To ditch luxury brands for Aldi (or other budget) face ctram

[Absofuckinglutely]

Currently use Estée Lauder and other luxury brand face products, have done for years and yet am still ravaged by wrinkles and beset by bags, dropping, age spots, general awfulness. Bloody scandalous really, after the thousands I must have spent over the years I expected to be restored to embryonic plumpness (I didn't really, but every hopeful).
Now on a budget and having to cut back, seems ridiculous to spend £60 on a moisturiser when I could go to Aldi and get one for £6. Currently considering the Caviar range, but not sure if I'm making a mistake I will regret.
Anyone any experience of Aldi creams, and or any other budget recommendation.

Was totally unwowed by any of The Ordinary products I tried.

SPF and retin-a are the biggest things you can do for your skin.

I started using The Ordinary about a month ago and it’s really done wonders for my skin.
I use amino acid & b5 mixed with niacinimide 10% & zinc in the morning before moisturiser. In the evening I dissolve their pure vit c powder in amino acid & b5, then use the matrilyx 3000 & retinol A serum followed by night cream.
It’s quite (very) confusing to decide what to buy but www.theordinary.com/regimenguide was a great help —still quite confusing—

Try Boots no. 7 range.
Cheaper than the premium brands but much nicer than Aldi/Lidl and frequently on offer. I have very good skin, virtually wrinkle free at 41 and always go back to Boots after the odd dalliance elsewhere!

Another vote for Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre. A little goes a long way.

I like Nivea q10 moisturiser but only buy it when it's on special offer for a fiver (Sainsbury's every so often).

I'm another one who suffered with sore and watery eyes when I tried Aldi stuff.

@bellabasset I don’t suffer with dry eyes and haven’t reacted to anything before.
I still use it occasionally I just keep it away from my eyes.

We’re all so different! I think No 7 is shit. Whoever said the moisturiser is less important - apparently they’re all basically the same - and the serum and SPF are the vital products has nailed it.

I never suffered from sore or watery eyes with anything from Aldi, but I found that the caviar range was just too rich for my skin which would be normal veering towards slightly oily. I can imagine it being great for anyone with dry skin though.

I have never bothered with luxury brands for face creams and face washes. I've used the Simple range since being a teen - mainly the moisturiser and face washes, and sometimes the make up remover. Now in my mid 40s and never had issues with the skin on my face or spits, etc.

I buy Coconut oil Superdrug own it's about £2.50 lasts ages and it's great and I used to only wear Clinque...my friends say I look about 40 I am 59 and I think it's amazing

Couldn't get on with Aldi at all but it's cheap enough to not cry too much over if you don't like it.

I've got fair, dry, slightly ruddy skin and I use
Garnier micellar water followed by Superdrug radiant cleanser.
The ordinary lactic acid 2-3 times a week
Nip and fab extreme glycolic pads every other night
Superdrug radiant serum
The Ordinary squalane as a moisturiser
The Ordinary Granactive retinoid 5% every other night.

All quite cheap and my skin is great. I've also had Botox, but that just makes me look less tired rather than affects my skin in any way.

I’ve worn moisturiser containing SPF15 min daily since I was 12. I think it is that and good genes that has done it. My grandmother is 92 and has amazing skin, as does my mother at 70.
But it is hyper sensitive so I do have to be careful with what I use.

I use Boots No7 skincare, the new skin firming range is lovely, plus I use the Protect & Perfect moisturiser. It's not mega cheap but with the 3 for 2 offers it's affordable.

Nivea and Olay. Used to spend £££ on Clinique. Still like their make up though.
Also currently using some v cheap Norwegian Formula body lotion which is great.

I have added the Aldi Hot Cloth Cleanser, swapped pixi glow for the Aldi dupe and use their Cavier Day, Night and Eye Creams. I have very dry but also oily skin and the creams have definitely improved my skin.

For full disclosure my routine is as follows:
AM
Aldi Hot Cloth
Dragons Blood Serum
Cavier Eye and Day Creams

PM
Elemis Beauty Balm
Hot Cloth Cleanser
Ordinary Retinol
Vitamin C Serum
Aldi Cavier Eye and night creams

I use a mixture of Kheils and Charlotte Tibury face masks a couple of times a week.
Neutrogena Grapefruit face scrubs
Plus an acid peel on a 9 week cycle -6 on and 3 off.

