Rejoice beauty addicts on a budget, for this is the season of stripped-back skincare.
Simple products, in basic packaging, made from proven active ingredients that don’t cost a fortune — we’re talking mostly under £10, and never more than £25.
This quiet revolution of brands you’ve probably never heard of (because they don’t spend money on advertising or they’d have to pass these costs back on to the consumer) has been bubbling for a while among skincare geeks, but now it’s going mainstream.
So why now? Consumers are more interested than ever in ingredients. Research suggests that 60 per cent of women read the ingredients list before purchasing a beauty product.
More and more consumers are reading the ingredients lists before they purchase a beauty product. This has led to a surge in popularity for stripped back and budget products such as Timeless skincare (pictured) that has built its reputation through creating products that work
And here’s the caveat — that sort of engagement is important because the way these new budget brands keep their costs down is by selling simple formulations with a single, proven active ingredient, meaning consumers need to gen up (see our guide below for what ingredient does what).
This means you’re only spending money on the actives that you need for your skin type. But you may need to buy multiple products to get the same actives you’d find in an expensively formulated cream, so it may not be cheaper. Layering three different products wouldn’t be unreasonable (although check the ingredients listing and always use water-based serums before oil-based ones.)
Formulating biochemist Nausheen Qureshi (nausheenqureshi.com), who creates skincare for doctors and facialists across the UK, points out that consumers might not know how ingredients work synergistically together — so the products could counteract each other.
‘For example, B vitamins such as niacinamide need a neutral pH to properly bind to cell receptors in the skin. So if you’re using them after an acid, they won’t be nearly as effective.’
However, if you’re prepared to do a bit of research — and often companies will have recommended regimes for certain skin types — it’s worth a dabble.
The Inkey list is another product that is experiencing a popularity surge. Set up by two former Boots employees with backgrounds in beauty buying and product development, The Inkey List aims to demystify skincare
Start by introducing one serum at a time, and on alternate days to see how your skin reacts. Then it’s just about experimenting, and at that price you can afford to!
THE INKEY LIST
Set up by two former Boots employees with backgrounds in beauty buying and product development, The Inkey List aims to demystify skincare.
The company has a database of over 200 questions on its website, about the products, skin types, and more. Packaging is slick and monochrome, and their range of 15, ingredient-led products launched in August this year.
Expect to pay: £6.99 for 10 per cent glycolic acid (100ml) and rosehip oils (30ml), £4.99 for hyaluronic acid (30ml), £8.99 for squalane (30ml), and £9.99 for 1 per cent retinol (30ml) beforbeauty.co.uk
GARDEN OF WISDOM
Founded over ten years ago by a family based in Arizona, Garden of Wisdom has been an under-the-radar cult brand, popular among skincare enthusiasts.
Based in Miami, the medicinal packaging of this brand — all brown glass and blue and white labels — bears out the claim that their focus is ‘product effectiveness and quality’
Devotees didn’t care about the un-Insta-friendly packaging, or their lack of advertising, but that the products weren’t expensive and they worked.
This year, they’ve created a line with the Victoria Health co-founder, pharmacist Shabir Daya. The packaging is slicker, but the ethos is the same.
Expect to pay: £9 for most things — the 10 per cent azelaic acid serum, the 2 per cent salicylic acid serum, the niacinamide serum, the 5 per cent glycolic acid serum and the cold-pressed organic rosehip seed oil are £9. The 23 per cent vitamin C serum with ferulic acid is £10 (all 30ml), victoriahealth.com
TIMELESS SKINCARE
Another U.S. brand that has built its reputation through creating products that work, rather than flashy advertising.
Founded over ten years ago by a family based in Arizona, Garden of Wisdom has been an under-the-radar cult brand, popular among skincare enthusiasts
Occasionally products can be out of stock, because they make them in small batches to avoid them hanging around in warehouses for a long time (which can mean that active ingredients won’t stay potent for as long as the consumer needs them to).
Their 20 per cent Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum is hailed as the best ‘dupe’ or duplicate of Skinceuticals’ £135 version.
Expect to pay: £24.99 for the C + E Ferulic serum, and the same for the Matrixyl serums, while the hyaluronic acid, or squalane will set you back £14.99 (all 30ml), timeless-uk.com
QRX LABS
Launched last month with 13 products, all made in the UK, the Revolution skincare brand say that they aim to help their customers improve their skin with targeted serums that tackle specific skin concerns
Based in Miami, the medicinal packaging of this brand — all brown glass and blue and white labels — bears out the claim that their focus is ‘product effectiveness and quality, rather than investing in expensive packaging and advertising’. A limited selection of the range is now available in the UK.
Expect to pay: £10 for the Niacinamide + Retinol Serum (60ml), £12 for the Salicylic Acid 20 per cent Gel Peel and the Glycolic Acid 30 per cent Gel Peel (both 30ml), although if using the peels, you’ll also need to buy a Chemical Peel Neutraliser (£15, for 60ml), victoriahealth.com
REVOLUTION SKINCARE
Four years after it launched, the company behind Makeup Revolution — best known for its bargain basement copies of more expensive cosmetics from the likes of Charlotte Tilbury, Kat Von D, Tarte and Bobbi Brown — has diversified into skincare.
Launched last month with 13 products, all made in the UK, they say that they aim to help their customers improve their skin with targeted serums that tackle specific skin concerns.
Expect to pay: £10 for rosehip seed oil and Matrixyl serum, and £6 for 2 per cent hyaluronic acid and a serum containing 10 per cent niacinamide + 1 per cent zinc, revolutionbeauty.com