You know you’re adulting when you realise that you’d rather spend your paycheck on skincare than makeup, right? Truth be told, we live for the first of every month, when we can finally splurge on those uber expensive skincare products; think bottles, tubs and delicious tubes of rich creams & silky serums (we’re salivating at just the thought!). However, life isn’t that kind, and sometimes, we can only pick up one product—thanks to the fancy price tag. Breaks your heart, doesn’t it?
But… if you’ve got the will, you will find a way! What makes luxury skincare products worth your money are its high quality ingredients. However, that doesn’t imply their drugstore counterparts aren’t any good. Rich, potent ingredients can also be found in budget skincare goodies too, so let’s talk about that.
Keep reading for our top luxe skincare ingredients and product reccos—all under Rs1000! You are welcome.
1. Caviar Royalty
We never met a dish topped with caviar that we didn’t like, so honestly, can you blame us for wanting it on our skin? Apart from being a (very) popular delicacy, caviar is a popular ingredient in luxury skincare, known especially for its high concentration of amino acids. Amino acids induce collagen production and cell regeneration, thereby making it an excellent candidate for anti-ageing skincare.
Nykaa Recommends: It's Skin Caviar Double Effect Mask Sheet
2. Golden Glow
Girl, we know there’s no need for us to convince you to buy skincare with gold in it, but we’re still gonna try. There are VERY FEW products with gold in it, that doesn’t cost a bomb and for good reason. It’s basically antioxidants in a bottle, that keep the free radicals at bay; plus, it also slows down the ageing process and evens out the complexion. That’s basically just hitting the skincare lottery!
Nykaa Recommends: Nykaa Skin Potion 24K Gold Facial Oil
3. A Bulgarian Rose
If you find anything (and we mean ANYTHING) with Bulgarian rose in it, you take it! Especially if it doesn’t cost a bomb. Bulgarian rose oil is one the most expensive essential oils (and turns out, it takes A LOT of roses to make it.) It’s super soothing on the skin, revitalizes it and controls excess oil, making it great for the Indian weather.
Nykaa Recommends: Juicy Chemistry 100% Organic Bulgarian Rose Water Toning Mist
4. Overachieving Kumkumadi
You always hear about Kumkumadi Thailam in Ayurveda, but did you know that it’s made from red and gold saffron. That explains the price tag, but all that hullabaloo over Kumkumadi is also because it does so many different things for your skin. It brightens the skin, prevents acne and reduces scarring, moisturises and has anti-ageing properties to name a few.
Nykaa Recommends: Inveda Kumkumadi Tailam A Beauty Secret Face Scrub
5. An AHA (And BHA) Moment
Alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs) are still upcoming skincare ingredients, and they’re usually used in luxe skincare products. They’re mild acids, but they should be used in the correct way. Both are excellent agents for exfoliation and drawing out skin impurities to reveal clean skin. The difference between the two is that AHAs exfoliate the surface of the skin, treating roughness and uneven texture, while BHAs exfoliate deeper to fight excess oil and build-up.
Nykaa Recommends: Earth Rhythm Exfoliating Face Cleanser with AHAs & BHAs
