The six budget skincare products our experts buy on repeat
Cicaplast Balm B5 Multi-Purpose Repairing Balm 40ml, £11, La Roche-Posay on Cult Beauty
I was first introduced to this moisturiser around nine years ago, when I had my first son. I was looking for an alternative nappy cream to the default option at the time: Sudocrem, the bright, white paste that came in a hefty grey plastic tub. I found the formula too greasy and gloopy.
Cicaplast Baume B5, I was told by a few friends, was the alternative choice. A popular product in French pharmacies – but pleasingly also available at Boots – it came in an easy-to-dispense tube, was fragrance-free and felt like a luxury moisturiser. I was sold, and have been using it ever since.
It's packed with soothing ingredients like panthenol and vitamin B5 and is one of those all-purpose creams that can be used by the whole family. When my middle child had a little patch of mild eczema on his cheeks as a toddler, this was the only cream that helped. More recently, I've used it on my own face if I've spent a bit too much time in the sun or if I've used too strong a skincare product. I slap a dollop of this on my face and all is well by the morning.
For me, this is the sort of cream that belongs in a first aid kit at home. I'll always have a tube of Cicaplast to hand.
Gentle skin cleanser, £17, Cetaphil from Boots
Moons ago when I first began writing about beauty, New York dermatologists were recommending this humble cleanser to mortals like me looking for inexpensive skincare that doesn't strip the skin. Two decades ago that wasn't as easy as it is now, thanks to brands like The Ordinary that made affordable unsexy skincare cool and credible.
Originally developed in 1947 by a Texan pharmacist for customers with sensitive skin, Cetaphil is a soap-free, non-comedogenic (meaning it won't block your pores) range that works as well on my dry 51-year-old skin as it does on my daughter's blemish-prone complexion. Though these days the brand is available in the UK, I still miss the thrill of bringing bottles back home in my suitcase from the US.
As the name suggests, you can expect a gentle foaming cleanser containing panthenol, niacinamide and glycerine to cleanse and hydrate without the tight skin feeling. A little goes a long way but when I do run out I order their roomy (710ml) refill pouch.
Facial Superfood Oil by Q&A, £8.50, Sephora
If you enjoy using oils as part of your skincare routine, especially massage, you'll know they can get pricy. Mature skins especially, tend to soak up the oils, and the afterglow you can achieve through a combination of gua sha and the right oil becomes addictive.
I try to massage my skin at least once a day, either using a gua sha jade stone (I love Hayou's upgraded gua sha tool with its serrated edge on one edge, which really allows you to get into fine lines, stimulating the skin's own collagen production and a curved edge for sculpting cheekbones) or my hands. With consistent use, the reduction in lines and depuffing (which results in a more 'snatched' look) can be remarkable.
As prep, I like first to apply a serum containing actives. DoSe has hyaluronic acid, squalane and ergothioneine, which protects against oxidative stress and pollution, with antioxidant properties that help reduce fine lines and wrinkles. It's a competitive £30 and lasts around six months.
On top comes an oil. Even if you follow a gua sha practice primarily to decongest your skin and treat spots, you should never attempt any massage without using oils or you'll find you're pulling and dragging your skin. You need enough decent glide, but not so much that you can't get a grip on the skin.
Q+As superfood facial oil is an excellent weight for massage – nourishing but not too thick. It contains Vitamins A, C, E and F – lots of lovely fatty acids to plump and feed skin, at an excellent value for money price that means you can use it as liberally as needed. You could pop a moisturiser on top, but it's not mandatory.
Hydrating Moisturiser by CeraVe, £12.37, Boots
When I took the prescription retinoid drug Roaccutane to treat my adult acne, I was delighted with the skin-clearing effects. However, around three years after completing a course, I noticed that my breakouts were creeping back. I was disappointed and considering going back on the medication for a second course – until I started using CeraVe's Facial Moisturising Lotion (along with the brand's Hydrating Cleanser) exclusively about a year ago.
Within a few weeks, my skin cleared up and (touch wood) it's stayed clear since, with just the odd pimple to deal with every now and then. The moisturiser itself feels light and is non-comedogenic, but having niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and ceramides in there seems to be the key, for me, to achieving enough hydration without disrupting the delicate oil balance. I think it's all about finding what works for your skin and given that you can pick this up for as little as £13, it's definitely worth a try.
