It hit me, like a rock falling from the sky. Not a little pebble, but a big huge rock. I turned 30 in March of 2018, and I thought I had plenty of time to transition into my 30-year-old skincare routine. I had to time do research, sample, lallygag on everything having to do with this new decade.

Well not so much. It was almost instant that my skin and its normalcy changed. I was definitely one of those girls who most days took my makeup off with a cleansing wipe before bed, and my BB cream I used had SPF in it, which definitely counted as trying really hard.

Now, six months into my 30's I wish I had done more preventative care. But I didn't, and now I am working with what I have and taking necessary steps to have to healthiest skin possible. I also know that skin care can be expensive, but I am also in a transition period of life where I started a new career, so these are all budget friendly.

Below are 5 of my must-have skin care products for your skin care routine in your 30's when ballin' on a budget:

1.Micellar Water- my favorite is Simple Cleansing Micellar Water, it is only about $10 buckaroos and can be found at most drugstores. It is not fragranced, and I find my skin stays pretty hydrated for most of the day.

2. White Chia Seed Oil- This is a new addition to the routine as I had no idea this even existed, friend and Nashville Based Celebrity Makeup Artist, Angela Wood told me this is her must have twice a day: morning and night application. Chia seed oil is the richest botanical source of omega-3s, which is a massive combatant of inflammation (i.e., the dreaded puffy under eye bags that have somehow developed for me overnight). It also serves as a significant barrier in helping keep moisture in your skin, the largest organ. As a bonus, it has been shown to help with itchy dry skin that can be associated with other more significant health issues like kidney disease and PCOS. Just like every other skin care product, there is a wide variety of brands and price points. For my budget-friendly self, I like using Botanical Beauty, and it can be found on Amazon for about $13.

3. Due to my self-destructive 20-year-old self, I have now started to take preventive measures towards my existent wrinkles, and I have found my favorite product to help do that for me overnight because let's be real I am still lazy after I brush my teeth. My go-to anti-wrinkle night serum is Derma-E. It contains Vitamin A which helps promote the creation of healthy skin cells. It also contains Vitamin E which soothes and protects against damage. It is also infused with a whole bunch of other natural ingredients that help decrease inflammation and even your skin tone and texture. It can be found on many online websites for about $15.

4. So you may be asking yourself, "This girl is talking about a lot of moisturizing products but where are the actual daily moisturizers?" Well here is your answer for that one and you get abonus because I rotate between 2 types every week. My first favorite is a little bit on the pricier side, but my argument is that it is a 5 in 1 so I am definitely getting more bang for my buck. I absolutely love First Aid Beauty's  5 in 1 Face Cream. There are 5 active ingredients as stated on the bottle, that help reduce wrinkles, even skin tone, protect from the sun, nourishes and combats free radicals. All leaving your skin looking younger and vibrant. I mean, who wouldn't want that. You can find this at many beauty supply stores for about $40. My other favorite is Perricone MD Photo-Brightening Moisturizer. It is also has a higher budget then I would like, but it is worth every penny. I have been a fan of Perricone MD for years, but it was also a splurge product so I never consistently used it, until now. This moisturizer not only has SPF, which I believe in thoroughly as one of the most essential ingredients everyone should have on your face, but it also has had quick visible results in brightening and tightening my face. You can actually feel it working on your face the minute you put it on. It is like a photo filter for real life. You can find this fantastic product at most beauty stores for around $70.

5. For my last product which I newly became obsessed with is Arbonne's Genius Ultra Nightly Resurfacing Pads… yes, I said Arbonne. These things have seriously changed my skin over the last six months. A friend of mine suggested I give them a try and all I could think about was ugh, but I don't want to go to an Arbonne Party. Those parties always left a bad taste in my mouth like I was trying to be sold on just living. But holy c**p was I wrong about it. These nightly pads dramatically reduced my sun spots (I was a California Lake Rat) and have reduced my dryness and fine lines. I can actually see it work right after I use it. It includes active ingredients like Phytinol and Retinoids that help with discoloration and wrinkles.  Because of the what I think of as the oxy pad texture and look, this product also exfoliates and gently removes makeup and dirt. You will absolutely see a difference after two weeks of consistent use. The only catch is you have to purchase these from an Arbonne representative, but I am sure if you bring this up to anyone in your life, they know someone who sells Arbonne. The Arbonne community is HUGE. As for price, it varies. Pricing changes with loyalty discounts and all that jazz. Retail is $98, but many times you can get them as a free gift with other purchases.

BONUS for the best skin care routine that I have found works absolute wonders, but I am still working on being consistent…. SLEEP!