I’m an anti-aging specialist — three budget beauty trends that are worth the hype, the last is all about your lashes
SCROLLING through social media, there seems to be a new viral beauty trend every day – with no discernible way to pick out the good from the bad.
James Kojian, a board-certified anti-aging specialist, has revealed what he believes to be the most cost-efficient and effective anti-aging trends to The U.S. Sun.
If you’re on a budget and don’t want to waste your money or time on frills and potential garbage, the doctor kept it real with what he believed his patients should prioritize for better skin and health.
TIP NO. 1: HAVE YOUR SUNBLOCK GAME ON LOCK
The doctor explained that one of the best affordable anti-aging trends is prevention and that means sunscreen is key.
“I keep mine in my car and it’s incredible because it’s a stick,” said Dr. Kojian.
When it comes to brands, he emphasized that the best sunscreen is the one that you’ll use every day.
For him, stick form is just what’s easiest.
“You don’t have to get lotion on your hands, you don’t have to do anything, you just apply it once a day because it’s SPF 70 and it’s strong,” he said.
“Most people in the United States have more sun damage on the left side of their face because of the sun while driving. In England, it’s the right side.
“This absolutely prevents that and it takes what? Seven seconds.”
Tip No. 2: Don’t be scared of retinoids
“The secret to beautiful skin for the last 20 to 30 years is Retin-A,” Dr. Kojian added.
While retinoids can often only be acquired via a prescription from a medical provider, the specialist explained there were easy alternatives.
“The over-the-counter equivalent to Retin A is retinol,” he said.
“And a really good company, that they sell at Walgreens and most pharmacies, is ROC.
“ROC is inexpensive for those on a budget,” he said, pointing to ROC’s Retinol Correxion Line, $27.
“You just put your sunblock on during the day, you put your ROC on at night, and in three to four months, you’re gonna see a very inexpensive, beautiful transformation of your skin.”
Tip No. 3: Focus on the eyes
“People don’t understand the benefit of eyelashes and how they make their eyes pop,” Kojian said.
He explained that, while lash extensions may provide incredible temporary results, the beauty treatment is expensive, time-consuming, and can be damaging to the natural lashes.
The expert recommended investing time and a bit of money in a different route instead.
He said: “Latisse is the only FDA-approved serum that absolutely explodes your eyelashes, some people have to cut them because they get so long.”
While Latisse is also a prescription-only product, Kojian said there were many accessible, affordable, and effective lash serums on the market, including a brand he personally saw at Costco for just $11 a tube.
“The proper solution to that is there’s tons of very good and effective eyelash serums,” he said.
“I always tell my patients, ‘Everyone’s on a budget, invest your aesthetic dollars in your eyes.'”