Can anyone recommend me some skincare?

[TheMillionthBeautyAddict]

Hi I am 39 and I didn't get the payrise I was expecting so need to cut back a bit on my beauty. The three products I really want alternatives for are:

Dermalogica Vitamin Power Recovery Mask (I adore it, but it's now £65). Is there anything at all on the market that's even remotely similar or do I need to bite the bullet?

Murad Retinol Serum - I'm scared of ending up with different retinol that's too strong, I don't react well to strong retinol and don't know what percentage is good enough to sort my skin without burning it. I work abroad a lot in the tropics (hence buying everything for the coming year all at once while I'm in the UK) and the sun is intense so retinol has to be in a serum or night cream.

Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream SPF 30. I've seen some cheapie "marine cream" products on TK Maxx - are these any good or are they just hanging on the coattails of a famous product? None of them seem to be real brands.
I'd be open to a totally different type of day cream if it has an SPF.

I'm outright allergic to every Clinique product I've tried so I avoid that brand now.

Bonus points if I can get it from somewhere with a decent website that actually works (I really struggle with the Boots website).

My budget is just "less than what I'm currently spending" so if you can save me a tenner or fifty quid, I welcome your suggestions. Sorry this was long!

I've swapped everything to The Ordinary.Cheap and works.Their website explains each product but you can buy it easily elsewhere.You could then spend more on a SP moisturiser (my foundation covers that)

That's just what I was going to say - The Ordinary products are amazing because it's totally clear what they are. Also very good value.

Olay Regenerist SPF 30 Day Cream can be bought on Amazon. La Roche Posay also have a bunch of facial sunscreens for less than your Elemis.

Same i came here to say the ordinary

I’d love an alternative for that Elemis pro collagen cream. It’s bloody amazing! Keep an eye on QVC as they often do deals on it.

Thanks for all The Ordinary recommendations, I will check this out.

Thanks, I’ve previously tried Olay Regenerist, it’s too heavy for my skin and doesn’t seem to sit well under makeup. I constantly feel like my face is greasy while wearing it. Ditto the Lacura face creams. I will take a look at La Roche Posay if they have some face creams which fit the bill rather than facial sunscreens.

Sounds like we’re in the same boat! Last time I bought it, it was on a £76 deal but now it’s £98 I just can’t justify it.

I love Elemis PCMC but can’t justify the price so….I’ve gone to Superdrug. Optima Collagen cream usually on offer, buy one get one free or half price. £15 full price….i love the serum and eye cream too.

Not sure how helpful this is but, if you want to stick to your preferred items, then there’s some offers/codes around at the moment that would save you some money.
Amazon has the 50ml Elemis for £61.75 for Prime day today.
Escentual (I’ve bought from them before) has the Dermalogica mask for £50.70
Cult Beauty has the youth renewal serum 10ml for £23.80 + another 10% off (down from £34)
That saves over £60 on the lot.

Ordinary and Inkey List are both excellent for low-cost cleansers and moisturisers.

I would pair that with a retinoid to reduce fine lines and hyperpigmentation. Tretinoin 0.025% has worked best for me. Monderma currently has it for £17.99.

https://www.monderma.co.uk/ingredients/tretinoin/

It’s the Amazon Prime deals!! But hurry, ends midnight.

You can also luck these up on eBay or Vinted. Check sellers reviews first, but there are usually some available at a very good price. I’ve previously sold both the Dermalogica and Elemis at around 1/2 price .

I use Monderma Tretinoin 0.025%, Azelaic Acid 3%, Ectoine 5%. It has improved my dark circles and pores notably. I think Hydroquinone 4% would be even more effective but my skin cannot tolerate it.

When I was pregnant, I switched to water and a flannel, sometimes with Little Soap Co oatmeal soap. Jojoba oil as a moisturiser at night, just a few drops rubbed in palms then pressed on face. I was so pleasantly surprised at how good this was - it actually suited me better than my previous products - that I have actually never gone back, and it creates space in the budget for a good SPF.

This one??

Yes. I love and can second this.

Quidco is always worth a look for cashback deals
dermalogica mask is £46 here (I use price runner to check lowest prices
murad has a lot of offers at the minute everywhere and if you stack it with a new customer code from somewhere you’ll get it a lot cheaper (stock up maybe!)

https://www.jacamo.co.uk/shop/p/vh421?promo=4211&utm_source=Affiliate+Window&utm_medium=Affiliates&utm_term=696205&utm_content=Other&utm_campaign=Always+On&awc=3026_1782607343_757bff330ca94502782db4ef701a8f98&sv_campaign_id=696205&sv_tax1=affiliate&sv_tax2=621353&sv_tax3=Klarna&sv_tax4=0&sv_affiliate_id=696205%21&gad_source=7&gad_campaignid=19741665293&dclid=COWF2OvZqJUDFWZh9ggdfa0i6A

The Ordinary and Inkey List are both good. Finger is also a great place to pick up stuff people bought and never used.

Not product recommendations but if you have a Boots store near you (you can use the app you don’t need to use the website!) then download their recycle at home app. If you log your beauty empties on there and then drop them off in store and then spend £10, you get £5 back in points which you can use in store or online which should definitely help you save some money!