We spoke to five women about the products they swear by and how much they spend to keep their skin on point.
Although skincare isn’t cheap, it’s non-negotiable for many Nigerian women. But with prices driven up by inflation and fake products flooding the market, how much does it really cost to maintain good skin?
“My current stash is worth ₦350K, and 70% comes from PR packages.” — JRuqayyah, 23, Skincare Content Creator.
I started taking skincare seriously to fix my hyperpigmentation in 2020. My face was sunburnt and several shades darker than my body, and people in my school never let me forget it. It wasn’t a great feeling, but I also had no clue what to do about it.
Then Covid happened, and TikTok put me on to proper skincare. I started a basic routine: cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen. Over time, I built a structured routine and learned what worked for my combination (oily and dry) skin.
When I returned to school after the COVID-19 lockdown, the results were clear — my face was brighter, and I felt more confident in my skin.
By 2023, I started creating skincare content on TikTok. I currently have 9.2K followers and over 285K total likes. Because of this, I’ve received PR packages from over 10 international brands, including Anua, Centella, Purito, Heimish, Kaine, and Mixsoon.
This has significantly reduced my skincare costs, but I still buy products when necessary.
How Much I Spend (₦350k/ As needed)
My last personal skincare haul in January 2025 cost me ₦120K. I bought the Uncover On-the-Go & Essential Set, Skin Aqua Sunscreen, Hatomugi Body Sunscreen and B.Lab Matcha Cleanser.
At one point, I had up to 100 products from PR packages, but I had used up most of them by December 2024.
My current stash is worth around ₦350K, though 70% comes from PR packages.
Here’s a cost breakdown of some products in my stash:
- Uncover on-the-go kit (3 in 1) → ₦23,580
- Uncover Essentials (3 in 1) → ₦44,100
- Azelaic acid gel 20% → ₦9,300
- Beauty of Joseon Eye Serum → ₦17,000
- Centella Toner → ₦19,200
- Centella cleansing oil → ₦23,000
- Abib Eye Collagen patch → ₦48,528
- Anua Heartleaf clear pad→ ₦23, 200
- Anua niacinamide → ₦25,800
- Centella Sunstick → ₦21,000
- Centella ampoule → ₦16,500
- Purito Wonder Releaf → ₦22,500
- Centella Poremising Clay Stick Mask → ₦13,500
- Skin Aqua → ₦17,500
- Hatomugi body sunscreen → ₦14,100
- B.lab matcha cleanser → ₦10,900
- Total → ₦349,708
Shopping for skincare in Nigeria isn’t easy—some products are hard to find, and fake products are everywhere. Inflation and high exchange rates have also made everything more expensive and less accessible. To avoid counterfeits, I buy directly from brands or verified vendors like Teeka4, BeautyHut, BeautybyDaz, and BuyBetter. Skincare isn’t cheap, but healthy skin is worth every naira.
“I’d rather spend my feeding money on skincare. As long as my skin is giving, forget the money.” — Becca, 18, Student
I couldn’t stand looking at my face in the mirror when I was 15 years old. I had acne, textured skin, and open pores, and I was truly disgusted by myself. I knew I could look better if I took skincare seriously.
I tried every DIY remedy I found on the internet: honey and sugar scrubs, toothpaste, turmeric and honey, and rice water. Nothing worked. The breakouts wouldn’t stop, and my skin got worse. I ultimately had to see a dermatologist, who recommended my new routine. From then on, I went all in on proper skincare.
Let’s talk about the real problem—skincare is expensive. I spend about ₦105k every six months, and my dad is over it. He nearly lost his mind when he saw me buy a ₦22k Neutrogena face wash. He keeps reminding me that my mum also had skin problems in uni, but she didn’t spend all her parents’ money trying to fix them. But he doesn’t understand that I can’t stop now. Skincare has me in a toxic chokehold.
How Much I Spend (₦105k/ Twice a year)
Here’s a cost breakdown of products I buy every six months:
- Neutrogena Face Wash → ₦22,000
- Skin by Zaron Toner → ₦26,000
- Panoxyl Face Wash → ₦20,000
- Terminator Benzoyl Peroxide → ₦11,000
- Black Girl Sunscreen → ₦21,000
- Cotton Pad for Toner → ₦5,000
- Total → ₦105,000
Finding these products in Nigeria is another struggle; some products are impossible to find, and when you do, the prices make you question your life choices. I don’t get every product I need in the supermarket, so I order online or buy from overpriced beauty stores.
