Five tips for getting the most out of your beauty bucks

Looking gorgeous doesn't have to result in the spending of lots of money. By knowing what skincare products you should be buying and focusing on your skin's specific needs, instead of getting fooled by clever marketing, you get value for money as well as a beautiful complexion. Here are some important skincare tips to bear in mind.

Make Exfoliation Your First Step

Scrub away dead skin first - this is an important part of your skincare routine because it helps products you apply to get better absorbed into your skin. Why is this important? Exfoliation enables the products you apply to your skin to work more effectively and show you the results you want. If you don’t exfoliate, you're applying skincare products to this surface barrier of skin, which wastes them because they won’t be able to penetrate it.  

Keep It Simple

There are many products out there, all promising to do different things for your skin, but if you use too many of them you can actually create problems for your skin. For instance, overuse of products can cause skin irritation. Stick to a simple skin routine because your skin actually needs less, not more, to look its healthiest! When you have a skincare routine that's minimal and works for your skin, stick to it instead of thinking you need to change it.

Tweak, Don't Change, Your Skincare Routine With The Seasons

We're always told to change our skincare routines and products when the seasons change because our skin requires different things, but this doesn't mean a complete change to your skincare products. Just one or two changes are all you need to keep your skin glowing. If you're going to change one skincare product, make it your moisturiser. When the weather gets colder, your moisturiser should be thicker to provide you with a stronger barrier to the harsh elements. In summer, your moisturiser should be thinner. Serums are nice and light while infusing your skin with nutrients to keep it gorgeous.

You Can Mix 'N Match Products From Different Lines

Although we're encouraged to stick to the same skincare product line, this isn't always realistic. Sometimes one or two products will be good for us, while others in the line are not suited to our skin types. You can mix and match products without feeling that you have to use all the items in one line. Focus on what's better for your skin and target your specific skin problems to get the most value from a range of different products.

Use DIY Whenever You Can

Instead of lashing out money for the latest exfoliating product or face mask, make your own with ingredients found right in your kitchen. For instance, bicarb and honey makes for a great face scrub, while bananas are a skin-nourishing ingredient that work as a face mask to give you radiant, softer skin in an instant. DIY products not only cut back on your spending but they are also better for your skin by preventing the use of harsh chemicals. Lots of highly-fragranced, expensive products contain toxins that are not only damaging to your health but can cause skin problems, so avoid them in favor of natural, nourishing ingredients.

Having beautiful skin doesn't mean you should be buying lots of expensive skin products. It is more about being smarter about skincare. Follow the above tips to save money and get radiant, healthy skin.  

Guest post by Mark Kirkpatrick.