How to Save Money on Skincare

Skincare can be expensive! We’ve been a little shocked by some of the prices out there in the market, especially now that we can guess approximately how much it costs to make it. If you want to use products with better ingredients but don’t have a lot of room in your budget, here are some ideas to save money:

Simplify the number of products you’re using.

• Use plain water instead of a toner.
• Lightly rub your face with a damp washcloth to exfoliate.
• Buy one gentle bar soap that you can use in the shower and as a cleanser (like our tallow soap)
• Use the same moisturizer (for example, our vanilla bean tallow) for both morning and evening.

Consider DIYs.

• Make a simple oil cleanser with jojoba oil, castor oil, and any other oils or essential oils you like.
• Create a basic body scrub with tallow, other oils, and sugar or salt.
• Look at the ingredients of popular face or body oils - many are jojoba oil with a few other oils that you can customize as desired.
• Find inspiration and recipes from sites like Humblebee & Me, TaraLee on YouTube, or Formula Botanica.

Shop from smaller brands with lower overhead.

• The companies running ads you see everywhere have high budgets for ad spend and other marketing, so their product prices account for that.
• Try Etsy, local markets, or even Facebook Marketplace.
• Small business doesn’t always mean better, so if you’re on the hunt for quality, be on the lookout for where businesses source their ingredients. If you aren’t sure, ask them about their sourcing.

Look for sales.

• Many brands run seasonal sales, especially during the summer (around Prime Day), Black Friday, and other holiday weekends.
• Reach out to businesses to say that you’re interested in trying their products and ask when their next sale will be.

Adjust how you think about cost comparisons.

• Cost comparisons are often based solely on dollar amounts of various items.
• Cost per use is a better way to think about comparisons. A higher functioning skin care product can be effective at lower usage rates than a cheaper drug store alternative. The initial cost to buy may be higher, but the cost per use will be lower (or at least close enough) to justify the higher quality product. Not to mention the health benefits of lowering the amount of synthetic chemicals on your skin.

We hope these help you save money when sourcing for your home! If you have any questions for us on these tips, or want to hear more about our personal journey learning and making skincare, please send us an email or DM.