Affordable Night Skincare Routine For College Students

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In this blog post, I’ll share my budget-friendly and minimalist night skincare routine.

Just like my morning skincare routine, my night routine is easy and not time-consuming. As a college student, I always try to keep it simple – so that I can always stick to the routine even during exam periods when I am most short on time – and budget-friendly – so that it is always within my buying power as a student.

My night routine has three steps

• Double Cleansing
• Treat
• Protect/Moisturize

Before starting the first step, I wash my hands before touching my face.

I proceed to double cleanse, starting with a cleansing balm -I use The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm – followed by a gentle water-based cleanser – I use Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser.

I love the oat cleansing balm and the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser because they are gentle and do not dry my skin. I used to use Cerave Acne Control Cleanser because it had 2% salicylic acid, which is beneficial. After all, my skin is acne-prone. It is also a gentle cleanser, and I loved it. Still, I stopped using it to prevent stacking salicylic acid because I incorporated a leave-on product with 2% salicylic acid into my routine.

STEP 1: Double CLEANSE

I apply the oat cleansing balm onto my dry face (with my morning routine still on and not prepping with water or any product) and gently massage in a circular motion until it melts onto my skin. I add water to emulsify the cleansing balm and focus more on areas like the chin and nose. I do this for about a minute (or longer) and wash it off with lukewarm water.

While my face is still wet, I go in with my Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser, wash it for about a minute, rinse it off with lukewarm water, and pat dry my face.

STEP 2: TREAT

After pat drying my face, I wait a bit to ensure my face is dry but not too dry and just perfect to apply my prescribed treatment gel.

I have acne and hyperpigmentation-prone skin, so to treat my skin, I use my prescription tretinoin gel. I apply a pea-sized amount (although I am still working on that because sometimes I use a bit more) all over my face and give it some time before moving on to the last step in my skincare routine.

I don’t have a specific amount of time I wait for, but I stay enough to let the treatment skin into my skin.

Before being prescribed tretinoin gel, I was prescribed Adapalene gel, an over-the-counter option, which worked well. If you are unable to get prescription tretinoin, you can try adapalene. It is gentle and works well. Remember to always speak to your healthcare professional for medical advice.

I use my prescription tretinoin gel five days a week and exfoliate with The Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant twice weekly – Wednesdays and Sundays. I love this balance because it helps me keep my acne at bay and helps me manage my hyperpigmentation, blackheads and pores.

Step 3: MOISTURIZE

The final step in my night routine is to seal everything in with a hydrating moisturizer.

After letting my treatment skin into my skin (whether it’s my tretinoin gel or exfoliant), I apply my moisturizer to seal everything. I use the Cerave PM moisturizer during hot periods but switch to Cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream during winter. It is more hydrating than the PM moisturizer.

Update: I recently switched from the Cerave Night Renewing Cream to The INKEY List Bio Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer. I have been loving it so far. You can read my review of it here.

Similar to my morning routine, I skip steps like toner, essence and the like because:

• I find them unnecessary.
• I like to keep my skincare routine very simple and minimal. This helps me lower the risk of irritating my skin. It also makes it easier to determine the cause of irritation if I develop one.
• It saves me money while not cutting back on the effectiveness of my skincare routine. My prescribed skincare works for me, so why add more products and spend extra money on my limited student budget?

I follow my routine fairly strictly every week. Sometimes, I slack off a bit because I don’t feel like doing anything. Other days, I take a break and slug.

Slugging is a skincare practice that involves applying an ointment, often one with a petrolatum base, as the final or only step in your skincare routine at night.

I slug whenever I notice that my skin is consistently feeling dry or when it looks irritated. I use Vaseline Petroleum Jelly Original. I follow up with Vaseline after cleansing and applying my moisturizer. I rub in the Vaseline and let it lock in all the moisture. A little product goes a long way with slugging. You’d only realize how much product you’ve applied a little later after applying the Vaseline.

Other products you can use to slug are CeraVe Healing Ointment or Aquaphor Healing Ointment.

A word of caution: slugging doesn’t work or is not recommended for all skin types, especially acne-prone skin. Although I have acne-prone skin, I still slug sometimes because I know it works to restore hydration to my skin. I have also never had an adverse reaction or “pimple outbreak” on my face after slugging. I have mastered the best time to slug and know my routine afterward. So, before slugging, consider all the pros and cons and do what works best for your skin.

After completing the three steps in my routine, I apply my lip mask. I use the CARE NEL Berry Lip Night Mask. I love the way it melts onto my lips and keeps it hydrated.

Once I’ve finished applying my skincare products, I wash my hands as a final step to mark the end of my routine.

Let me know which of these products you love (or don’t like (: ) in the comment section. Do share your favourite products in the comments. I look forward to reading about or trying them.

Thank you for reading!