I’m a beauty expert in my 40s with zero wrinkles – the Aldi beauty dupes I always nab to stay wrinkle free
THERE are so many lotions and creams out there, all promising to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles – so it can be tricky to know which ones are worth investing in.
You can end up spending a small fortune on expensive products only to then be disappointed by the results – but you don’t need to break the bank to treat your skin.
As a longtime beauty writer, Jennifer Barton knows this firsthand.
The 41-year-old has tested out some of the most highly hyped (and expensive) beauty products over the years – but absolutely swears by Aldi‘s super affordable Lacura ‘dupe’ range.
She says: “It wasn’t until I started buying skincare from Aldi a few years that people started complimenting my skin, telling me how fresh-faced and young I looked.
“I’ve just turned 41 and I have four kids, so I’ll take ‘fresh-faced’… but that’s not the only reason I’m still bulk-buying from Aldi’s beauty aisle.
“The products never disappoint – smart packaging, lovely textures and an impressive ingredient list, not to mention the price, with most of these creams are under a fiver and will last months.”
Here, Jennifer shares six of her favourite Aldi dupes – and they all cost less than £8…
Serious about serums
- The product: Lacura Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Multi Intensive Serum + Hyaluronic Acid
- The cost: £2.99
This serum is my absolute fave and I recommend it to everyone.
I’ve been using it for a couple of years and it’s done wonders for my skin texture and complexion, thanks to ingredients like moisturising hyaluronic acid and antioxidant coenzyme Q10.
It’s not greasy at all, so I don’t get breakouts from it, either.
One of the first things I loved about Aldi’s Lacura products was how I could afford to buy more than one item in the range.
This meant I could try a serum, a night cream and a day cream, so I was finally able to get into a skincare routine and stick to it, and I’ve since added eye cream to my collection too.
I appreciate the discipline of applying the same products, morning and night, and I’m starting to see the results.
‘An anti-ageing hero’
- The product: Lacura Q10 Night Cream
- The cost: £1.49
I’m so obsessed by this cream that I’ve just finished up yet another jar of it – the Lacura Q10 Night Cream is the best-value skin product out there, in my opinion.
It goes on super light, doesn’t cause breakouts and has a retinol complex, coenzyme Q10 and avocado oil.
Retinol, part of the vitamin A family, is one of those ‘anti-ageing hero ingredients’ that is considered a must-have in every 40-something’s skincare arsenal.
I’ve tried the more expensive retinol products out there and I swear, I can’t see a difference when I use them.
I’m convinced my skin looks better when I stick to this sub-£2 anti-ageing cream instead.
Day & night delights
- The products: Lacura Caviar Illumination Day and Night Creams
- The cost: £7.99 each
As someone who tried the original La Prairie Skin Caviar Collection as a journalistic, freebie perk in my 20s (those creams are divine; unfortunately the cheapest one will set you back £450), all I want is to slather myself in that kind of expensive luxury everyday.
Thank goodness for Aldi’s Caviar Illumination range, which is such a good dupe for the original, at a fraction of the price.
The Day Cream has SPF 15 and glides on smoothly, however it’s on the thick side, so might be too intense for some.
The Night Cream also contains snow algae and caviar extracts to enhance collagen production, improve skin texture and reduce inflammation.
It glides on in the most delicious, ‘I swear I can feel this firming my face as I sleep’ kind of way.
The tinted blue glass jar packaging is just gorgeous, too.
A clever cleanser
- The product: Lacura Rose Cleansing Balm
- The cost: £6.99, coming August 24th
In addition to Aldi’s core range of anti-ageing must-buys you can find year-round at most Aldi stores, the supermarket chain is always launching new products seasonally.
This is my excuse for popping into my local Aldi every week, even when I’m not doing a shop, as I’m keen to avoid any skincare-related FOMO!
The new Lacura Rose Cleansing Balm (a dupe of Elemis’s £48 version) is my new fave cleanser, with rosehip, sweet almond and rose flower oil.
It looks like a balm but turns into a light oil on the face, cleanses beautifully and smells amazing.
Oil-based cleansers are having a moment since they’re the first step in a double-cleansing routine.
Follow with a water-based cleanser, which allows you to penetrate the skin even deeper.
Multi-purpose product
- The product: Lacura Wonder Oil
- The cost: £2.99
This dupe for Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Dry Oil costs just £2.99 and works on face, hair and body.
I’ve been rubbing it into stretch marks as well as lightly using some on my face, legs, arms and the ends of my hair.
The texture is amazing – it feels like a much more expensive product – and it’s totally grease-free.
The combination of essential oils makes for the most gorgeous scent, too.
‘I always come back to Aldi’s range’
For Jennifer, implementing a skincare routine is an enjoyable experience – and as she’s shown, it doesn’t have to be expensive.
Jennifer adds: “Skincare is a passion of mine, not just because I like to look my best.
“I enjoy the ritual of applying products, the experimentation and discovery involved, the smells, the textures, the packaging I lovingly display.
“Over the years, I’ve applied every power ingredient to minimise my pores, promote collagen production, ‘give me a glow’… but I always come back to Aldi’s range.”