Affordable Anti-Ageing Skincare Routine For Your Twenties and Beyond

Skin requires a number of efficacious active ingredients to maintain its lustre and health. Is it possible to meet all your skin care needs and not splash out hundreds of pounds? Can you really create an effective skincare routine on a budget? Of course! While marketing and luxury brands may tell you otherwise, there is absolutely no reason you cannot achieve great skin using affordable products – sans the fancy packaging, convoluted verbiage and hefty price tag. If you are in your twenties, on a budget and are considering taking your skincare game to the next level, today’s post is for you. I am going to give you my tried and tested, proven effective, affordable anti-ageing skincare routine – using only products under £20.

After an extended break from blogging, I am so incredibly happy to be back! Because I have not had the opportunity to do so yet, I would like to wish you a very (belated) happy new year. I have missed posting so unbelievably much and I look forward to creating a lot of content this year. Although I will not bore you with the details and particulars of my absence, I hope to soon share with you some very exciting things. I will do my utmost to remain consistent with my future blog posts from here onwards. If you are not already subscribed to the blog, make sure you do so for exciting updates.

Now, let’s get back to the topic of today’s blog post. 

Beauty on a Budget

Skincare is an investment. You take good care of your skin now, in order to reap the benefits for years to come. However, an investment does not mean that your products have to break the bank. Products do not need a huge price tag in order for them to be effective, or to show results. If you are a student, or young person on a budget, there are still plenty of affordable, highly efficacious products that will bring real, noticeable results. 

As a girl on a budget, I am aware that skincare products can get pricey. Perhaps you are in your twenties like me and would like to start taking proper care of your skin. I know what it’s like. There are late nights at the club surrounded by cigarette smoke, a little too much to drink, lights you collapse in bed before ever removing your makeup. In our twenties we are all guilty of being a little naughty to one degree or another. 

As a teen you may have been able to get away with a lack of sleep without much negative effect. However, now the first signs of undereye bags are rearing their ugly little head; you want to nip it in the bud before it proliferates. I am only 22 but recently I really feel the effects of nights out on my skin. As a 17-year-old I could get by on four hours of sleep and do night after night out. It would not phase me the way it does now. Perhaps that sounds precocious at only 22. But after a lot of sleep deprived nights, makeup use and acne in my teens, I appreciate my pillowcase and skin care more and more.

Skincare Must Haves for Your Twenties

I have compiled this affordable anti-ageing skincare routine full of products I use and trust. Every product is highly effective, under £20 each, and has been tested by me for 6+ months. I have done this to demonstrate that beauty can be effective on a budget; you have no excuse not to implement a skincare routine. This routine has yielded great results for my skin, exemplifying that good skincare is not synonymous with expensive skincare. It is all about ingredients and results – not packaging and marketing. 

My skin type is acne-prone and sensitive. I do not have overly oily or overly dry skin. Here are the products I recommend for women in their twenties and an overview of what I will be discussing in this post: 

Cleanser 

Makeup remover

Targeted spot treatment for those pesky unexpected or hormonal breakouts

Chemical exfoliant

Serums and Antioxidant products – niacinamide, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and other antioxidants to shield and protect from environmental stressors

Facial oil – multipurpose, for days your skin is particularly parched and for makeup application

Daily facial moisturiser 

SPF (I will cover SPF products in a separate blog post). Make sure you check out this blog post about what SPF does for skin.

The above are my core, essential products I recommend integrating into your skincare stash. If this seems a little overwhelming at first glance, I will also be explaining how you can easily condense the number of products you use and whittle down your skincare routine if you choose. In addition, depending on your skin type, you may not need every product.

Cleanser

The first step of your affordable anti-ageing skincare routine is cleansing. If you have read my post on how to layer skincare products,you would be aware of the emphasis I put on proper cleansing of the skin. I have gone through countless cleansers and face washes in the past and found that nothing quite eliminates my rosacea and redness like a gentle cleanser. Many cleansers I have tried will cause my skin to flush red and irritated upon washing. If this is something you struggle with and cannot find the culprit, I would suggest switching out your face cleanser and seeing if that solves the issue.

