The perfect skincare routine for students

By Elloise Alexander

Skincare can be expensive, but there are affordable alternatives (GettyImages)

With all the exams and study stress in college and university, it's easy for young people to forget about their skin. Caring for your skin is also tricky when the products needed are expensive, especially when living on a student budget. So, I've found the perfect skincare regime for most skin types that any gender can use, as all skincare should be accessible regardless of gender and affordable.

Clean and Clear morning energy exfoliating facial scrub is perfect for first thing in the morning. Its citrus scent and moisturising pearls make it ideal for waking you up and clearing pores while preventing breakouts. The face wash is available for around £3.99

Clean and Clear dual action daily moisturiser is perfect at keeping skin clear as it is unscented and contains salicylic acid, an exfoliant that slows shredding of cells in pores and stops clogging, blackheads, breakouts and uneven skin. Available for purchase at ASDA for £3.

During summer, switching to Simple Protecting Light Moisturiser is best as it's a no-nolly hypoallergenic formula with SPF 15 while not feeling like regular sun cream. Note that this is not an alternative to protection from prolonged sun exposure. Available at Sainsbury for £3.50.

Using a moisturiser is sometimes not enough to keep skin soft, so using a serum is helpful to maintain smooth and soft skin. A serum is a high-concentration moisturiser (especially if using a product containing salicylic acid, which has a slight drying effect when it keeps pores unclogged). Beauty Formulas Hyaluronic moisturising serum is the best and cheapest serum available for £1.89.

No matter what age or skin condition, spots and pimples are inevitable. Hydrocolloid patches have become famous and even a fashion statement, with the Star Patches brand offering multi-coloured stars and hearts. Still, it's too costly to cover just one pimple. The most cost-effective patches are Dermav10 spot patches with tea trees. They are invisible and do the same thing as the expensive brands. Packs of 24 are available for £1.

Garnier gel face wash is the perfect choice for removing makeup, especially if you don't have the energy to use a remover and wash makeup off. The gel has micellar cleansing agents which specialise in lifting off makeup. It is also fragrance-free, branded and not too fancy. Available in Boots for £2.66.

For those who prefer using a makeup remover, Primark's brand micellar water with vitamin E (an antioxidant that will help protect your skin from damage) is perfect, as you get 500ml for £2.

Another good facial wash is Formulas vitamin E foaming facial wash, it is ideal for your night time routine with its relaxing, nostalgic, lavender, and almost talcum powder-esque sleepy scent. The wash is an excellent accompaniment for a Radox bath, which is available for £1.

This is the perfect routine for clearer, natural skin. It's multi-seasonal, and you can get all these products for under £20 if you shop around.