While I do love a bit of a beauty splurge, there are some high-street skincare products that I cannot live without. I’ve always envied the Americans because they have such a great range of drugstore skincare and beauty products that don’t cost the earth. We may not have quite the same variety here but we do have some gems that I swear by. I’m not normally brand loyal when it comes to skincare but I can definitely say that these five products have been a part of my life for years and will be for many more years to come. You may have come across some of them but I thought I would still share them here and tell you what I love each one most for:
1. Soap & Glory Hand Dream – If you can overlook the bright pink packaging then this is the best hand cream I have used. I have tried many, many, many and most have been far more expensive. I have found that most hand creams are either too greasy or the non-greasy ones don’t moisturise effectively enough. But this Hand Dream cream does both – moisturises really well and you have none of that greasy film on your hands after.
2. Carmex moisture-plus lip balm – This lip balm is a lip balm with a hint of colour. You can get sheer peach, sheer pink or berry. This lives in my handbag as it’s not only a great little lip moisturiser but it also adds that hint of colour to your lips when you don’t want to wear full on lipstick. It’s my go to subtle lip colour especially for the school run. Also, I prefer lip balms like this one that you apply like lipstick – no sticky fingers!
3. Bio Oil – I’m sure bio oil isn’t new to many of you but I still wanted to include it because I think it’s such a useful oil for so many reasons. A friend recommended bio oil to me when I was pregnant and I used it religiously on my tummy – I didn’t get a single stretch mark. It could be luck but I swear by it. I also love it for any really dry patches of skin especially in the Winter months and it even makes a great face moisturiser, again when the weather is particularly dry and harsh.
4. Tea tree oil – tea tree oil is a great natural anti-septic with so many uses. What I love it most for though is acne. While I don’t suffer from adult acne, I do get the odd spot. As soon as I can feel it coming, I put a little tea tree oil on it a few times a day and before I know it the spot goes away and never really appears. I’ve also heard that it’s great for naturally preventing lice in kids – all you have to do is add a couple of drops to the shampoo and then shampoo as normal. We’ve only recently started doing this and no lice so far. (Always remember to buy 100% pure tea tree oil.)
5. Vaseline lip therapy – for the best lip balm that works, nothing beats these little tins of vaseline. But I especially love it as a base for my lipstick. It just makes my lipstick go on smoother and it looks better applied and I also find it makes my lipstick last longer. These tins come in five flavours – cocoa butter, aloe vera, rose, original and they also have a sun protection lip balm. The cocoa butter one is my favourite.
All of these skincare products cost less than a tenner but they really deliver great results. I couldn’t live without them! Do you have some high-street skin care favourites? Please do share.