Essential oils, sulphates and fragrances are ingredients I used in the past, in many of my cleansers. I mistakenly was of the view that, because a face wash is on your skin for such a brief time, the variety of cleanser you used was not important. I would purchase the generic face wash at the supermarket and thought that would do the trick. However, I always struggled with redness. As I became more educated on skin care and ingredients, and after experimenting on myself, I realised that switching my cleanser to a gentle, fragrance free non-foaming cleanser made the greatest impact on my skin. 

Cleanser Favourite

At the moment I am using the La Roche Posay Dermocleanser. It is a cream cleanser, it does not foam and has no fragrance. If you are accustomed to foaming cleansers and the squeaky-clean-feel you get from them, this product might take a while to get used to. Do not be fooled though, it does a fantastic job of removing makeup and dirt from the day. It is available here on Amazon for only £9, which is the cheapest price I have found it at.

Other cleansers, even the foaming variety, would leave behind some traces of makeup. I would follow up with a toner and still be able to pick up a lot of excess oil and makeup from my face after cleansing. This cleanser does not give me that issue; it is non-irritating and is safe for use around the eyes. Let’s be honest: no one wants their eyes to sting and burn.

Makeup Removal

I regularly use micellar water to remove my everyday makeup. I do not wear much makeup on a daily basis so it can easily be removed with a swipe of micellar water. If I am wearing eye makeup or waterproof mascara, I will turn to this Simple Dual Effect eye makeup remover. It is among the best eye makeup removers I have tried and will remove any waterproof eye makeup you may have on. I do not spend a great deal of my skincare budget on makeup removers because even simple coconut oil can do the trick. It only has one function; to remove makeup, so I do not resort to anything fancy.

My favourite micellar cleansing water is this one from Bioderma. It is gentle and does a great job. I regularly purchase this variety of Bioderma because it comes in a big bottle with a pump. It is available on Amazon for the best price. Other favourites Simple Micellar Cleansing Water and Garnier Micellar Water.

Exfoliation

A chemical exfoliant will work wonders on your skin. Particularly if you struggle with congested pores and blackheads. If you struggle with acne and blackheads, I would recommend using a salicylic acid product. If you are concerned about dark spots and signs of ageing, you can also opt for glycolic acid. I have written in depth articles about both salicylic acid and glycolic acid, which you can refer back to. Finding a good chemical exfoliant is challenging, because many contain ingredients that irritate my skin. I have narrowed down my search to several key products.

Under £20

Glossier’s daily face exfoliator is a triple threat containing chemical exfoliants BHA, AHA and PHA. It can be used daily for a fresh glowing skin effect. At £19, it is slightly higher in price, but you can get 10% off through this link. This exfoliant will keep your pores clear of blackheads and smooth skin texture. PHAs are a newer exfoliant on the scene. They are beginning to be used in more products and are gentler relative to other exfoliants, as well as moisturising. It also contains soothing ingredients such as aloe vera and niacinamide.

Pixi Glow Tonic is a cult favourite glycolic acid toner. It buffs away dead skin cells, refine pores, and stimulates skin cell regeneration. It is not overly drying and contains aloe vera for additional soothing benefit. If you are new to chemical exfoliants, I would suggest trying them a couple of days per week and gradually increasing your use, to avoid irritation.

The COSRX AHA/BHA toner is a little-known gem. It contains both AHAs and BHAs for thorough skin resurfacing, and at only £15 it is a no brainer. If fragrance tends to irritate your skin, I would highly suggest this product. It is non irritating and contains soothing allantoin. If your main concern is blackheads and breakouts, the COSRX Blackhead Power Liquid is another great option. The brand is available on SokoGlam, iHerb, and Lookfantastic. Check out my Korean Skincare post for more on this brand and the top Korean skincare products you need.

Under £10

At only £9.99, the Inkey List Beta Hydroxy Acid is a new no-nonsense, fragrance free exfoliant. You only need a drop to benefit from its pore clearing, breakout preventing properties. The Inkey List also has an inexpensive Glycolic Acid exfoliating toner for only £6.99, giving Pixi Glow Tonic a run for its money. If you have less of an issue with breakouts but struggle with skin dullness and dryness, this product will improve skin radiance. Make sure you have read my complete guide to Glycolic Acid for more information on what the ingredient does for your skin.