I’d rather spend my feeding money on skincare. As long as my skin is giving, forget the money. Now, people compliment my skin all the time. When I fix my lashes or nails, everything just pops differently. I used to have severe acne; now, I only have textured skin, and I know that’ll clear up soon, too. Whenever I feel a breakout coming, I just slap on some Terminator, and that’s the end of the story.
I know I’m stuck with skincare forever. If I go a few days without my routine, my skin starts to break out, and that’s when I remember I can’t afford to slack off. I do my routine once a day because, let’s be real, I only bathe once a day. The economy is hard, and I’m managing my products. But even with that, every penny I spend is worth it.
Skincare has changed my life, but it’s eating my money. No effort is wasted, though— it’s all for my own good.
“My skin went from “I’ve had better days” to “Is that a glowing angel?”—Faizah, 21, Policy Research Specialist & Writer.
My skin used to be perfect, and I didn’t even know anything about skincare. I was just minding my business with Dudu Osun and Vaseline.
Fast forward to my first year of uni, my hormones switched up, and hormonal acne hit me with full force. That’s when I realised I needed to take skincare seriously.
After my first hormonal flare-up, I went into full-on skincare scientist mode, desperately trying to regain my flawless skin. I tried everything: Salicylic acid, glycolic acid, mandelic acid, tretinoin, Funbact-A, and even fermented rice water. If someone on the internet swore by it, I probably tried it.
And yes, I’ve spent ridiculous amounts on my skin — at some point, I was dropping half my allowance trying to fix it. My mum even took me to a doctor, who prescribed birth control pills to manage my hormones. But I suck at taking medication, so I just went back to Dudu Osun, vitamin C serum, and aloe vera gel. Somehow, my skin decided to chill.
Now, my routine is pretty basic. I realised that the fewer products I use, the more my skin thrives, so I keep it simple.
How Much I Spend (₦60k/ Month)
I shop monthly or as needed — it depends on how much time I have to pamper myself. If I’m feeling put together, it’s a monthly affair. Otherwise, I just restock when I notice a shortage or a sudden breakout crisis. My last purchase was the Arami Gluta Soap for ₦9,000.
Here’s a rundown of my most recent skincare spree:
- Revlon Natural Honey Lotion → ₦14,900
- Nivea Even Glow Body Care Lotion → ₦5,500
- Blue Seal Vaseline → ₦3,500
- Disaar Vitamin C Oil (for body) → ₦2,500
- Dudu Osun Soap → ₦900
- Arami Gluta Soap → ₦9,000
- Kojie-San Soap → ₦3,000
- Disaar Aloe Vera Gel → ₦2,000
- Dr Rashel Vitamin C Toner → ₦4,700
- Benzoyl Peroxide (Oxy 10) → ₦4,500
- Face Facts Ceramide Moisturizing Gel Cream → ₦5,000
- Estelin Tinted Sunscreen → ₦4,500
- Total → ₦60,000
The biggest game-changer for me is the Kojie-San Soap. It evened out my skin tone and made me feel more confident. Then there’s vitamin C—my personal “glow-in-a-bottle potion.” And don’t even get me started on benzoyl peroxide (OXY 10) — this one is non-negotiable.
The money, effort, and time have paid off. My skin went from “I’ve had better days” to “Is that a glowing angel?” There’s still room for improvement, but overall, I’m hitting my skin goals.
My biggest struggle is finding original products. Once I find a good plug, I stick to it like glue. I don’t betray my plug.
I used to be a Jumia loyalist. I only bought from verified stores and skimmed through the reviews like a detective looking for clues. My current plug is Skinnit; she always has everything I need.
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“My skin is brighter, my dark spots are fading, and I no longer get huge pimples.” — Sharon, 22, Content Marketer.
NYSC camp wrecked my skin. I reacted so severely to everything there—the water, the weather, the food—that I had huge breakouts everywhere. For months, I felt insecure about it. None of the random products I found worked. My last hope was to see a dermatologist, and she saved my skin.