Water Boost Micellar Facial Gel Wash, £2.47, Superdrug
I've never been one to overcomplicate my skincare, I've stuck to the same routine for 10 years. From a young age I would see my mother, who has enviable skin, use just a bar of Dove soap. I've followed the same simple ideology. As someone with sensitive skin, I have three pillars that make a holy grail skincare product. It must be gentle, perfume-free and very hydrating.
In the mornings I'll use Simple's Water Boost Micellar Facial Gel Wash to prep my face for skincare and make-up. In the evenings, I'll use the brand's Protect 'n' Glow Express Glow Clay Polish to help remove any make-up residue. This is perfect to use after a day of running around the city, and I love how I can buy both products for under a fiver.
Hydrating Cleanser by CeraVe, £12.50, Cult Beauty
I struggled with acne for years and it wasn't until I consulted dermatologist Dr Ophelia Veraitch that I cleared up my skin. My serums are personalised with minimal but active ingredients and I rely on slightly pricier products like Skinceuticals sunscreen and Ilia Base Face Milk which don't clog my pores.
However, for a cleanser, Dr Ophelia recommended CeraVe's Hydrating Facial Cleanser, which comes in at £12.50. I use it twice a day, in the shower in the morning and between my make up remover and night serum in the evening, making sure my skin is damp before I apply.
If you have sensitive or acne-prone skin I highly recommend checking to see if products are non-comedogenic before buying, which has saved me a lot of money and grief over the years. CeraVe's cleanser is gentle, hydrating and works with the other actives in my serums which means I'm not stripping away my skin barrier. It's available in big supermarkets and lasts for at least 6 months, bringing the cost per use to less than 3p – bargain!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
37 minutes ago
- The Independent
NHS surgeon recommends this simple three-ingredient recipe for supporting gut health and strengthening muscles
It's hard to make healthy choices nowadays. Walk into the supermarket and you're faced with an array of sweet treats; unlock your phone and there's a range of entertaining alternatives to exercise. Anything good for us seems usually seems less appealing than the prospect of sugary snacks and doomscrolling. But there are a few experts hoping to change that. NHS surgeon Dr Karan Rajan is on a mission to make healthier options more accessible for the masses. He uses his medical expertise to simplify the science of wellbeing, then provide low-cost, actionable advice people can benefit from – and his approach is working. Dr Rajan has amassed more than five million Tiktok followers and recently released his first book, This Book May Save Your Life, which contains a collection of 'everyday health hacks to worry less and live better'. He has a theory as to why his videos and the concept for this book are so popular. 'Healthcare systems in most countries have flaws,' Dr Rajan tells The Independent. 'It's harder to see a healthcare professional in some cases, particularly for chronic diseases. It's also expensive if you are going down the private route. People are realising that prevention is a cheaper, more effective longer-term solution for health than treatment when burdened with disease.' Nutrition and gut health are areas his audience are particularly interested in, Dr Rajan adds, explaining: '[Both are] often easy to action but also poorly understood.' Perhaps as a consequence of this, one of his favourite health hacks is a remarkably simple three-ingredient recipe that can support muscle maintenance and gut health. This is how to make it. How to make Dr Karan Rajan's three-ingredient gut health snack Ingredients: Raspberries, 80g Chia seeds, one tbsp Kefir yoghurt, 250g 'This is a great combo that's high in fibre, protein and the three Ps; prebiotics, probiotics and polyphenols,' says Dr Rajan. To make it, start by microwaving 80g of frozen raspberries for 30 seconds, then mashing them to your 'desired level of chunkiness'. 'A dark red colour tells you they're a rich source of the antioxidant anthocyanin,' Dr Rajan adds in the video above. 'This supports beneficial microbes in your gut, and this [amount of raspberries] also contains 5g of fibre.' Next, stir in one tablespoon of chia seeds until you achieve a consistency you're happy with. 'Just one tablespoon of chia seeds is enough to thicken the mixture to a jam-like consistency,' Dr Rajan continues. 'It also has five grams of fibre and mucilage your gut bacteria can ferment to nourish your colon.' At this point, you can add an optional dollop of honey for extra sweetness. Then the mixture is ready to use as a jam, or a topping for yoghurt – kefir yoghurt is preferred for bonus gut health perks–to enjoy an added protein hit. Why fibre should be at the forefront of your food plans We all know that protein has played a starring role in the nutrition world for the past few years, and for good reason. This macronutrient fills a wide variety of vital functions, including building and repairing bodily tissues such as muscle. But Dr Rajan says fibre should also be a key consideration in the make-up of your plate. In fact, he goes so far as to say eating more fibre is the health hack that offers the greatest return on investment for most people. 'Both protein and fibre are essential,' he says. 'There are plenty of foods and meal combos where you can get both, but if I had to over-index on one, it would be fibre. 'I'd say the average person probably consumes enough protein and nowhere near enough fiber,' Dr Rajan continues. The recommended daily allowance for dietary fibre is 30g for adults, but most people currently manage less than 20g, seeing them miss out on plenty of health benefits. 'When it comes to human physiology, there [aren't many processes] fibre isn't involved in, either directly or indirectly. Its benefits include regulating hormones, metabolism, appetite, the gut microbiome, mood, bowels and more.'
