Affordable Skincare that isn’t CeraVe or The Ordinary

There are a couple brands that have become quite synonymous with the topic of affordable skincare. You have definitely heard of CeraVe and The Ordinary, either through my blog posts or by using it yourself, seeing it all over Instagram & YouTube… you get the point. I am obviously a fan of these brands, but sometimes it gets old only being recommended the same products. Also, due to their popularity, finding them in stock at your local stores has proven difficult. Let’s look at a few other AMAZING affordable products to add to your skincare routine!

All of these products are less than $20 and the majority can be picked up in store!!

1) Versed Skincare

This brand can be seen on the shelves at your local target as well as online. It has definitely made waves in the online skincare community, with its fair prices, clean packaging and great formulas! Ranging from $8-$20, you can find all the products you need in this clean, vegan and cruelty free line.

A few of my favorites:

Day Dissolve Cleansing Balm, $18- perfect for removing makeup in your double cleansing routine, has plant extracts and hydrating oils to add extra hydration before your water based cleanser

Dew Point Moisturizing Gel Cream, $15- lightweight moisturizer great for normal to oily skin, has aloe leaf juice and hyaluronic acid for long lasting hydration

Just Breathe Clarifying Serum, $20- works to clear and prevent breakouts, incorporates niacinamide, salicylic acid and willow bark to clear pores

2) Elf

Proving that they know more than just makeup, Elf continues to surprise me with their frequent skincare launches. Ranging from $2-$20, this line is also cruelty free and vegan! They have a plethora of cleansers, facial oils, boosters and moisturizers to choose from.

Here are a couple products totally worth picking up:

Holy Hydration Face Cream, $12- ultra moisturizing with hyaluronic acid, squalane, and peptides. Perfect for all skin types, including sensitive. This formula is also fragrance free!

Beauty Shield Vitamin C Serum, $16- packed with antioxidants to brighten the skin and protect against UV damage

SuperMask Cica Face Mask, $12- uses calming centella asiaticatica and ceramides to soothe skin and reduce redness. I spoke about Cica in my last post. I love this ingredient!

3) La Roche-Posay

Although this brand has products upwards of $30, they also have some stand outs for much less! Being science backed and widely recommended by dermatologists, La Roche-Posay is super effective and safe for sensitive skin (source). You can find it on the shelves at various drugstores and ulta.

You probably want to pick these products up:

Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer UV SPF 30, $20- such a simple but effective face sunscreen. It is oil free, fragrance free and paraben free! This is a moisturizer and spf duo, so be sure to apply enough to get adequate sun protection.

Effaclar Duo Dual Acne Treatment, $20- I mentioned this exfoliating cream in my acne masterclass. It uses benzoyl peroxide and lipo hydroxy acid to keep the skin clear and free of pimples, blackheads and other forms of acne.

Micellar Cleansing Water ultra and Makeup Remover, $16- This is one of the only micellar cleansers I have found that doesn’t leave any film or residue. It completely clears skin while hydrating and doesn’t sting the eyes.

4) Neutrogena

This is such an easily accessible brand, as you can find it at Walmart, Target, Ulta and any drugstore. I will preface this by saying that the brand has many products I would steer clear from. However, they also have some hidden gems to incorporate into your skincare routine.

Walk past the grapefruit scrub and try these instead:

Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel, $12- gentle, jelly cleanser to strip away oils and dirt without drying the skin. It is oil, soap and paraben free!

Hydro Boost Hydrating 100% Hydrogel Mask, $4- ultra cooling and hydrating, the serum from the mask can be rubbed into the skin for plump, glowing skin. I have talked about this one on my favorite face masks post!

5) Good Molecules

This brand has definitely grown in popularity over the past year with its affordability and aesthetically pleasing packaging. Although you can’t find these in store, they do offer free shipping over $35 on their website. I had to include it because they offer straight forward formulations while also being vegan and cruelty free!

My favorite products to try:

Niacinamide Serum, $6- highly versatile skincare ingredients that helps to even skin tone, texture, pores, regulate oil production, and reduce inflammation. This serum has 10% niacinamide incorporated!

Squalane Oil, $8- hydration perfect for dry, rough, and itchy skin but light enough for all skin types. Squalane is incorporated into many skincare formulations, but on its own can cause dramatic improvements in the look and feel of the skin.

Super Peptide Serum, $12- amazing anti-aging serum using a blend of peptides to strengthen and improve the skin health over time

Honorable Mentions/other affordable products:

• Versed Skin Soak Rich Moisture Cream ($18)
• Good Molecules Rose Water Cleansing Gel ($12)
• Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch ($7)
• Bliss Jelly Glow Peel ($13)
• Naturium Quadruple Hyaluronic Acid Serum 5% ($16)
• Krave Beauty Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser ($16)

I wanted to not only give you an affordable skincare guide, but also keep in mind the accessibility factor. The Ordinary and CeraVe have several products that I recommend and will continue to do so, but they are constantly sold out! So not only can you use this for new products, but when your favorites are already sold out, too.

Let me know what you are the most excited to try out! Are any of these products already in your skincare routine?