Targeted Spot Treatment

Whether or not your skin is immaculate for most of the month, or you are a Vogue cover model, you will experience a spot at some point in your journey. If you are a woman, you will likely experience a breakout or two around that wonderful time of the month. And when you do, you will want to be armed with some sort of spot treatment, in case a zit appears at a most inopportune time. If you do struggle with acne, I would suggest taking a look at the following posts: The Best Ingredients to Eliminate Acne and How to Get Rid Of Blackheads for Good.

Your best, quickest resolution is a tube of benzoyl peroxide that you can get over the counter from your local drugstore/pharmacy. If you are not a fan of BPO, there are a number of other inexpensive, effective spot treatments. La Roche Posay Breakout Corrector and Alpha H Blemish Control Gel contain salicylic acid and antimicrobial ingredients to clear your blemishes. Sulphur containing treatments such as Bye Bye Blemish will draw out bacteria from the spot. I would also recommend trying out these hydrocolloid acne patches to get rid of that pesky blemish overnight.

Serums and Antioxidants

Your twenties is the time where you want to start stepping up your skincare game a fraction from the basic moisturiser you always used. Now is the time to begin incorporating certain serums, antioxidants and other active ingredients that will help preserve and maintain healthy collagen production in skin.

Hyaluronic Acid

If you do not already incorporate hyaluronic acid into your routine, read this complete guide to hyaluronic acid. Regardless of your skin type, a hyaluronic acid based product is sure to benefit your skin. It is a humectant and will help provide much needed skin hydration. Some simple, very affordable hyaluronic acid serums include the Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum for £4.99 and the Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid at £6. Meanwhile, Makeup Revolution has recently launched their take on brands such as the Ordinary. Thus we have Revolution Skincare Hyaluronic Acid as another inexpensive alternative option.

Hyaluronic acid is available in many skincare products. However, you should choose your products wisely. If a pricey product contains hyaluronic acid as its only selling point, I would suggest looking for one that incorporates a larger mix of skin-loving ingredients. Although HA is important, it is not the only ingredient your skin needs. If your standard moisturiser already contains a good dose of hyaluronic acid, you may not necessarily need a dedicated serum with HA.

Peptides

Once the first signs of fine lines begin to show up, you may wish to consider incorporating a peptide serum into your routine. Peptides are the building blocks of protein and specifically collagen, crucial for youthful skin. One of my favourite affordable peptide serums is the Ordinary Buffet. It contains an array of powerful peptides and hyaluronic acid to encourage skin plumpness and elasticity. In addition, it has a nice light texture and absorbs quickly. I love using it around any smile lines or forehead lines in particular. In the same vein, Revolution Skincare has launched their own peptide serum for only £10 and I was pleasantly surprised by their largely irritant free ingredient list.

Antioxidants

I have spoken at length about the importance of antioxidants in your routine. Oftentimes, the all-encompassing, antioxidant rich skincare products lean on the pricier side due to the nature of the ingredients. Brands like The Ordinary and The Inkey List make it easy to choose individual antioxidants. However, you can see how purchasing a number of antioxidants can add up to give the same effect as a single product that includes multiple antioxidants.

If I were to choose only one budget serum, it would hands down be a niacinamide-based product. Niacinamide is my skincare star ingredient and has truly altered my skin. It has a myriad of benefits; from diminishing the appearance of large pores, uneven skin tone, skin discolouration and even blemishes. Moreover, it strengthens an impaired skin barrier, which is critical for maintaining healthy skin throughout life. My holy grail is this niacinamide product and, at only £5, it is well worth the spend.

While vitamin C is an extremely beneficial skincare ingredient, it is not particularly easy to find a cheap vitamin C product. If you would like to learn its benefits, read this post about vitamin C skincare. Vitamin C is very difficult to formulate due to the speed at which is oxidises and degrades in air. Many cheaper versions of ascorbic acid are a little gritty and not very elegant in texture. I discovered Elf Antioxidant Booster Drops recently, which contains vitamins C, E and niacinamide and can be used alone or added to other products for an extra boost. The Inkey List and The Ordinary have very affordable options, however due to the texture they are not my absolute favourites.

Further antioxidant products I would thoroughly recommend are Resveratrol + Ferulic Acid, and CoQ10, which will protect against environmental stressors that lead to early signs of ageing. Both products have pleasant textures that can easily be integrated into your routine.

