How To: Clean Beauty on a Budget

Written By Ashlee Springer

Hey there, budget babes! I see you! One of the biggest barriers for most people trying to get into the clean beauty space is the cost of products! I started my clean beauty journey working part time at a start-up, so I've been there and I understand the struggle! 

You want better for you and your household, but you also want to buy responsibly! In this post I’m sharing some of the best tips and tricks I have for making clean beauty feel more affordable and manageable. Just like in the world of conventional beauty, there are products in all price ranges (from drugstore to high end and luxury!). In the end doing clean beauty on a budget is all about taking your time by replacing products slowly, budgeting intentionally, and getting creative! 

Shop Your Shelf

This first tip I actually mentioned in my "Where To Shop Clean Beauty” blog post a few posts back, but I thought it was the perfect place to start! If you’re on a budget, what better way to spend $0 on clean makeup than to open up your cabinet or makeup bag and evaluate if anything you buy is undercover clean. Download the Think Dirty app or go online to the EWG Skin Deep Database (build your own report) and get to examining  your own products. You may discover that some of the products you’re using aren’t as bad as you originally thought. 

Don’t worry about throwing anything out just yet! The best way to get into clean beauty is nice and slow. Make small swaps and buy the best version of clean that you can afford! Split your products into categories - products that you can keep using and products you need to replace ASAP based on their rating or the research you do on ingredients. This will give you a priority list for what needs to be replaced more urgently,  which will come in nice and handy in the next tip below.

Make a Budget

I know this sounds like basic advice, but I promise it’s anything but that! Most people typically have a mental budget, but they don’t have one physically written down or somewhere where everything is organized like in an online budgeting tool or excel spreadsheet. I highly encourage you to make a physical budget (even if it’s on good old fashion pen and paper) and make makeup, beauty, or personal care items a line item. If you have a partner, loop your partner in too! 

Having a budget will give you a good sense of where your money is going, what is left over, and the freedom to account for purchases you intend to make. You may have to do a little research and planning for what you’re wanting to buy, but that’s okay. Budgeting gives you the freedom to evaluate each month!

A great way to make clean beauty part of your budget is by understanding what you’re wanting to buy, swap, or replace. If you’re not sure what that is specifically - you might look at your buying history and account for a rough estimate of how much a beauty product you could see yourself buying might cost! If you’re wanting something really expensive, you may need to put aside money each month until you can save up and that is a-okay. 

In my opinion, making a budget where you are building in the funds and accounting for small, clean swaps each month is one of the best ways to make sure you actually replace your old products! It keeps it intentional and keeps you from giving in and buying what you always!

Set The Price Filter

This is advice I still need to take myself, but if you only have $50 to spend, don’t look at products over $50. Most websites have price filters and ways to sort their selection from “Lowest Price.” Use these to help narrow down products that within reach.

Am I saying not to dream? Am I saying that you shouldn’t plan for products you want to buy eventually? No! Heck no! Definitely not. BUT what I am saying is that when you’re trying to stick within your budget, looking at products that are out of reach can be very distracting and leave you feeling deflated. I promise, there is always going to be something beautiful, fun, and shiny beyond the price threshold you’re at and tempting yourself is no fun. 

Do price research, yes. Knowing which brands are affordable and luxury is going to be helpful. Do product research, yes. Getting familiar with what products are out there and available can help you see which ones you may want to invest in. However, when it comes time to make a buying decision and hit “add to cart” use those price filters my friend!

Multipurpose and Frequent Use Products

I personally love products that are really worth their weight in gold and can do more than one thing! The best way to get the bang for your buck on a product is if it can do more than one thing in your beauty routine. For example a lipstick and gloss combo, a lip and cheek balm, a blush and highlighter duo, an eye palette that you can create tons of looks with, a bronzer that you could use as an eyeshadow, an eye polish that doubles as highlighter! You get the idea.

Products that you use frequently are great ones to invest in and put your budget towards. If you wear foundation and rarely wear eyeshadow, it doesn’t make sense to spend money on items you will rarely use (even if they’re fun, pretty, unique, and you actually like them). Making sure you get your staples down first, is most important. What can you not live without? What products are important to you? Start there and work backwards!

Samples & Travel Sizes

Samples are one of the best ways to “try before you buy” at little to no cost! When I was first switching over, samples were life lines for me! I got to sample so many products for a fraction of the cost and it helped be sure that I really loved the product before I made the commitment to buying it. 

Sampling can be great if you are looking to match your old conventional favorites in color and texture, too! It’s also perfect, if you’re on the hunt for foundation or another product you may have to color match. My favorite things to sample are foundation, concealer, lipstick, and skin care products! 

Brands and clean beauty retailers alike usually offer samples and even better, they often include samples when you buy something from them online! Also, don’t miss out on in-person samples at Sephora, Ulta, and other beauty retailers. If you have a clean or green beauty store in your hometown, also check there! I’m sure they’d be happy to let you sample! 

Not totally sold on samples? Try out mini or travel sizes of products! I love getting travel size versions of mascaras, skin care, lip products, and more!

Sample Programs + Minis

Beauty Boxes

I also mentioned this tip in my Where To Shop For Clean Beauty blog post, but it’s worth mentioning here again! If you’re looking to try new products, trying several products, and trying them consistently, then you will love subscribing to a clean beauty box! It’s a great way to try a lot of products at a lower cost overall than if you would’ve paid for each item individually.

Best of all? So many boxes have different subscription lengths, so you’re not locked in forever. Most boxes will also give you discounts if you’re willing to pay for more months upfront! 

Sales

Last, but not least, getting your item on sale is another a great way to get clean on a budget! My best advice would be to follow the retailers and brands that you’re most interested in on social media and subscribe to their newsletter. Most brands have a welcome offer or discount when you subscribe to receive their marketing! 

Often, email subscribers will receive first access to new launches and will know about sales first! If you’re not into the idea of subscribing to a ton of newsletters (don’t worry I don’t blame you!), use the site Milled to stay up to date on your brand’s latest emails. It’s like being a subscribing, but without everything coming into your inbox. You can use a browser extension for sites like RetailMeNot and Honey to find available discount codes.

Another pro-tip is to lookout for sales around long weekends and holidays! Yes, there is Black Friday and Cyber Monday…but there are so many other holidays out there brands will have sales on!  Plan accordingly! Even small days like “National Margarita Day” could prompt a sale! 

Seasonally speaking, watch brands to see when they are turning over their products for a new season. They may be getting rid of a seasonal specific item (think Christmas themed packaging), exclusive item (collabs), weird size  (jumbos or minis), and or product that hasn’t moved and may be expiring soon!

Keep an eye out for when brands decide to re-brand, change their logo, update a formula (it’ll be advertised as “new and improved formula!” or “now 10x more…”) or update the look of their packaging! Usually, retailers will be looking to get rid of the old formula/packaging/logo at a discounted rate even though there is nothing wrong with the product inside! P.S. - you can find a lot of that type of thing at TJMaxx and Marshalls!

Ashlee Springer
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