Is expensive haircare and skincare worth it, or can you cut back?

[Peonies2026]

Hi everyone,

Just wondering if anyone else here spends far too much on haircare & skincare, and if anyone decided to cut down, and the results were.

I'm 50 and have a natural look. At least, I wish it were really natural and didn't cost a fortune! Everyone comments on my skin. I've used Clarins for 25 years, and swear by their SPF50 skin protector. Whenever I try a cheaper brand, my skin loses the kind of luminous gloss that Clarins gives me.

Then the hair... I tried various hairdressers and now go to a good London salon. Using them really made a difference. The cut is flattering and the colour is natural (as much as blonde can be natural). But the stylist always pushes for me to have highlights every two visits so it costs a lot.

So I spend about £320 on average a month with all beauty costs combined. I really would like to save that money instead. On the other hand, I'm a bit reluctant to let go. I read everywhere that women are supposed to become invisible at my age, but people still check me out. There's a bit of gossip going around at work about me (I'm very discreet and have a boring job but some people keep trying to find things out and seem a bit obsessed about me!). I'm by no means a great beauty so it's quite nice not to be invisible.

Do people who pay a lot for their 'upkeep' feel it's worth it? Has anyone given it up for a much cheaper routine and what were the results?

I do lots of interesting things on the side, so the only harm this is doing is preventing me from saving more.

Thank you!

I’m with you OP. I also find I end up spending more on cheaper ranges and binning them that it’s false economy. There are a few cheaper products I do use in the mix of what I have but never been successful in properly buying cheaper.

I think there’s a balance between keeping the luxuries and saving some money - it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Two things- do you actually need the highlights? It doesn’t sound great that the hairdresser is pushing it on you - if you don’t need them, don’t get them!
Are there a couple of products you can strip out of the beauty routine, but keep some of your absolute favourites? For example, I stopped using expensive cleanser and now use Cera Ve instead (which seems to do exactly the same job) but have kept my Clarins moisturiser because I couldn’t find a cheaper replacement that made my skin feel as good.

Honestly I think while there is room for savings, if you can afford to keep some luxuries then why not. I don’t think you can put a price tag on feeling good 😊

Exactly! This keeps happening to me. I felt very virtuous recently buying a cheaper cleanser but then noticed it made my skin greasier and rougher-looking! Haven't used it since.

I pay £60 at a local hair salon for a cut and colour which lasts at least 8 weeks. I've been to supposedly top salons in the area, paid a heap more and grey started appearing after 3 weeks.

I'm 64 and am lucky that I look younger. I've never spent a lot on skincare. I use a Nivea cleanse/toner then a moisturiser that's also inexpensive.
I can't believe the amount some people spend these days and think it's all just a load of hype.

In my mother's day they put on a bit of Pond's cold cream and all looked perfectly fine.

It’s definitely doable. It depends what you value most - maintaining your current appearance or having the money in the bank instead. I think it would take considerable work on your self esteem.

It’s worth it for me - I spent many years cutting my own plus my family’s hair and using Aldi face creams (which tbf are excellent) or none, and it is an immense pleasure to me to feel more groomed and looked after. My sister, who also has expensive tastes, simply says she is the oldest woman still working in her firm and if she wants to keep earning at her level, she believes she needs to still look a certain way.

However, I would say three things. Both of us can still save while doing these things. Both of us put a lot into pensions. And my highlights are done every six months, cut every three months. Challenge your hairdresser a bit more to make their work good enough to last longer, they work for you not the other way round!

Look up the ingredients in the products you like. Look up the ingredients in the cheap products. Are they the same and in the same proportion? If they are, the products are the same. Pick the cheaper. You only need to check the active ingredients. The others are just the scent.

@BigHeartyTruffle , thank you. That's a good middle ground...My stylist seems into doing the best job possible, so she seems to be advising me 'for the good of my hair' rather than in a money-grabbing way. She even adds little highlights herself whenever I'm just having my roots done. If I could discreetly change the routine to highlights twice a year, it would make a difference.

That's interesting about the Ceravie! I could use a cheaper cleanser in the morning (I cleanse morning & evening, a real purist...!) and alternative a bit more with other products too.

