Hey darlings!  Welcome to the rebranded growingwomanblog. I changed my theme two days ago because of a lot of reasons, some of which include that the former theme I was using wasn’t expressing my personality & vision,it takes a lot of time to load and it was not giving an appealing aesthetic to my first time visitors.

This post was specially requested by an Instagram follower of mine mzz_becca,she loves the blog so much and asked me to do a post about the skincare products I use for my skin. You can click here to follow me on Instagram.

Building a skincare routine takes  time,money and effort but the results are worth it. Some of the things I asked myself about building skincare on a budget include what products would suit me,where I could find these products,how to buy them at affordable prices and how frequently I may need to restock. I follow a simple formula after exfoliating and masking called the CTSM Formula, which stands for cleansing,toning,serum and moisturizing.

1) CLEANSING: I use the Nu Image Cleansing Lotion which is the first cleanser I was introduced to by my mom. This cleanser doesn’t leave a dry feel on the face and gently removes skin issues like white heads and pimples from your skin. It’s also gentle enough to be used twice daily. It comes in different sizes but the one I use retails for about 900 Naira to 1000 Naira in Port Harcourt. I use the cleanser immediately after exfoliating with my scrub.

How To use: I pick my cotton pad or balls and add few drops of the cleanser to it and wipe it all over my face while avoiding under my eyes( this area is very sensitive). You can do this severally until the cotton pad doesn’t come out greasy or brownish.

2) TONING: I didn’t really understand the importance of toners until 3 months ago when I couldn’t find the Nu Image Cleanser and had to look for alternatives. I found  Boots Glycerin and Rosewater Toner and I’ve been hooked ever since. This toner replaced my DIY ACV toner and is super affordable. I  got this bottle for 550 Naira. In the absence of Boots Glycerin and Rosewater Toner,you could use pure rose water which excellently as well. The other bottle of rosewater in the photo costs 1,500 Naira.

What toners would do for you include balancing and restoring your skin’s pH. My skin is oily with a smooth feel but when I noticed it having rough patchy feeling, I knew I had to go a little extra. Though I got this toner as an substitute to my cleanser,it helped take out the patchy feel and restored my skin to normalcy.

How to use: The toner is used with a cotton pad immediately after applying your cleanser.

3) SERUMS: Vitamin C is a great supplement to the skin both inside and outside. It was recently discovered that Vitamin C works effectively when applied externally on the skin than when it’s ingested. Blogger babe blackgirlspot.com gifted me this Vitamin C serum by You Skin and it’s been a game changer for me!! It’s quite expensive as it retails online for 5,000 Naira but since I started using it one month ago,I can tell it might last till December. So,it’s quite fair for a product that might last for months if used properly.

How to use: I use the applicator to add 2-3 drops of the serum on my palms before applying on my face. You can also use the applicator directly on your face and then blend in with your fingers. It can be used twice daily(morning and night)

4) MOISTURIZING: This is one step I haven’t really paid attention to but it’s very,very vital. Just like water quenches thirst and keeps the body hydrated,so a moisturizer keeps the skin moisturized and healthy. I don’t have any special moisturizer but I use my Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula (costs 2,500 Naira)or the Palmer’s Skin Success Fade Milk Tone Correcting Lotion with sunscreen ( costs 2,700 Naira) on my face and body.The Cocoa butter formula smells yummy,deeply moisturizes dry skin and maintains your skin tone. The fade milk moisturizes the skin,helps to gently tone the skin and deals with issues like dryness and hyper-pigmentation caused by sun exposure. I discovered the Palmer’s Fade Milk range when my skin experienced dullness due to sun and a Arami Essentials onyx polish(I didn’t know it should not be used by people with hypersensitive skin) I used.  I was advised to use black soaps alongside my toning lotion to avoid a dull or very dark skin (I’m chocolate skinned) and it has worked wonders for me,maybe it’s because it has sunscreen.

BONUS TIPS:

I didn’t get all these products in a day,I got each one gradually as my budget permitted. You could draw up a monthly or quarterly target of how much you can afford to put in to buy a particular number of products.

Cleansing is important but exfoliating is importanter lol. Your products and routines would be useless without exfoliating with scrubs. Scrubs brush off the dead skin layers of the skin to reveal  glowing skin. Exfoliating makes other products like serums,toners and cleansers work excellently. I use Yoko Yogurt Spa Milk Salt which costs 500 Naira . 

What is your favorite skincare product? What’s the maximum amount you can pay for a skincare product?

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You are loved!