Facial Oils

If you do not have an oily skin type, you may overlook or even cringe away from the possibility of using face oils. Face oils are arguably one of the most versatile treasures in your skincare wardrobe. They are kind of like that little black dress you can dress up or down and will match with most anything.

When your skin is feeling particularly parched or dehydrated, applying a little facial oil over the rest of your skincare acts as a barrier for the rest of your products. It helps to trap in moisture and prevent water loss from the skin. To double up your skincare, consider mixing it in to your standard moisturiser during the drier months. Face oils are also great to use under your makeup base. Furthermore, you can use oil to alter the consistency of formulas. Adding a drop to foundations and cream products will enhance the slip and emollience of these products. Be aware of the silicone content of your products, however, because mixing too many oils and other skincare products with silicones may cause pilling.

An oil for every occasion

My favourite facial oils of the moment include rosehip oil, which you can read all about in this blog post, squalane oil and marula oil. Each of these oils have their own individual benefits and best uses. I recommend rosehip oil if you have any concerns with dark spots or general signs of ageing and all round anti-ageing benefits. It absorbs quickly into skin so even oily skin types will benefit from its use.

Squalane is amazing for use as a standalone face oil or simply as a pre-makeup step. I tend to use it to mix in with base products that are more matte in texture in order to enhance the slip. It is also great for adding a couple of drops to your hair to enhance shine. Marula oil is best for drier skin types and has an excellent fatty acid profile for deep skin moisture and suppleness. BYBI Buriti Oil is another great cold pressed, all natural choice for only £12.

Moisturiser

Lastly, there is an abundance of affordable moisturisers to choose from. Both the drugstore and online beauty retailers provide an array of great moisturisers. I do not typically splurge on moisturisers for the simple fact that it is merely designed to moisturise skin. While the top tier, higher ticket moisturisers will have a myriad of skin-replenishing ingredients, antioxidants and other goodies, so do serums. If you use a separate serum, the function of a moisturiser can simply be providing moisture and reinforcing the skin barrier. Look out for moisturisers with skin-boosting ingredients such as glycerin, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and various non fragrant plant oils.

Cerave moisturising lotion is a good option containing hyaluronic acid and ceramides that strengthen skin barrier and prevent premature signs of ageing. For a natural option, I like the Burts Bees Sensitive Moisturising Cream as it is soothing, fragrance free and non greasy. Another favourite of mine is the Simple Hydrating Gel. It is lightweight in consistency but still hydrating and perfect under makeup.

Eye Cream

Typically, I will not use a separate eye cream. All the moisturisers I mentioned work perfectly fine around the eye area. Eye creams often seemed to me another excuse to release a product that is half the size, at double the price. As long as you bring all other products around your eye area, it should suffice. If you suffer with puffy eyes, perhaps a separate eye cream may be desirable for you, but it is not necessary.

With that in mind, recently I decided to try out this affordable eye cream and I must say I really enjoy using it. It feels refreshing and replenishing around the eye area and the addition of ceramides adds an extra anti-ageing boost. If you struggle with particularly dry under eyes, I would highly recommend this product. Burts Bees also has a sensitive eye cream that I have repurchased a number of times through the years.

Condensing Your Routine

Phew! That was a lot to get through.

For the girl who does not want to spend a tonne of time on her skincare routine, you can simplify it and still get good results. If you asked me what my must-haves are for travel, or if I wanted to just take it easy on the products for a night, I would opt for:

Cleanser, Niacinamide, and Hyaluronic Acid serum (oily skin) or moisturiser (dry) or face oil.

Yes, it really is that simple.

Those are the essential products I need for everyday to maintain my skin. The rest of the products reinforce and are great additions to my routine to keep my skin in top shape. Your individual skin needs may be different to mine. Therefore, it is important to experiment and test various products to see which best suit your needs.

I hope that this post was helpful and you have a better idea of how to put together your own affordable anti-ageing skincare routine. If you need some direction as to how to layer all these products, read this article about skincare layering.

I know that today’s post was a long one (who am I kidding, most of my posts are!). But, I like to be thorough and really explain my choices and recommendations so that you can make an educated decision. Besides, I have missed blogging so please excuse me for spewing all this information at once.

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Wishing you boundless love, endless light, and life without limit,

Shannon xo

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This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.