9 Skincare Products Experts Wouldn’t Spend More Than £15 On

Achieving skin you’re happy with doesn’t always have to cost the earth, and while luxury products have their place in skincare, it’s a common misconception that a higher price point equals efficacy. In fact, the notion that expensive skincare works a lot better than cheaper versions simply isn’t true.

Take it from the experts. “Often the price of the product isn’t defined by the quality or ingredients that are used,” says Dr Salomé Metreveli, dermatologist and founder of Sky Clinic. It could be an indication of something else, for example packaging or marketing. “You can always find more cost-effective alternatives that do the same or sometimes even a better job,” Dr Metreveli tells R29.

The consensus is similar over on TikTok, with the hashtag #budgetskincare amassing an impressive 128.1 million views and counting. Here, you’ll spot skincare enthusiasts and experts extolling the virtues of bargain skincare they’ve stumbled across lately, and with costs rising left, right and centre, this is certainly welcome.

Cosmetic dermatologist Dr Divya Shokeen went viral when she revealed that skincare basics (such as your cleanser and even your sunscreen) don’t have to come with a steep price tag in order to work well. It’s fair to say that our attitude towards skincare has shifted massively and that’s all thanks to an army of affordable yet sophisticated skincare brands, which are re-evaluating what “luxury” means.

Take The Ordinary, for instance — arguably the first brand to disrupt the skincare market with its transparent, ingredient-led offering at purse-friendly prices. Then there’s The Inkey List, which is rubbing shoulders with the likes of Chanel and La Mer in Selfridges, not to mention Q+A Skincare, Facetheory and Skin Proud.

What you choose to spend your hard-earned cash on is up to you, of course. But we had to ask the experts to give it to us straight: Which skincare products would they rarely spend more than £15 on?