Thanks; I keep reading about Aldi face creams so wondering if I should at least try one...
Completely agree with your sister. Unfortunately, bosses are very judgmental.
I save a lot into pensions too but would like to put more in...I'll try pushing back against the hairdresser , as you suggest.

Clarins to Aldi might be a bit of a shock, but then there’s nothing particularly special about Clarins. It’s some and some for me. Agree CeraVe, The Ordinary and a multitude of Korean brands do skincare equal to or better than your current brand. Retinol / tret makes the biggest difference. A good haircut should last you longer and I’ve embraced my natural silver instead of spending big on colour / highlights. Arkive hair products are excellent and reasonably priced.

I've dialed back on most brands and haven't noticed a difference, in fact I prefer some low cost skincare. Aldi Lacura is great and I'm a fan of Nivea Soft. I have the most amazing Retinol serum from Primark, that's way better than any of the top brands I've tried. MPreviously I was spending £££. A good haircut is vital but I have a hair genius of a hairdresser who can cut it in a way that lasts much longer, so is more affordable.

Thanks, your local salon seems amazing.
I tried many salons and in my current one, the staff are very talented. It does make a huge difference. I tried cheaper beauty products too, during the lockdowns, and they weren't as good.

Good grief !

I am older than you, I cut my own hair and don’t use products except some Aldi suncream at times ( and a sunhat)

i am most certainly not invisible! I really don’t like being clocked by married men with too much gut but there you go

I suspect a lot is genetic and a lot is placebo - how it affects your self confidence, and having slef confidence is a great part of not becoming invisible

@Peonies2026 I'm 66 but still.working and have never felt invisible and have never, ever been in a situation where gossip sworls through the office about me. Why woukd I want to mix my orivate and professional lives. Having said that where I work happily channels Mary Beard rather than Kim Kardashian.

However, I am vain and wish to remain well preserved.

Hair dresser, cut, colour, blowdry, few highlights every 7 weeks. Between £140 and £180 in a SW London salon but not a pncey one or a chain. About 1120 pa.

Clinique cleansing balm, Estee day and night cream and estee eye cream. About £1000.

Just shy of £180pcm, so somewhere, I think you are either being ripped off or spending a bit too much. However, loke you I have troed cheaper skin care and whatever the label says, either something makes me itch or my skin feels less soft.

In try to maximise 25% off, free gifts etc., to keep the overall cost down.

I am going to stop the colour shortly and just blend in the grey with some highlights for the sake of realism rather than money.

I found The Ordinary too harsh.

All my late 50s friends are waxing lyrical about collagen supplements like Elevate or Applied Nutrition Marine Collagen. Trouble is, it’s another big expense to take on if you end up sticking with more expensive creams!

I think if you’re a night cream fan, that’s where there are some really good cheaper options because it’s quite a simple job. The Aldi night cream I do like but am currently using No 7 ?Damage Renew or something like that which I feel good with.

In the couple of years leading up to my retirement I tried different products, and I was able to cut back here and there. I still have some of the pricey stuff, but I'm pleased I could make some savings.

I used to do the expensive stuff, now much cheaper but I guess mid-range products with very natural ingredients. When you look at some of the cheaper heavily market products it is essentially a chemical cocktail. Had some really good shampoo ad conditioner bars, a very natural face oil. They were stand-out products for me.

I don't work in a Kim Kardashian environment either, and I never, ever mention my private life. Apart from two people, no one knows what I do during weekends and holidays. My team is lovely and interested in current affairs, art & literature, and we're bad at small talk. Other teams are gossipy and always trying to find things out about us. I suppose we're intriguing. My look is not at all glamorous. I dress simply and quite casually. I just go into work discreetly, so I was a bit taken about all the interest in me.

Your salon sounds very reasonable. I too maximise the free gifts. I suppose I could cut my costs down to £220 by having fewer highlights, a cheaper haircut and swapping brands; using a cheaper brand twice a week, for example.

I moved from Clinique to boots no7 future renew products and think it’s been very good. I also use the boots cleansing balm (under £10) and always on for 3 for 2.

There is a middle ground here.

I used to be the same, I only used Clarins and visited the hairdresser monthly. When I got divorced a lot changed and this routine which was normal to me, just wasnt possible anymore.