She put me on a proper routine, and I started noticing changes. I still have acne and dark spots, and I won’t lie—I still feel insecure about them. But my skin is better than it’s been in years, and that’s progress.
How Much I Spend ( ₦80k/ As needed)
I don’t have a set restock schedule. If something finishes and I have the money, I buy it. Some months, I mostly spend ₦80k, sometimes more, sometimes less. My last haul included:
- Nivea Moisturizer → ₦5,000
- Panoxyl Benzoyl Peroxide Face Wash → ₦20,000
- Simple Toner → ₦5,000
- Dr Rashel Niacinamide/Alpha-Arbutin → ₦5,000
- Skin Aqua Sunscreen → ₦13,000
- Azelaic Acid → ₦14,000
- Face Cleanser → ₦10,000
- Rice Soap → ₦1,500
- Nizoral Cream → ₦6,000
- AloeVera Gel → ₦4,500
- Pei Mei Hyaluronic Acid → ₦3,500
- Total → ₦88,000
My skin is brighter, my dark spots are fading, and I no longer get huge pimples. But the cost, the struggle to find original products, and the stress drive me crazy.
“I should have just seen an aesthetician from the jump instead of wasting money on trial and error.” —Maryam, 22, UX Designer.
I’ve had oily, sensitive, acne-prone skin since I was 13, and every breakout leaves a dark spot. I tried everything — Oriflame, turmeric, honey — but nothing worked. By 19, I started getting facials at a spa, and they sold me “organic” skincare.
A year later, I switched to Lemonskinco, another skincare brand I found on Instagram that seemed even more natural. I’d spend up to ₦50k at once without really knowing what these products were doing to my skin.
The first week without the spa’s “organic” products was a disaster. I broke out badly, my skin felt paper-thin, and the dark spots worsened. Luckily, my mum had an aesthetician, so I followed her to an appointment. That’s when I learned I had topical steroid withdrawal from the products I’d been using. I had no clue what it meant, but that was my wake-up call. My aesthetician took me back to the basics: cleanser, moisturiser, sunscreen. My skin recovered. But the hyperpigmentation remained.
In January 2023, she recommended a chemical peel, which cost ₦50k. However, I had to prep my skin with Tretinoin for a month before I could do it. I was nervous because I’d seen intense chemical peel reactions online, and no one I knew had done it. But I trusted her.
The first peel made a huge difference, but I wasn’t consistent with Tretinoin and sunscreen, so my hyperpigmentation relapsed. I needed three treatments, and after the last one, which cost ₦105k in December 2024, I finally committed to my routine. I gave away all my random products and stuck to what worked.
Looking back, I should have just seen an aesthetician from the jump instead of wasting money on trial and error. A consultation back then was only ₦5k, and skin issues that could have taken six months to clear would have been gone in one or two.
I’ve figured out my skin problems: mild acne and hyperpigmentation. My main treatment is Tretinoin, and my routine is simple. I use a cleanser, toner, moisturiser, and sunscreen. On some days, I apply alpha arbutin; on other days, I use an AHA/BHA exfoliant and snail mucin for extra hydration.
How Much I Spend (₦50k/ Thrice a year)
I shop for skincare three times a year and prioritise quality over quantity. For example, I once bought a ₦7k Simple cleanser (100ml) that lasted two months, but when I spent ₦15k on a CeraVe foaming cleanser (473 ml), it lasted ten months, which was a better value for money. Some products last longer than others, so I don’t buy everything at once.
My last skincare haul in January cost:
- Acwell Licorice pH Cleanser → ₦17,500
- Face Facts Ceramide Moisturising Cream → ₦6,999
- La Roche-Posay Sunscreen → ₦19,500
- Tretinoin Gel → ₦5,600
- Total → ₦49,600 + ₦7,000 delivery → ₦58,000
I don’t mind the prices because these products cost almost twice as much on their official websites due to the naira-dollar rates. So, I buy from verified vendors who ship in bulk, and it’s totally worth it.
Skincare has been an emotional rollercoaster for me. It’s frustrating to spend so much money on products and still break out. But now, I know what works, and my skin is in a much better place.
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