Whereas makeup typically (but not always) comes in a little cheaper than skincare and is based more on colour theory, which makes it easier to mix and match palettes, foundations, and concealers, skincare is a more precise beast.
You can’t just swap moisturisers in and out in the same way as makeup because you need to give them time to settle into your skin. Mixing up your skincare routine too frequently can cause flare-ups, skin purging, and more, not to mention the fact you could be throwing money down the drain.
The positive thing, though, is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get the best results. In many cases, you can find a cheap skincare product that contains very similar ingredients to more expensive, luxury items. These are known as skincare dupes and we’re going to be listing the best cheap alternatives to luxury skincare on this page over the coming weeks and months.
We’ve previously done the same for the best makeup dupes in the UK – at the time of writing, you could save yourself more than £320 by swapping premium makeup for our as-good, cheaper versions.
mamabella tip: When comparing like-for-like with skincare dupes, take a look at the price per 100ml. Sometimes, premium brands sell skincare in bigger pots which makes it seem a lot more expensive, yet the price per 100ml may not be all that different.
Also bear in mind that sometimes cheaper skincare contains lower concentrations of ingredients, and can be thinner in consistency. This means that you may use more over a shorter period of time to get the same effect. If you’re having to buy two pots of the cheaper cream instead of one more expensive pot that lasts longer, it can be a false economy.