4 Surprisingly Affordable Beauty Trends for 2023

On average, Americans spend more than $1,700 per year on beauty products. For some of us, that number may be a little low. If you’re anything like me, you spend money on skin care products, trips to the salon, and makeup that you’ll only use once or twice.

What’s interesting is a LendingTree study that found 26% of Americans have opened a credit card to take advantage of specific beauty product rewards. So why do we overspend when we don’t need to? As we readjust our household budget for 2024, let’s take a look at more affordable beauty trends.

1. Skincare tricks

It’s clear that advertising works. Otherwise none of us would overpay for a product that looks and smells good. According to experts, just because a product is more expensive doesn’t mean it’s more effective than drugstore brands. And just because a product contains rare ingredients doesn’t mean they’re better than those found in cheaper beauty products.

Here are some of the tricks that are currently making waves: Dupes are products that perform the same functions as luxury brands but at a much lower price. for example:

• You may pay a little more for a product that cleanses your skin, but with the Acure Brightening Facial Scrub, you get all this for just $8. The skin is the largest organ in the human body, and the better your skin looks, the better it looks. Compare that to the $58 you’d spend on an almost identical facial scrub from MEG 21.
• If you’re dealing with dry skin, few companies offer as much relief as CeraVe. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream is a product for use on the face and body, so there is no need to choose two products separately. Containing hyaluronic acid and ceramides, it can easily compete with expensive department store brands. It costs less than $17. Or you can choose a high-end luxury brand like Ogee. Ogee’s cream with hyaluronic acid and ceramides sells for $138 for a bottle that contains 1/13 the volume of CeraVe cream.

2. Multi-purpose product

I have never once calculated how much money I spend on various products that perform “very important” tasks. But today there are so many options for one product that fulfills multiple roles, including:

• Future Dew From Glossier: This little bottle of serum hydrates your skin and replaces your moisturizer. You can also mix it with sunscreen or foundation to add shine. Alternatively, you can use Futuredew as a highlighter to highlight areas of your face where the sun naturally hits. And like more expensive brands, it contains plant-based extracts and other hydrating ingredients. Futuredew sells for $26 for a 1-ounce bottle. Two quick pumps of the serum lasts for 12 hours.
• NYX Plump Light Back Plumping Serum & PrimerContains Hyaluronic Acid: This $16 serum replaces a primer, moisturizer, hyaluronic acid, and serums containing vitamin E, provitamin B5, magnesium, or potassium. That means you can cross several other products off your shopping list and leave more money in your checking account.

Here’s a quick list of what to look for when shopping for multipurpose skincare products.

• If you have dry skin: I want a product that contains moisturizing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and glycerin.
• If you have oily skin: Look for products that contain ingredients like salicylic acid and witch hazel. Both help control oil.
• If your skin looks a bit dull and you want to brighten it up, Buy products that contain vitamin C, arbutin, and niacinamide.
• If you want elastic skin: DMAE, collagen, and elastin are three ingredients you want to see in your products.
• If you simply want younger-looking skin: Companies prey on our insecurities and fears of aging to sell us all kinds of products we don’t need. According to science, the ingredients you need for younger-looking skin are retinol, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide.

3. Thrift store fashion

The best dressed person I know buys much of his wardrobe from thrift stores. Of course she knows what to look for, but her own expertise comes through her practice, she said. And even though her family makes a lot of money, she thinks it would be foolish to pay full price. Instead, she finds interesting clothes, pairs them creatively, and saves them as an emergency fund for a rainy day.

Another (important) benefit of thrift store shopping is that it’s purely environmentally friendly. Buying used goods reduces the need for new products, which reduces the resources used to manufacture them. It also prevents used items from being landfilled or incinerated.

4. Self-management

A lot of the things that help a person look their best have to do with self-care. Even better, some of them are free. Here are two examples:

• Stay hydrated: Every part of the human body needs water, and this includes the skin. If you’re not properly hydrated, it will eventually show. According to the Cleveland Clinic, if you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.
• Healthy Sleep Habits: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) says we should get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. If you think that’s not possible, consider talking to your doctor about what you can do to catch more z’s.

Lastly, choose healthy foods. Like most of society, we Americans love food. And eating healthy doesn’t mean you never treat yourself to something decadent. This means seeking out healthier options more often. There’s no doubt that eating healthy costs more than filling your cupboards with fun junk food, but it pays off in the end in many ways.

Living in a commercialized world, it’s hard not to spend more than you need to. But we are ultimately responsible for our personal finances, from how much we put into our savings account each month to how much we’re willing to pay for pretty packaging and fancy advertising.

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