The Independent
37 minutes ago
- The Independent
Everyone is talking about calisthenics – here's a 4-week strength training plan (no gym membership required)
To many, strength training is an intimidating term, conjuring up images of muscle-bound bodybuilders and sweat-scented gyms. But as ever-more research reinforces the practice's many benefits, for those of all ages and fitness levels, a growing number of people are looking to try it out. If you fall into this camp, calisthenics – a kit-free training method which leverages your own body weight as resistance – is an accessible option you can do from the comfort of your living room. And we have a four-week plan for absolute beginners to help you get started. 'Calisthenics helps people get stronger in more planes of movement, and uses movement patterns that are more relevant to everyday life,' says Dr Athalie Redwood-Brown, a senior lecturer in performance analysis of sport at Nottingham Trent University, who also owns a gym and has founded the FiiT For Life charity. Every time you sit in a chair, you're performing a squat of sorts. Bending down to tie your shoelaces is tantamount to a lunge, and the process of picking yourself up from the floor often starts with a form of press-up. For this reason, Redwood-Brown says calisthenics training can allow people to 'live life better'. 'You're creating all of these lovely neurological pathways which then allow us to do everyday activities better,' she continues. This strengthens the body, leaving it less prone to injury, while also improving balance and coordination. It can also help combat sarcopenia – the age-related loss of strength, muscle and function in the body. If these attributes sound enticing, read on for a beginner calisthenics programme from Redwood-Brown, as well as her top tips on how to get started. A four-week beginner calisthenics plan Perform each of the three workouts below once per week – a schedule placing day one on a Monday, day two on a Wednesday and day three on a Friday often works well. Repeat this cycle for four weeks in total, using the progression options below to gradually increase the difficulty of the workouts week-on-week. Redwood-Brown adds that working with an experienced trainer is the best way to get started, but this is a good system for beginners to introduce their body to regular movement and lay solid foundations of strength and mobility. If you already have some training experience, you might want to consider introducing weights into your workouts for an added challenge with this experienced strength coach's weekly workouts. Day one Day two Exercise Sets Reps Rest between sets Chair squat (sit in a chair in a controlled manner, then stand back up) 3 12 60 seconds Standing calf raise (come on to your toes, then lower your heels back to the floor) 3 15 60 seconds Standing hip circles 2 10 in each direction 60 seconds Forward fold with arm swings (hinge at the hips to let your arms hang towards the floor, then sway them gently from side to side – only lower as far as you feel comfortable) 1 60 seconds 60 seconds Day three Exercise Sets Reps Rest between sets Marching in place (high knees optional) 1 60 seconds 60 seconds Wall sit (place your back against a wall and slide your hips down as far as is comfortable – the lower your hips, up to 90 degrees, the more challenging the exercise) 3 20 seconds 60 seconds Side lunge (assume a wide stance, shift your weight to one side while bending that knee, then return to standing – hold a chair for support if needed ) 3 6 each side 60 seconds Bird dog (start on all fours, extend your right arm and left leg until they are parallel with the floor, return to all fours, then repeat on the other side) 3 10 in total 60 seconds How to progress these workouts The body reacts to better handle the challenges we consistently set it, so calisthenics can make our body function better both internally and externally; think improved heart health, lower risk of chronic diseases, more robust joints and increased physical capacity. However, this also means that if you want to see continued positive adaptations from exercise, you need to progress the difficulty of your workouts over time in line with your increasing fitness levels. Luckily, Redwood-Brown's instructions cover this. 'To keep improving, you can use simple tweaks,' she says. 'Each week, you can increase the reps by two or three for each exercise, or add one extra set per move – for example, doing four sets of incline press-ups rather than three. 'You can also increase the amount of time you hold the planks and wall-sits by five to 10 seconds each week.' The final option is to increase the resistance. For the incline press-ups, this can be achieved by lowering your hands from a wall to a kitchen counter to a table or bench – the lower the hands, the more challenging the exercise. You can also add light resistance bands, or even use tins of beans as makeshift dumbbells, to make exercises such as the glute bridges, squats and side lunges more challenging. How to get the most out of calisthenics training The term calisthenics stems from the ancient Greek words kallos, meaning beauty, and sthenos, meaning strength. The name roughly means 'beautiful strength', and for the practice to be successful, there has to be an emphasis on moving well. 