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HOLY GRAIL affordable skincare products that everyone needs!
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items I’ve dealt with a variety of skin concerns throughout my life, which has led me to try countless skincare products. From trending viral items to highly recommended bestsellers, I’ve tested more than I’d like to admit. After wasting a lot of money on ...
Sections
10
Toners
Serums
Moisturizers
Cleansers
Mists
Sunscreen
Toners
Helps remove any leftover impurities while refreshing the skin and balancing its pH, creating a clean and hydrated base that allows serums and other treatments to absorb more effectively. VITAL for making sure your treatments are used effectively.
It WORKS! I am super prone to strawberry skin after shaving. I put this on clean skin, let it sit for 10 minutes, and then put on some lotion after. After a few weeks of use, it has almost completely cleared up my strawberry skin (keratosis pilaris).
Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner
Affordable, moisturizing, and gentle! Apply on wet skin for even more hydration. My skin gets dry very easily and this is the perfect fix.
Wonder Ceramide Mochi Toner
Milky, lightweight toner perfect for rehydrating the skin & providing a dewy glow before makeup!!!
Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer
Serums
Serums are concentrated treatments designed to target specific skin concerns such as dryness, dullness, uneven tone, fine lines, or breakouts. Every serum in this selection has been carefully chosen for its effectiveness while still being gentle enou...
I use this serum daily and I love it! It’s soothing and has niacinimide, which is proven to help with discoloration, acne scars, and being gentle on sensitive skin. Be careful not to use it with BHAs!
Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum
I’ve tried a lot of different vitamin C serums too help with my acne scars. But with sensitive skin, it’s hard to find one that doesn’t irritate or burn my skin. It’s also one of the few that is affordable and doesn’t go rancid within a month. It’s n...
Vanicream™ Vitamin C Serum
An OG hydrating serum! I love this product and have been using it for years. I don’t really know the science behind snail mucin’s ability to heal or hydrate the skin, but I believe it definitely has helped hydrate my skin. It’s watery and goopy but n...
Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence - COSRX
I’ve gone through many of bottles of this serum. Although it’s not *necessary* if your other skincare products already include hyaluronic acid (it’s a common ingredient), it’s still a great way for extra hydration to the skin. I always apply this on ...
Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides)
This is a great product for enhancing your skin barrier. It’s milky and lightweight, and doesn’t irritate my finicky skin.
Ceramide Barrier Serum | Hydrating Serum
Be careful with retinols always, and ease into using them. Start out 1x a week for the first week, then 2x a week staggered for the next week, then 3x a week staggered for the 3rd week. You can increase usage based on how your skin tolerates it. This...
Resurfacing Retinol Facial Serum for Acne Prone Skin - CeraVe
Moisturizers
These moisturizers help smooth and soften the complexion while preventing dryness, flakiness, and irritation.
These are the best moisturizers for combination to dry skin.
The absolute BEST moisturizer for dry, irritated, sensitive skin! I swear by this product. It applies smoothly and I can literally feel it calm down my finicky skin. Ultra hydrating and makes me feel so fresh and clean. I have tried MANY moisturizers...
Calm + Restore Oat Gel Moisturizer, Sensitive Skin
I absolutely love this cream! It’s ultra-rich and literally acts as a barrier to your skin. Make sure to put it on at the end of your skincare routine. It will literally lock in all of your serums. I love to use this after applying hyaluronic acid. I...
Intense Overnight Sleeping Cream
This one’s on the pricey side, but this moisturizer always feels so luxurious when I put it on. It truly is very hydrating and gentle on sensitive skin. It’s the perfect middle ground between a gel-based light moisturizer and a heavy rich cream. I fe...
Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer with Squalane
Expensive but SO GOOD! This is a rich, hydrating cream that truly makes my skin SOFT all day long. I feel it literally locking in all of my serums.
belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb with Peptide and Ceramide
Cleansers
This collection of cleansers gently yet effectively remove dirt, oil, and impurities without stripping the skin of its natural moisture. These cleansers leave your skin feeling fresh, balanced, and comfortable—never tight or irritated.
I use this 3-4x a week in the shower. It’s important to not use this as your only form of exfoliation, though. I also use a BHA 1-2x a week on top of this, but you may need to use more/less depending on your skin sensitivity.
Extra Gentle Daily Scrub - Cleans & Exfoliates Skin
I love this cleanser because I feel it actually cleansing my skin without stripping or making it feel dehydrated. Niacinamide helps a lot with my skin redness and acne scars. It has a great lather so I feel it actually soaking into my skin. I use thi...
Niacinamide Cleanser
A great product for a deep cleanse. I massage oil cleanser deep into my skin for 4-5 minutes. It really is an arm workout but it WORKS! It seeps into the pores and especially helps with sebaceous filaments. I only use this about once a week. It’s a g...
6.7 oz Deep Cleansing Oil Facial Cleanser - DHC | Ulta Beauty
I like the idea of double-cleansing, but let’s be realistic, no one really wants to wash their face twice. And sometimes, washing your face with 2 different products can be irritating to dry or sensitive skin. I like this product because it cleanses ...
Pure Cleansing Water Sensitive - ma:nyo | Ulta Beauty
Okay I know I have a lot of cleansers on this section of the list, but this is by far my favorite. It cleans the skin without stripping or leaving the face dry. It is my daily cleanser that I use when I’m breaking out or feeling extra dry. I’d recomm...
