My 7 Frugal Beauty & Skincare Products That Work

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Being frugal doesn’t and shouldn’t prevent us from staying healthy and looking beautiful or handsome.

I usually see ads about skincare and makeup products that are $100 or more. As I get older, I do get anxious about having more wrinkles and looking jaded, which I rarely ever cared about in my early 20s.

Aging is real, and it can do numbers to our looks. If I were scared enough, I might have set up a separate fund to purchase all those expensive brand-name beauty products out there. But I’m too frugal (or cheap?) to do that.

Today, I will share with my all the skincare and beauty products that I use. And yes, they don’t cost an arm and a leg either.

What I use daily

1. ChapsStick – $1

This is my most go-to most favorite lip balm. And my most beloved flavor is classic cherry.

There are three reasons why I love ChapStick. First, it does keep my lips moist for hours. Second, it doesn’t have any weird taste. I have tried Burt’s bees lip balm, and it just tasted really odd. I didn’t eat it or anything. But if I happened to drink water or something, I could definitely taste it.

Second, the cherry flavor has a light pink tint to it, which makes my lips look a bit rosier than normal. And third, it’s only $1 each compared to $2-3 for other brands. I usually buy 10-20 of them to give out as gifts when I go to Vietnam. And all the females in my family love it!

2. Jojoba oil – $9.99

I’ve been using jojoba oil as a facial moisturizer for a couple of months. And the results have been great!

I feel like my skin tone is more even and moist, especially in dry weather. I got the organic jojoba oil certified by the USDA. It has no smell, just the way I like it.

I use jojoba oil at night right after my shower since it’s a bit oily to use during the day.

3. Neutrogena green tea moisturizer – $9.92

This Neutrogena facial moisterizer smells like green tea and has green tea extract. It consists mostly of natural ingredients (97%). I applied it in the morning when I still had to go to the office since it wasn’t oily like jojoba oil.

3. Arm & Hammer deodorant – $3 (at the store)

I have used various brands of deodorant and never really loved any like I do Arm & Hammer deodorant. The previous brands I used darkened the skin area under my arms and were hard to wash off.

Arm & Hammer deodorant consists of natural ingredients (mostly baking soda). It works well and is easy to wash off.

I use it twice daily: once in the morning and once after shower at night. These days, however, I don’t use it often since I work from home and don’t really go anywhere.

4. Irish Spring soap ($15.92 for 24 count)

Mr. FAF and I use bar soap for showers. I don’t like using shower gel since I feel like it’s harder to wash off. We usually get the Spring bar soap in bulk from Costco which usually lasts us for almost a year.

5. Pantene shampoo & conditioner 2 in 1 – $5.82

I am actually fine with whatever shampoo as long as it doesn’t make me lose hair. I’ve tried a couple of brands before which made me feel like I was going bald in no time, which totally freaked me out.

The shampoo I use is 2 in 1 Pantene, meaning it has both shampoo and conditioner. I’ve used shampoo and conditioner separately before. But I always felt like my scald got super itchy after I applied the conditioner, so I stopped using it. But then my hair started breaking. 2 in 1 works best for me.

6. St. Ives lotion – $7

I’ve been using St. Ives lotion for years. I really like that it’s 100% natural and is relatively cheap ($7 for a huge bottle which lasts for months). I apply St. Ives on my body right after shower and on my hands in the winter.

St. Ives lotion has a lot of scents too. My favorite one is the almond scent!

8. Green tea facial cleanser – $3.35

I got a green tea extract facial cleanser when I went to visit family in Vietnam. I just use a little bit after shower every night to get rid of all the excessive oil and dirt on my face. I can’t find the product on Amazon since I bought it at a supermarket in Vietnam.

7. Lip Ice sheer color tinted – $3.50

I don’t wear makeup and don’t own any cosmetics. On special occasions, I would put on a bit of tinted chapstick. I like Lip Ice sheer color best since it has a natural tint and doesn’t waste weird.

Things I’ve tried but didn’t love

1. Rosehip oil – $13.95

I read that a couple of celebrities use rosehip oil as facial moisterizer and swear by it. I tried it for a couple of times, but it caused breakouts. And my skin just didn’t look as good as when I was using jojoba oil, so I stopped. From what I see (I’m no scientist), rosehip oil seems denser than jojoba oil, so that might be the reason why my skin broke out. I ended up using it as body lotion instead.

2. Yes to Carrot – $18.99

I tried this Yesto natural facial cleanser but didn’t love it. My face didn’t feel clean after I used it since it was still very oily.

3. Dove bar soap – $8.99 for 6 count

Mr. FAF bought some Dove bar soap a long time ago while on a business trip. I didn’t like it since it left an oily feeling on my skin after shower.

4. Degree deodorant – $3

I used this Degree brand for a couple of times. Although it worked to some extent, it darkened the skin under my arms and was hard to wash off at shower.

5. Burt’s Bees lip balm – $5

I was running out of Lip Ice sheer color lip balm and wanted to try Burt’s Bees for a change. The color and the taste didn’t impress me.

Non-product tips

Besides the products above, I find that the following healthy habits also have a great impact on my skin:

1. A good night sleep

When I get a good night sleep (uninterrupted 7-8 hours), I feel like my skin is glowing in the morning. On the days when I had interrupted sleep or just 4-5 hours of sleep, my skin is dull, and I just look tired the whole day.

2. Eating lots of veggies and fruit

I’ve been trying to eat a lot more veggies and fruit lately. There was one particular week where I ate a lot of cake and spicy snacks, and I started having breakouts. I also try to eat less salt, oil, and chilli lately.

3. Exercise

After Mr. FAF works out, he literally just looks five years younger. He told me there’s a scientific explanation for that. I don’t go to the gym, so on the weekends, I would clean up the house and do housework as a form of workout.

Conclusion

Although I use some commercial products, I try to pick the ones that are natural and inexpensive.

I think that no matter what products we use, a good night sleep and a healthy diet will be good not only for our skin but also for our health and our minds in the long run.

What are your frugal beauty secrets?

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