'The fundamental [of strength training] is to move well,' Redwood-Brown says. 'Then you can move well with load, and then you can move well with load faster.' To practise this, she recommends considering the quality of your movements in everyday life. 'When you sit down on the sofa, I want you to think about how you move,' says Redwood-Brown. 'Imagine you have a £50 note between your bum cheeks [and squeeze them], because that means you sit up taller, you engage your core a little bit more and you use your bum muscles a little bit more. 'For a lot of people, they don't want to go to a gym until they feel that they can actually move with confidence. All of these [calisthenics] movements are fundamentals.' Alongside moving well, the other most important factor for seeing results from your calisthenics workouts is consistency. 'People think it needs to be super hard from the start and they need to go from zero to 100 immediately,' says Redwood-Brown. 'But if you make small progressions, you'll see progress. It's not about who finishes the first week fastest, it's about consistency; showing up and doing it even when you don't want to.' This isn't to say the workouts shouldn't feel challenging. As mentioned above, the body responds to physical stress by adapting to deal with it better over time – for example, strength training can stimulate muscle growth, improvements in mobility and the strengthening of tissues around joints such as ligaments and tendons. The important thing is to find a variation of the exercises above that suits your fitness level, allowing you to move well throughout the prescribed repetitions, but still providing a worthy test for your muscles. 'You have to 'choose your hard',' says Redwood-Brown. 'You might be in a situation now where it's hard standing up or walking to the end of the road because you're out of breath, you're overweight or you're stiff. That's not going to suddenly go away. 'We can do something hard now for a little bit, like these workouts, so that in a few months, these everyday tasks feel easier. Or, if we stay where we are, they are always going to be hard.' Benefits of calisthenics training We mentioned some of the major benefits of calisthenics training in the introduction, from building full-body strength to developing more resilient joints. But by Redwood-Brown's reckoning, we barely touched the sides. 'With exercise, and specifically calisthenics, you're actually using your own body to become resilient against things like sarcopenia, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis,' she says. 'We're going to improve our general health, cardiac health, lung function, mobility and posture. There's so much positivity to it, and you are just using your own body weight'
BBC News
38 minutes ago
- BBC News
Peterborough City Council warns people after botulism cases
People have been warned of botulism symptoms following adverse reactions to beauty procedures, a council said. Peterborough City Council has launched an investigation after receiving reports of reactions believed to be linked to private cosmetic UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the NHS have been working with the council to prohibit practitioners linked to cases from carrying out procedures until the investigation was Raj Lakshman, the director of public health for the council, said: "The impact on people when receiving cosmetic procedures involving botulinum toxin can be very severe and at worst life-threatening." The authority said the cases were not linked to any beauty or cosmetic salons in the city, but were linked to private practitioners working in their own or client's investigation was ongoing, but the council added that the evidence had suggested it was due to the use of unlicensed Botox-like products. Breathing difficulties Dr Lakshman said: "We understand that people want to have aesthetic procedures such as Botox injections."I urge those doing so to take steps to ensure the service they receive will not risk their health and make them unwell."Dr James McGowan, a consultant in health protection at UKHSA, added: "Botulism related to aesthetic procedures is rare but we are seeing cases, and they have been serious."Symptoms can take up to four weeks to develop - if you have had a recent botulinum toxin (Botox-like) treatment and are having difficulty swallowing or breathing, contact NHS 111 for further advice and seek treatment."Adverse reactions included difficulty swallowing, blurred or double vision, slurred speech and breathing difficulty requiring respiratory support. The UKHSA recommends the following precautions when choosing a cosmetic procedure:Make sure a practitioner is qualified, is wearing appropriate protective equipment and washes their hands. Practitioners should be happy to discuss their qualificationsThose seeking a procedure should be offered a consultation beforehand that covers checks for medical conditionsA consent form outlining the risks should be discussed and signed. Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