Calm + Restore Nourishing Oat Facial Cleanser
Sometimes, depression can be debilitating, and it feels like a struggle just to get up and do basic hygiene. These skin cleansing wipes are the perfect solution to help with this. I keep these in my car when I’m rushed and didn’t have time to do my f...
Gentle Skin Cleansing Cloths Twin Pack - Cetaphil | Ulta Beauty
I absolutely LOVE the way this cleanser makes my skin feel! It’s a jelly so I enjoy putting it on and seeing how much it foams up. I feel like it REALLY cleans my skin. It’s not stripping my skin and makes me feel super clean.
Aqua Bomb Hydrating Jelly Cleanser - belif
This is an awesome cleanser because it’s hydrating just like the name says. I love the way it smells and I love how it supports the skin barrier. I just wish it was sold at Ulta.
Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser: Cleanser For Sensitive Skin
I love almost everything that good molecules sells, but this cleansing balm is one of my favorites! It removes makeup effortlessly and doesn’t leave you feeling slimey. I always follow up with a gentle cleanser after it.
Instant Cleansing Balm - Good Molecules | Ulta Beauty
Mists
These mists prep the skin by lightly dampening the surface, which can enhance the absorption and effectiveness of serums applied afterward. Using a mist before your serum not only refreshes the face but also supports a plumper, more supple look by en...
Okay yes I’ve heard the people say it’s stupid to pay $14 for a facial spray that’s literally just spring water. But I DON’T CARE! It has minerals and antioxidants. It can’t just be water because it soothes my skin when it feels dry and is the perfec...
Thermal Spring Water Face Mist
This product is packed with ceramides that repair the skin barrier. As someone who has struggled with a damaged skin barrier, I love this product. It hydrates the skin without stinging or burning, and just helps you feel fresh. I love using it after ...
Balancing Ultra-Fine Face Mist
Sunscreen
Sunscreen is an absolute must-have in any daytime skincare routine, especially if you’re using active ingredients like vitamin C or retinol, which can make the skin more sensitive to sun exposure.
The cheapest, most effective facial mineral-based sunscreen on the market! Doesn’t leave a whitecast, and doesn’t feel too greasy. I use daily.
Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30
I love this sunscreen because it’s great for acne prone skin—doesn’t clog pores and covers up redness.
Superlight Sunscreen SPF 30
Patches
Patches for acne-prone skin are a targeted treatment designed to speed up the healing process and minimize the appearance of blemishes. They work by creating a protective barrier over the spot, keeping it clean from bacteria and preventing you from p...
These WORK! I have some deep cystic acne spots, and I can keep these patches on all day and remove at night to see the inflammation significantly gone down. They are pricey but I LOVE these.
Deep Blemish Microdarts - Peach Slices | Ulta Beauty
These are great for acne dark spots or scarring. I’ve seen visible differences in my dark spots when I use these. Pricey for only 9 patches, but they do work.
Dark Spot Microdarts - Peach Slices | Ulta Beauty
These feels amazing under the eyes. In my opinion, this is definitely not a *necessary* product in your skincare routine, they’re kind of an extra product for fun to me. They make me feel pampered and refreshed.
Caffeine Energizing Hydrogel Eye Patches
Exfoliant
For sensitive skin, exfoliate only 1-3x a week, depending on your sensitivity, to avoid irritation. Without regular exfoliation, dead skin cells can build up on the surface, making it harder for your daily skincare products to fully absorb and work e...
CAUTION- if you have sensitive skin, be careful with this product! Ease into it! Start out only using it once a week, and gradually incorporate it into your skincare routine to 2-3x a week if necessary.
I get a lot of blackheads and sebaceous filam...
SKIN PERFECTING 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
This feels amazing on the skin and truly leaves my whole body feeling so smooth after use. It smells a little funny but it works.
Resurface+ Glycolic and Lactic Acid Renewing Body Scrub - Skinfix
Masks
These masks provide an essential boost of hydration for skin that’s feeling dry, tired, or in need of extra care.
I love the consistency and texture of this mask. It feels like I’m playing with slime honestly lol. It’s not too sticky and is more of a jelly consistency. It doesn’t feel like a traditional face mask which I love. Would definitely recommend using th...
Snail Rescue Intensive Wash-Off Jelly Mask
Another great hydrating mask! This one’s too expensive, but I tried it for free as a sample and loved it. I probably would stick to the snail rescue mask by peach & lily instead, but had to put this mask on the list anyways even though it’s expen...
Aqua Bomb Hydrating Sleeping Mask with Panthenol - belif | Ulta Beauty
Eye creams
These eye creams provide care for the delicate skin around the eyes, which is thinner and more sensitive than the rest of the face. They provide targeted hydration and nourishment to help reduce dryness, puffiness, and the appearance of fine lines, k...
I absolutely love the way this product feels under my eyes. It genuinely does wake you up like the name says! It’s cheap and I have like 3 tubes of it - one in my car, one in my purse, and one in my bathroom. It’s gentle and doesn’t cause irritation....
Yerba Mate Wake Up Eye Gel - Good Molecules | Ulta Beauty
The eye area is the first area of your face to begin aging so therefore needs the most gentle care and attention. This retinol eye cream reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while providing extra support to produce more collagen in the s...
Retinol Eye Cream - The Inkey List