I live in an apartment in Westlake Hills, which I sometimes lovingly call “divorce central”. They are high-end apartments and so the demographic there is generally newly divorced, or people who want to be in the Eanes school district but can’t quite afford a home in the area, or groups of college kids living together, with their parents footing the rent. (I say this only as a preface to the topic I am going to discuss here, affordability). I ended up at these apartments four years ago – after a divorce – and haven’t left, mainly because I love having someone else in charge of lawn care, pest control and they have a great maintenance team. I have met two amazing friends there and we have porch time at least three days a week. Last night one of them was regaling us with a story about recently being at Nordstrom with her mom. A woman in the cosmetics department asked her, So what’s your skin care regimen? Her answer with an eye roll: soap.
We all laughed because one thing is for certain, beauty products cost money. And there have definitely been times in my life where skin care products were at the bottom of my list. They were definitely a luxury, and that Olay sensitive skin bar seemed to work just fine.
Now that I know much more about long term skin care and skin health, I know that bar soap is not great for your face and there are actually affordable products that work. So, if affordability of products is an issue, or you need a recommendation of what product to pick if you had to choose just one, here are some products we carry that really work, and won’t break the bank.
All of our Elta MD products are very affordable, with almost all their products being under $30. Favorites are:
~Elta MD Foaming Wash. Lots of foaming action, great for sensitive skin, has enzymes that help reduce inflammation, and as our Elta rep told me, you can even use it to shave with. I was skeptical, but it works perfectly, I checked!
~All the Elta MD facial sunscreens. These are amazing, with high amounts of zinc oxide for sun protection, and some are available in tinted, so it can double as a foundation, or at least provide a thin layer of color to even out skin tone.
~Skin Ceuticals toners are around the same price point. They help balance pH and are particularly effective in the winter months to help with dry skin. We have Equalizing toner for sensitive to normal skin, and LHA Solution for acne prone skin. The LHA is tingly and cooling when you apply it.
If you have to choose just one product from the higher price points:
~ Skin Ceuticals antioxidants (CE Ferulic, Phloretin, or Resveratrol BE) are a great choice. They provide protection from damaging free radicals and help promote healing within the skin, giving you more elasticity and more even skin tone. And each antioxidant bottle should provide you with about a three-month supply.
~ Our new staff favorite, which is hard for us to keep in stock, is Skin Better’s AlphaRet. The whole line is amazing, but since we are playing the just-choose-one game, I’d have to go with this amazing retinoid product. Visible results within four weeks: improved skin clarity, texture, elasticity, and diminished fine lines. Their proprietary and patented blend of a retinoid and alpha hydroxyl acid allows AlphaRet to achieve these results without making you peel or become too dry.
If you want to try several products together, we offer two kits:
~ Smoothing Experience Kit from Skin Better which includes their Lines, Eye and Face products. All their products have been proven to show visible results within four weeks of use.
~Neocutis Beginner Kit (great for post-procedure) which includes three products with growth factors: Hyalis for hydration, BioRestorative Cream for intense healing, and Journee for antioxidant and SPF protection.