Thursday, August 16, 2012

My secret weapons: the best budget friendly face care products you will ever use...

In the last four weeks I have been asked what I do to my skin to make it look the way it does at least twice a day. I am working with the public and with all women so they want to know what magic potion I brew up. To their surprise what I use is pretty cheap and besides the two pricey pieces of equipment and having the luck of good genes, thanks Mom!:), they are all ears and take notes.  I used to spend a arm and a leg on skin care for years until in the last few years I had to budget and pair down. So as usual I did a lot of reading and stuck with some things I have always used and replaced the super pricey department products with others.

My Mom and I about three years ago in Kentucky visiting my Grandparents at the Saint James Art Fair. Aren't we cute!

What I use is as fallows:

Tea Tree oil face wash $9.29 last about 4 months with Ben and I both using it 
I wash my face in the shower with the Tea Tree oil wash. It helps heal any cuts or eye issues I might have created by maybe using my mascara too long. It is a great anti fungal/bacterial. Stings a bit but that usually means getting rid of something that should not be there. Great first phase make up and bacteria remover for the face. People do not realize how much they touch there face and eyes in a day and it needs to be washed with a natural anti bacterial wash like a tea tree oil based cleanser before bed no matter what your age.
Jojoba oil $13.99 last about a year or so...
Once I am out of the shower I put a few drops of Jojoba oil on a cotton circle and wipe down my eye area face and neck. I cannot believe what it removes. If you did not wash your face in the shower first and let the steam open your pores you have really no chance at removing the days dirt, makeup and bacteria on the deepest level. Basically, you go to be with clogged poors and are aging your skin at a more rapid rate.
Rose Water $9.95 and last about five months
Next I take another cotton circle and wipe my face again. This removes the access Joboba oil residue and removes the really fine dirt that the last two steps did not get. During the summer I may stop here and put some eye cream on and call a day, but I may add some of the below described splurge seriums. 
Pineapple enzye face wash $14.99 last about a year
I use this every morning. It takes soooooo little for this to do its' job. I usually leave it on for a few minutes and then splash off with warm water. Love this cleanser!
Nuance by Salma Hayek Eye Cream $16.99 last about 8 months
I apply this to my "crows feet area" of my eye morning and night. Works great and cheap!
Nuance by Salma Hayek spf 30 face cream $16.99 last about three months( I use what the Skin Cancer foundation recommends)
This is the best Moisturizer and sunscreen on the market as far as I am concerned. I have used them all and this is it. I use it in the hotter months of the year because it is very light. 

**Do not forget to put sunscreen on your ears paying special attention to the top. My Grandmother is a clear example of not doing this. She has had many growths removed.

Night time moisturizer for repair and deep moisturization
I use two different night time moisturizers depending on the time of year. The Nuance AM/PM is the best for pretty much any scenario but if I am up in Tahoe in the winter I use the Bubble & Bee moisturizer or I mix the two together as well in the cold, dry Winter nights.

Mineral Fushion spf 40 Face Moisturizer $19.99 last all about four months
I only use this in the summer when I am going to be in direct sun otherwise I use this in the dry colder months. Extremely moisturizing and goes on clear for a mineral based sunscreen. The best I have ever tried. 
Green Clay Powder with yogurt and honey mixed in about $2.19 a packet gets about two to three masks out of each one.
I make a mask out of this clay and use it twice a month. Sometimes I add lemon juice and yogurt to the paste or honey and lemon juice as well. I use about half the pack and apply it to my face and neck. Love this stuff. So cheap and works!
Baking Soda dirt cheap I buy the huge bags from Costco
I take about a 1/2 cup of baking soda in the shower with me about three times a week. I just take a bit at a time and scrub my entire body in sections unti the cup is empty. Works great to make my skin smooth and clear. 
Body Butter from $16.00 to $25.00 last three to five months 
I like these waterless body butters and lotion sticks. They are concentrated and you use less and they work much better then a regular lotion that is made mostly of water. You put a bit in your hands and rub together to warm up and apply every where. I also like the Beekman 1802 lotion sticks as well. 

Big Investment Equipment that has made a huge difference:
Clarisonic Face Brush
It truly is like giving your self a facial every day. Just like the Pro sonic toothbrush it loosens the dirt on your face and in your pores. When I wipe my face with the Jojoba oil and rose water I get so much more on the cotton circle if I didn't use it. It helps bring everything to the surface. I love this tool. It really tones my face and keeps the pores nice and tiny. Worth every scent. It has saved me tones of money getting facials.

Air-O-Swiss Cool/Warm Mist humidifier
I live in a very dry climate most of the year and this has saved my skin and my sinuses. The reviews on amazon for the brand I have are all over the place, but I have had this model for two years and not one issue. I notice a huge difference when I forget to fill the tank or forget to turn it on. I bring it up to Tahoe in the Winter and it has put an end to any sinus headaches that I would have usually gotten in the past.

Splurges:
Any of the Nuance line by Salma Hayek. I have tried almost every product and they are so well priced and worth every penny. I have used some very fancy skin lines and her line is just as good or better.

One more thing that I tell the Lady's to is I drink water like a Camel and I do not eat foods with hormones, fillers, preservatives, additives, refined sugars or chemically made sugar substitutes. I keep it clean, organic, gluten free and grain free. I do not drink that much espresso or coffee, lots of white and green teas. I also do not do fat free anything. I eat good fats of course, but I do not fallow that "fat free" is better mantra anymore. I get at least eight hours of sleep, more the better and I am not afraid to sweat it out either in a good work out but I wash my face asap right after. 

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