Skincare routine under R500: what to buy first

Why start with only two products?

Washing and sunscreen cover the basics for every skin type. A third product helps once those are a habit. Starting with five products makes it hard to tell what's working, and harder to tell what caused a reaction.

The AAD recommends broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher for everyone.^[1] CANSA recommends SPF 20 to 50 for South Africans, higher for fair skin.^[2] Sunscreen is the product you'll go through fastest, so leave room in the budget for it.

Starter combinations

Skin	Cleanser	Sunscreen	Total
Oily or acne-prone	A'PIEU Deep Clean Bubble Foam - 200ml R80	A'Pieu Pure Block Aqua Sun Gel 50ml R140	R220
Dry	A'PIEU Deep Clean Cleansing Milk 130ml R130	A'PIEU Pure Block Natural Daily Suncream Light SPF50+ PA++++ - 50ml R123	R253
Cheapest overall	A'PIEU Deep Clean Bubble Foam - 200ml R80	A'PIEU Pure Block Natural Daily Suncream Light SPF50+ PA++++ - 50ml R123	R203

Prices above come from the product cards on this site, with the source and the date we checked. Import prices from YesStyle, Stylevana, StyleKorean and Jolse are converted from US dollars and don't include shipping, VAT or duties. Check your cart total before paying.

How to pick between them

If your skin is oily or breaks out

Choose a foaming or salicylic cleanser and a fluid sunscreen. The oily-skin routine and acne-prone routine go into more detail.

If your skin is dry

Choose a cream cleanser and a cream or serum sunscreen. You may want a moisturiser before a serum. See the dry-skin routine.

Month two: add one serum

A niacinamide serum is the cheapest useful add-on for most people. It helps oil, texture and dark marks. Read the niacinamide guide before you buy.

Where to save, and where not to

Save on cleanser. It's on your face for 30 seconds. A basic one is fine.
Don't save on sunscreen texture. If you hate how it feels, you won't wear it, and an unused R150 sunscreen is worse value than a R400 one you wear daily.
Skip toners, mists and eye creams for now. They're the easiest to drop.

Making products last

A 50 ml face sunscreen at the right amount (two finger-lengths) lasts about six to eight weeks. A 150 ml cleanser lasts around three months at twice a day. Budget for sunscreen every second month.

CANSA says not to use opened sunscreen after a year.^[2] Big bottles aren't always cheaper if you can't finish them.

Local pharmacy vs import: which is cheaper?

For one or two items, a local pharmacy is often cheaper once you add shipping. Imports win when you order several products at once and pass a free-shipping threshold, or when the product isn't sold locally at all, which is true for most Korean sunscreens. Delivery from YesStyle, Stylevana, StyleKorean and Jolse usually takes one to three weeks, and South African customs may add VAT and duty to parcels. Order before you run out.

	Local pharmacy or Takealot	Import site
Speed	Same day to a few days	One to three weeks
Extra costs	Delivery fee on small orders	Shipping, VAT and possible duty
Range	Western pharmacy brands	Korean and Japanese brands, some Western
Returns	Easy	Harder; read the shop's policy

A month-by-month plan for R500

Month 1: cleanser and sunscreen.
Month 2: a serum (niacinamide for most people, hyaluronic acid for dry skin).
Month 3: a moisturiser if your sunscreen isn't moisturising enough, or a second sunscreen.
Month 4 onwards: replace sunscreen every six to eight weeks, cleanser every three months.

Do you need a moisturiser in month one?

Not always. Many face sunscreens are moisturising enough for normal and oily skin in the morning. At night, oily skin can often go without. Dry skin needs a moisturiser early; if that's you, swap the serum in month two for a cream and add the serum in month three.

How to tell a product isn't working

Give a new product four weeks unless it burns, itches or causes a rash. If after six to eight weeks you can't see a difference in a photo taken in the same light, stop buying it and try the next step. Keep one change per month so you can tell what's doing what.

Products worth paying more for later

Once the basics are covered, the product most people regret buying cheaply is sunscreen. If yours feels greasy or leaves a cast, you'll stop wearing it. That's the one to upgrade first. Serums are the next most useful upgrade, but only once you know what you're treating: oil, dryness, breakouts or dark marks. Our oily, dry and acne-prone guides help you work out which.

Expensive cleansers, toners and eye creams rarely justify their price. Spend there last, if at all.

Free habits that help as much as products

Wash your face with lukewarm water, not hot.
Pat dry with a clean towel; change it every few days.
Take makeup off every night.
Wear a hat outdoors between 10am and 4pm, as CANSA advises.^[2]
Don't pick at spots.^[3]

None of these cost anything.

Gifts and travel sizes

Travel sizes look cheap but often cost more per millilitre. They're useful for testing whether a sunscreen texture suits you before buying a full size. Gift sets can be good value if you'd use every item. If half the set is toner and eye cream, skip it.

What if you have R200?

Buy sunscreen. Wash with lukewarm water and a mild soap-free cleanser you already have, and save for a proper face wash next month. Sunscreen protects against the damage that's hardest to undo, and in South African sun it's the one product we wouldn't skip. Check the sunscreen page and sort by price, low to high, to see the cheapest options with the shipping caveat in mind.

Reading prices on this site

Each product card shows a rand price, where it came from, and the date we checked it. Import prices are converted from US dollars on that date and don't include shipping, VAT or duty, so the final cart total will be higher. Where we've found the same product on Takealot, the card shows that price too. Prices change often. The shop's own checkout is the real number. Our methodology page explains how we check them.

Who this suits

First-time buyers, teenagers starting a routine, and anyone who's bought five products and doesn't know which one is working. If you have persistent breakouts, the AAD advice is to give one treatment several weeks before changing.^[3]

See every cleanser and sunscreen with photos and prices.

Quick answers

What should I buy first for skincare?

A gentle cleanser and a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher. Add a serum in month two.

Is it cheaper to buy skincare locally or import it?

For one or two items, local is often cheaper after shipping. Imports make sense for larger orders or products not sold in South Africa.

Sources

Product links go to the retailer and may earn us a commission. Prices show the source and the date we checked them. Affiliate disclosure.

A skincare routine under R500: what to buy first