I stopped using Clarins started using Neutrogena (I had it anyway as a free gift I had received which was just sitting there) and I was pleasantly surprised. Then I ended up buying new things which were on sale to try get a feel of what was a best substitute for me, and now I just use Avene. And I only buy on sale or with a free gift. Hair was more difficult so I just stretched out the appointments. And now I don't even get ny hair dyed at the salon anymore and I use a Clairol demi colour. Obviously going blonde is a bit more difficult to do at home.

It really bothers me less now though, if my skin isn't glowing one day or if there is a bad hair day, then so be it. Tomorrow is another day and I'll spend 5 mins extra straightening it tomorrow 😂

I think you can get into a mindset that is hard to change. I knew my skin looked great, and in my mind it was because I used the best etc. When actually my skin still looks great even though now I don't use the expensive stuff. It just took me some time to see that my confidence was in the jar..... which is a bit misplaced.

Hydration and sleep are the big deal now for me as I hit 50.

I did expensive when I was younger, but I think drugstore and middle level products have upped their game with skin care and actives.

I'm experimenting with a couple Dollar Tree products, a cleanser and serum with rice ferments, and they're a lot better than I expected. The cleanser cuts through the sunscreen and leaves my skin nice and clean, but not stripped. No double cleanse needed and a little goes a long way. The size is smaller than drugstore cleansers. I will repurchase.

I'm trying the Hyaluronic Soothing serum with rice ferments and the rice ferments are the first ingredient on the list. This leaves my skin soft and looking really nice and even. I use CeraVe PM over it. This is the same size as the small Ordinary serum. I will repurchase. I'm impressed with this one.

So $1.25 stuff is doing as well as drugstore after a few weeks use.

I cut my own hair, do my own styling, and do an occasional glossing treatment. I used to use higher end products with the exception of my cheapie ride or die VO5 Kiwi Lime conditioner but I've switched to drugstore stuff like OGX and they get the job done. I have stuck with Kiehl's Creme with Silk Groom but a tube lasts forever.

I'd say don't let your hair stylist talk you into pricey highlights you don't need. Every other visit seems like a lot.

I won't scrimp on skincare. I have been using premium skincare since I was 15 and I have fantastic skin and everyone thinks I am at least 10 years younger than my age. This isn't just people being polite, the shock (or horror if it's a younger man chatting me up) when they find out my actual age has kept me amused all my life. I just use good skincare. I don't buy any expensive gimmicky stuff. I also don't use retinols, because you can't go out in the sun with them and I practically live outdoors with my lifestyle.

As to haircare, I don't think that is worth it to spend money on. Simple is best and look after it. I use a decent quality supermarket shampoo and conditioner, and only wash my hair twice a week. I NEVER use styling products or hair dye. I NEVER use heat products on my hair, not even a hairdryer.

The result is very long, thick, shiny, swishy hair that I get a lot of compliments on. The only highlights I have are natural golden ones from being outside in the sun.

You don’t give a breakdown of how the £320 a month is spent but I guess your hair is the most expensive element so think about that first. You can reduce the bill and stick to the same salon by:

increasing the time between visits by 1-2 weeks.
reducing the blondness of the highlights so you can drop to getting them only every 3rd visit
getting less highlights eg just around your face sometimes. I get a my highlights done in the pattern full head, T zone, half head, t zone so the full head is only every 4th time.

For skincare buy your favourite products when there are special offers on. One website is currently offering 25% off your favourite Clarins skin cream so buy a few. If you have other products you tried but think aren’t as good use them up at weekends when you aren’t socialising or use them every 3rd day so your expensive ones last longer.

I am happy to use any shampoo or cleanser but I have favourite conditioners and moisturizers. Not everything has to be expensive but the last product you put on your skin and hair stays on it so you should be happy with that one.

After a bereavement a while ago I noticed my skin was looking grey despite consistent use of products I love and trust. I asked Chat GPT exactly your question. It enthusiastically assessed all the ingredients in my favourite products and made a list of much cheaper options.

I tried them. One or two were a revelation - but others just made me more convinced of the rightness of Dr Barbara Sturm, etc.

So I guess my conclusion is that it’s just a matter of experimentation. 🤷‍♀️

Giving up alcohol - now, that worked.