Update: The contest is closed! I’ll be contacting the winner shortly. Thanks for entering. 🙂
Ballin’ on a budget? Yup, I hear ya. If you’re trying to think of ways to save money on your beauty and skin care routine, skin experts like Erin Welch, dermatologist at Denver Dermatology Consultants in Denver, Colorado, suggest hitting up the local drugstore.
“There is definitely a misconception that drugstore products can’t get the job done,” says Dr. Welch, “but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only are you saving lots of money by avoiding the department store for similar products, but you’ll find that some of the items are actually very impressive.”
Here are five drugstore skin care tips (and a giveaway) to keep that purty face lookin’ great!
1. Look for a gentle cleanser and avoid harsh soaps.
Skin produces a layer of natural protectant called the acid mantle, which contains a mixture of oils and other secretions that help it retain moisture and prevent the growth of unhealthy bacteria.
“If you wash your skin with a very harsh soap and strip off the mantle, it takes over 24 hours for the skin to regenerate it,” says Dr. Welch. And if you’re stripping off the acid mantle faster than your body can repair it, you’re leaving your skin vulnerable to drying and more prone to infection.
For sensitive skin, Dr. Welch recommends gentle pH balanced cleansers like pHisoderm Cream Cleanser ($5), pHisoderm Deep Cleaning Cream Cleanser ($5) and pHisoderm Unscented Facial Bar ($5). “All these cleansers will help maintain the skin’s protective acid mantle in order to retain the skin’s natural moisture and healthy balance.”
2. Opt for salicylic acid treatments if you have adult acne.
“Adult women’s skin is very different than teenage skin,” says Dr. Welch. “With time and with age our skin becomes drier, so if you’re experiencing acne, you want to be sure you’re using products that aren’t going to dry your adult skin.
“I tend to steer my adult patients to products that contain salicylic acid only and to use benzoyl peroxide in moderation (or to skip it altogether).” She likes Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash ($6), the Clean & Clear cleansers ($6) and pHisoderm Anti-Blemish Cleansing Pads ($5).
3. Incorporate an effective anti-aging product into your skin care routine.
With so many overpriced and overhyped anti-aging products on the market, how do you choose one that actually works? “I recommend Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum ($20) to my patients,” explains Dr. Welch. “Ranked number one in effectiveness for mass market anti-aging serums by Consumer Reports, this anti-aging serum contains pentapeptides shown to boost colagen prodution and stimulate cell row, helping to smooth out lines.”
4. Remember to apply sunscreen on your lips!
Yes, your face and neck need protection from the skin’s rays, but don’t forget to also protect your lips with a lip balm containing SPF. Dr. Welch recommends Softlips lip balm ($4). It contains SPF 20 and feels smooth upon application — perfect for layering beneath your favorite lipstick or lipgloss.
5. Find a nightime anti-aging treatment.
RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream ($22) is an intensive anti-wrinkle treatment that works while you sleep to reduce expression lines and deep wrinkles. “This exclusive combination of pure Retinol and an essential mineral complex is a great alternative for people who find prescription strength Retin-A too irritating,” she says.
New Year, New Skin: The pHisoderm and Softlips Giveaway!
I think it’s time for a giveaway. 🙂 Win $60 in skin care products from pHisoderm and Softlips!
Enter today’s Phisoderm and Softlips giveaway by signing up to receive my updates by email or by leaving a comment on this post (or both!). If you’re already signed up for the updates, you don’t have to do anything else to be entered to win — you’re already entered — but you can double your chances by also leaving a comment on this post (a comment about anything at all). 🙂
The Prize
One lucky winner will receive 13 items from the pHisoderm skin care and Softlips lip care lines ($60 value).
- pHisoderm Cream Cleanser for Sensitive Skin ($5)
- pHisoderm Anti-Blemish Cleansing Pads ($5)
- pHisoderm Unscented Facial Cleansing Bar ($5)
- pHisoderm Deep Cleansing Cream Cleanser for Normal to Dry Skin ($5)
- pHisoderm Foaming Facial Wash ($7)
- pHisoderm Anti-Blemish Gel Facial Wash ($5)
- pHisoderm Anti-Blemish Body Wash ($6)
- Softlips Raspberry with Green Tea Extract ($4)
- Softlips Cherry ($4)
- Softlips Strawberry ($4)
- Softlips Vanilla ($4)
- Softlips Tint in Rose ($3)
- Softlips Tint in Bronze ($3)
How to Enter
Again, there are two ways to enter, and you can do both of them to double your chances.
- If you haven’t already signed up to receive Makeup and Beauty Blog daily email updates, then enter your email in the pink box below (or click this link).
- If you have already subscribed to the email updates but want to double your chances, add a brief comment at the bottom of this post (be sure to use a valid email address).
I’ll choose the winners at random from among the people who enter by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 8. The contest is open to all US and international readers. Good luck, my budget-loving beauties!
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
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