I think it’s about finding the products that work for you.

I have had all high end routines and all low cost but this is the balance that works for me.

Oops should have said I do a pixie glow dupe at night.

For my face I use Simple night/day creams, cleanser, toner and make up remover. They are the only products that don't irritate my (admittedly very dodgy) skin. The fact that they are cheap is a bonus.

For the rest of me the only thing that keeps the itching, redness and scabbiness (probably not a problem for people with normal skin!) at bay is Aveeno.

Nivea cream and water-only washing all the way. The way skin works (i.e. as a pretty impenetrable, self-clening barrier), what you slap on the outside makes little difference, as long as you wash dirt off regularly.

Your skin's condition is mainly determined by two things: genetics (nothing much you can do about that) and a mixture of nutrients, which are part of your diet.

Plenty of nuts, oily fish, vegetables and fruit, little sugar, alcohol and no smoking and your skin, nails and hair will look a lot more youthful. Fat, too, is important, just make it the good (non-processed) form where possible. There is no short-cut; it all takes time.

I’ve tried cheaper skincare but always end up buying more expensive things, I just feel they work better. Currently using lots from Kiehls and finishing up a small pot of the Charlotte Tilbury day cream but struggled with the £70 price tag.

My friend uses that Beauty Pie website and swears by it but I’ve not done it yet, I’ve checked it out and it seems great value but there’s something stopping me.

Can I jump on and ask what the hell you do when you have spots and are the right age to use anti wrinkle stuff? Edging towards 40 and still breaking out. I don’t know what to use.

@Tessalectus
I do agree although I’d also add that an SPF mosturiser is also essential (doesn’t have to be fancy). You can tell the people with skin damage from UV a mile off. The healthy diet etc is a waste of time if you have UV damage. There’s no undoing that.

I use Clarins and Clinique - they are the only brands that I find make a visible difference.

If your skin is as bad as you say it is you can’t expect a drastic change from any creams - you’re going to have to look into cosmetic procedures such as peels and injectables.

Also really no need to be scared of these. There is minimal pain or risk if you go somewhere reputable and decent.

Skincare range to not break the budget:

Cleanser - one you like and that gets your makeup off. I don't wear makeup and use Cetaphil but I don't think that would cut it for makeup.

It spends seconds on your skin - there is no reason to spend £££ on it.

Vit C serum - buy the Ordinary one or Timeless one.

Acids - If you have blackheads/sebaceous filaments your skin will like salicylic acid. If you have dry skin then lactic or glycolic. Products like Nip+Fab or The Ordinary.

At night you want a retinoid for ageing skin - the Ordinary again.

Moisturiser - anything costing £50 is just making you pay for a dream and a nice smell. Nivea will be doing exactly the same thing for tuppence. If you want some actual ingredients as well in your moisturiser then Cerave is streets ahead - has hyaluronic, ceramides + niacinamide. All things that you pay a lot for in other brands to get in fancy serums or moisturisers.

Then finally in the daytime do not go without SPF. If you don't use SPF, you might as well not have bothered with all of the above.

I got massively into skincare a few years ago but then fell out of love with it when I realised that what works is basically well known by all the companies, they just disguise it and complicate it to make us pay far more than we need to. It then wasn't fun anymore.

Julietee

The same products work for spots and anti-wrinkle.

Acids - esp salicylic acid and retinols are the core of both anti-ageing and anti-acne. Plus throw in some niacinamide with Cerave at night, Sunsense Daily Face in the morning and you have sorted it.

If you really want to go full on then you need retin-A not retinol but that you need to do your research for my skin looked amazing when I used it Hot and Flashy's blog is a mine of information.

I don’t fancy Aldi skincare but there are a few cheaper brands that I like - Soap & Glory moisturisers are good and often on 3 for 2 so probably a lot cheaper than EL. Body Shop do some ok ones and often do 40% off. Simple is ok, I prefer their cleansers and wipes more so than their moisturisers