Overspending on skin care products? These tips can save you money

Teens spend around $1.7 billion on skin care each year.

If you have teenagers, you are likely familiar with the scenario: they want the latest trending skin care products, and you end up spending a significant amount of money on items you aren’t even sure will work.

Local 4 met with dermatologist Dr. Steven Grekin at a Meijer in Southgate to help assemble a straightforward, teen-friendly acne routine that is effective without breaking the bank.

“I’ve got teenagers, they want products, but they always pick what’s popular. And I don’t know what necessarily works and I’m sick of wasting money,” said Local 4’s Karen Drew.

That set the mission: what’s effective, what’s hype, and what’s worth it.

Here are Dr. Grekin’s budget-friendly picks.

If your teen is dealing with inflamed pimples, Dr. Grekin pointed to an old-school ingredient that still delivers: benzoyl peroxide. He explained it targets acne bacteria by bringing oxygen into the pore and that bacteria can’t survive in oxygen.

Budget pick: Zapzyt Acne Gel — $4.99

Those little stickers are everywhere and yes, there’s real science behind them.

Dr. Grekin says they’re hydrocolloid patches. They help by absorbing oil/gunk and importantly keeping the area moist, which can help healing.

But the biggest surprise was price.

Dr. Grekin said the choice between patches that are $24 and the $5 Zapzyt product can be just as effective. His takeaway: patches can be useful, but you don’t have to buy the most expensive version to get the benefit.

If blackheads are the main issue, Dr. Grekin recommended Differin Gel (0.1% adapalene).

It’s a retinoid (a vitamin-A derivative) and he emphasized that this product used to be prescription-only, now it’s over the counter.

Pick: Differin Gel 0.1% — $27.99

Karen’s big concern: cleansers that strip teens’ skin and leave it dry.

Dr. Grekin agreed and also warned against harsh exfoliating scrubs, because the gritty particles can create microscopic tears in the skin, which can make irritation (and bacteria problems) worse.

He gave two budget-friendly options:

Option A: Unscented Dove bar soap — he says it works well and costs very little.

Option B: Meijer brand deep clarifying facial cleanser — he liked the ingredient list and noted it was on sale.

Meijer face cleanser — $4.49 (noted as $5.59 with 40% off in-store)

If your teen loves that “polished/extra clean” feel from a scrub, Dr. Grekin suggested a cheaper, gentler workaround:

Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda into your regular cleanser and wash your face with it.

Karen’s reaction: that’s basically the scrub effect without spending an extra $15.

At checkout, the cart had four core products:

Meijer face cleanser — $4.49

Vanicream facial moisturizer SPF 30 — $14.49