imperfections with heavy makeup. Indeed, it may seem the only solution for someone desperate to look cool, but the truth is, it will only lead you to even more severe problems. 

The more makeup you use daily to conceal facial imperfections, the worse, especially if you frequently forget to remove the products or don’t do it thoroughly enough. But of course, asking someone conscious about their looks to ditch makeup is asking too much. So, at least try to use it as moderately as possible — this way, both your looks and budget will benefit. 

Know Your Skin Type 

How much do you actually know about your skin? Do you know what type it is, for example? You are probably aware there are three main skin types:

• normal; 
• oily;
• dry. 

Plus, there’s also a combination type, which is the most problematic one. 

Before you choose any cosmetics products, pay a visit to a good cosmetologist and find out everything you can about your skin type and specific features — whether it’s sensitive or not, etc. While such a visit will most likely not be budget-friendly, it will help you save much more on products you don’t really need. 

Learn the Basics of Skincare 

Proper skincare is as much a skill as anything else, like cooking, writing, dancing, and you name it. Therefore, this skill can be learned. If you don’t know where to start, there’s a wealth of information on the Internet — on social media, on YouTube, in blogs, and online magazines. 

You can simply google “the basics of skincare” — and there you are. If you need a quick tip right now, the main steps are as follows:

• cleansing;
• toning;
• moisturizing. 

But of course, there’s a lot more to learn! 

Don’t Fall Prey to Marketing Tricks 

When following the bloggers’ or beauty editors’ advice, always use your critical thinking not to fall prey to marketing tricks. When you hear about a particular product, do your own research before shelling out for something you probably don’t even need. 

Also, bear in mind that most luxury products have cheaper alternatives that work almost as well and sometimes even better. So, don’t go for the big names alone, especially if you cannot afford it. The truth is, it’s not about the brands; it’s about the performance. 

Always Read the Ingredients 

The crucial part of picking the right cosmetics products is reading into the ingredients on the labels. Nowadays, you don’t have to be a chemistry major to understand what all these difficult words mean — there are expert bloggers and beauty editors that have already done that for you. Just find the information; it’s available! 

Spoiler: not all the chemicals are bad — some of them are actually indispensable. So, yet again, look beyond the “eco” and “organic” labels if you want the products to work. 

Wrapping Up 

While some students think there’s no way they can look good without spending hefty sums on skincare products, money is not everything that matters. In fact, basic healthcare is much more important — avoiding stress, getting enough sleep, and eating healthily. 

Moreover, knowledge and research are crucial. If you learn the basics of skincare and use your critical thinking skills, you’ll only be buying the products you really need — and thus save more dollars for something else!