CHEAPER ALTERNATIVES TO MY LUXURY SKINCARE FAVOURITES

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Today I'm sharing some affordable products I've tried recently that are pretty similar to my more expensive favourites. I'm not going to call it a 'dupe' post; these are products where I've looked at the ingredients, thought they seemed similar so tried them and found they gave me comparable results and had similar textures. Let's jump into the comparison...

Dr. Dennis Gross B3Adaptive SuperFoods Stress Rescue Serum* | £75 | vs.InstaNatural Niacinamide Serum| £14.95

Funny story, I actually picked up the InstaNatural product as a potential alternative to another product entirely! However, as I used it over a period of time, I noticed its similarities with the Dr. Dennis Gross formula. Dr. Dennis Gross is one of my favourite results-driven skincare brands but their products are admittedly not cheap; this serum comes in at £75 and I'm already a good way through it. The InstaNatural formula isn't the cheapest niacinamide on the market, but it is a more complex and well-rounded formula that has a similar texture and application to the DDG product. Niacinamide is a fantastic ingredient that can help regulate oil production in the skin, reduce redness and inflammation and strengthen the skin barrier. Particularly during the winter months; formulas like these two are gentle options that will also moisturise and hydrate your skin. Both formulas pair the niacinamide with hyaluronic acid to act as a magnet, drawing water into the skin, and both contain nourishing avocado oil.

The DDG formula contains lots of non-fragrant fruit and plant oils and extracts with antioxidant and moisturising benefits and does contain some more interesting ingredients like licorice (for brightening), goji berry, turmeric and mushroom extracts, but the InstaNatural formula contains an ingredient I love that the DDG formula does not; centella asiatica to calm and soothe the skin. What I really like about the Stress Rescue serum is its light, milky, non-sticky texture, and the InstaNatural formula also has this feel and application, which makes it much nicer than some of the other niacinamide gel-serums on the market. It also doesn't have the annoying 'foaming' issue that can happen with niacinamide serums. My only real negative for the InstaNatural formula is that it does contain a little lavender oil, which is a fragrant essential oil. This causes me no issues, but I do have to point it out because these sorts of ingredients can be problematic in a product directed towards compromised skin.

Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Pore Perfecting and Refining Serum* | £68 | vs.Pixi Clarity Concentrate| £26

Like I said; I love Dr. Dennis Gross and the serum in their Alpha Beta serum is one of the most transformative product in my arsenal. This serum containsallof the exfoliating acids! This means you reap benefits at every layer of your skin; you have acids that brighten the surface of the skin and even out its tone, but you also have acids that can penetrate into the pores and really clear out debris to help with breakouts. In the AHA corner we have lactic, glycolic, phytic and mandelic, in the BHA corner we have salicylic and willow bark extract (which acts like a precursor). We also have some other fantastic ingredients in here like retinol, to provide skin-smoothing benefits, hyaluronic acid to pull in water and malic acid for more exfoliation. This is an absolute powerhouse and I use it whenever I'm getting towards 'that time of the month' to clear out my congestion and breakouts. It also gives that instant brightening boost and will stop hyperpigmentation in its tracks.

我知道26英镑不是市场上最便宜的血清，但是Pixi的混合物与Dennis Gross博士的价格相当，而且价格仅超过1/4。Pixi确实做得很好的是创建更多的入门级产品，为您提供柔和配方的优质食材，这就是该产品的真正成分。它不像alpha beta那样强，它的结果并不像戏剧性的结果，但它起作用了，我确实看到了结果over time. You're getting the glycolic, the lactic, the salicylic, the willow balk and the hyaluronic in here, just like with the Alpha Beta product. Though there aren't quite as many different acids in the mix, there are some other really nice ingredients in here like licorice extract, to gently brighten, and our favourite; niacinamide. I wouldn't recommend the DDG serum for beginners and I'd still say to proceed with caution when it comes to the Pixi serum if you've never used an acid before, but if you like Glow Tonic and want to dial things up again then give Clarity Concentrate a go.

Sunday Riley Juno Superfood + Antioxidant Oil| £54 | vs.Q + A Super Food Facial Oil* | £8

As someone suffering with dry winter skin at the moment; Ineeda good face oil to give that extra nourishment and to lock in the rest of my skincare routine. Throughout last year the Sunday Riley Juno oil was my go-to; it's non-greasy, it absorbs into my skin instead of sitting on top of it and it feels luxurious but isn't full of fragrance. It contains a blend of fatty-acid and antioxidant-rich plant and fruit oils like blackberry, cranberry, broccoli, cumin, meadowfoam and more. I recently tried out the Q + A oil and couldn't help but note the similarities in texture, feel and application. There are some similar oils in here like blackcurrant, raspberry and cranberry, alongside some other great additions like jojoba, apricot kernel, sea buckthorn and prickly pear. It's still very nourishing and, whilst not quite as light and elegant, it's also free from fragrant essential oils and is a fraction of the price!

Herbivore Prism 20% AHA + 5% BHA Exfoliating Glow Facial|£53 | vs。Versed Doctor's Visit Instant Resurfacing Mask* | £16.50

我非常喜欢每周一次或两次使用强烈的去角质治疗，它对我的​​视网膜类动物来说最适合我，因为否则会有更多的交替。这样，我可以带一个晚上出去，并与一些舒缓的成分一起做酸。我最喜欢的产品之一是草食动物的面部护理，它具有这种有趣的果冻质地，由Versed Acid Mask共享，该面膜是崇拜美女（英国独家库存者Versed）的友善，可以在去年年底送达万博manbext网页版尝试。如果您知道自己的酸，您可能会知道，水杨酸只能以2％的浓度（至少在英国）以化妆品的形式出售，但实际上，食草动物的产品是用柳树树皮提取物配制的，这是水杨酸和水杨酸和更温和，所以这就是为什么您会在该产品中看到5％的原因（K-Beauty品牌也经常使用以避免在水杨酸周围进行调节，并且仍然可以使用Willow Bark制造有效的配方）。万博manbext网页版那里还有20％的AHA混合物，其中包括乙醇和乳酸。该配方含有一些不错的缓冲成分，例如芦荟，甘油和透明质酸，这将使这些酸的强度降低一些边缘，因此它们的潜在刺激性较小。这不会引起我任何发红或刺激，但我仍然将其列入“不适合初学者”类别，即使您是经验丰富的去角质剂，也会强烈建议您每周使用一次以上一次或两次。但是结果很棒。 this mask gives me my smoothest skin ever, improves clarity and gives that immediate glow boost.

Unfortunately Versed do not disclose the percentage of the active ingredients in their formula but they're high up enough on the INCI list for me to be confident that they're in a good concentration. From how this feels on the skin, I do get the impression it's a little less intense that the Herbivore product (though that obviously doesn't preclude it from being an effective formula), but at the same time it's only a 2-3 minute treatment vs. a 10-15 minute treatment, so it's kind of hard to call. What I can compare are the ingredients and the results. The Versed formula contains glycerin, as a buffer, glycolic acid, lactic acid and salicylic acid, making it comparable to Herbivore's formula. Additionally, it contains pineapple and papaya enzymes, to gently break through dead skin cells. Overall, whilst the results are not quite as dramatic as with the Herbivore version, this is still a very effective formula, making my skin feel smoother, look clearer and appear more radiant.

Have you tried any of these products?