A simple routine does not have to be complicated. In the morning, we often do not have time -- we need to do something quickly with our face and get on with our life. But you also do not need much if you have generally good skin and do not have any big concerns.
Let's talk about a skincare routine with only 4 products.
You start with a gentle basic water-based (preferred) cleanser. You do not need much. But I know what you are thinking... You are thinking "but my face is clean, I just woke up?". No. It is not clean. You have been sleeping on your pillow for 8 hours or so -- that pillow will have dirt. And now, it is all over your face. Furthermore, before you put on a fresh batch of new products on your beautiful face, you need to remove any residue products from your evening routine. So, cleanse. Now, you have a clean canvas to work on.
We continue to the humectant step -- or the step that provides you with hydration. Again, I am not saying you need to have 5 layers of hydrating products. No. One layer. Whether it is a toner, an essence, a hydrating serum, a hydrating booster, a hydrating concentrate -- or whatever else the skincare industry came up with in the "hydration" department. It basically draws water to your skin and keeps it hydrated (I am leaving out the "how, where, why" as we are simplying things here). There is also polyglutamic acid, glycerin etc that can work as humectants.
So, you have hydrated your skin, but water can easily evaporate. So, you need to "lock" the moisture in place so it doesn't escape. That is done using a moisturiser, which "seals" the skin.
And of course, last, but definitely not least. Sunscreen. Now, if you are not willing to use sunscreen on a daily basis, then, you should not be on this page. Sunscreen is the biggest protector from premature aging. You can try to buy all of the fancy serums and masks, but if you are not using SPF, you are throwing everything down the drain. I mean it. And, you need to use appropriate sunscreen for your climate as well. So if you live in, say, Jordan, and use an SPF 15 once per day and are out and about in the sun, you are essentially not using sunscreen.
So, to recap. Cleanse, hydrate, lock it in, protect. That's all you need.
Let me now show you some examples of different routines (by budget).
Now, you might think, why is this routine “affordable”? Well, let me explain. I think, there is no question mark that the cleanser is a very affordable version for 256ml (it’s a LOT of product) – a bottle of this size will probably last you 2 full months (if you also use it in the evening). Now, towards the humectant step. The Hada Labo Premium Hydrating Lotion has 5 different types/sizes of hyaluronic acid in it, which, for the size of 170ml is extremely affordable. Some people regard it as a serum, some people (like me), regard it as an essence – but it honestly doesn’t matter. You will not find a cheaper hyaluronic acid (per ml) alternative. Now, towards the moisturiser. $50. I know, you are thinking – isn’t there a cheaper version? There absolutely is. You can use a good moisturiser from the supermarket even (that will be around $ 5 -10 per 50ml). The normal size of the Malin + Goetz (pictured), however, is 118ml, which you can literally use for 3 months, both morning and night. But again, here, you can go with a supermarket version. As to sunscreen – this is one I like using, it works, and 60ml would last you a good two months.
A rough estimate of this routine per month: $22
So, we are moving onto the mid-range products. However, same logic as before. Cleanser – this one (the normal 150ml version) would last you about 1.5 months of both day and night use. The Humectant we have here is a booster from Hylamide – and this one will last you a month of both day and night use. An interesting point about moisturisers. Some people say that you have to use separate moisturisers for day and night. This is only true for a very small minority of moisturisers actually (for example, I would not recommend using a cream with Vitamin A during the day), but otherwise, moisturisers are there to seal the skin. They aren’t doing, most of the time, rocket science. This one from REN says it’s a day one, so just for the sake of “listening to the brand”, let’s assume you will only use it during the day. Then, it would probably last you about 2 months. And then we have the sunscreen, which will probably last you around 2.5 months.
A rough estimate of this routine per month: $53
And an even more expensive routine. Same principles as already discussed. (Yes, I could have definitely chosen a more expensive cleanser). A rough estimate of this routine per month: $101