Do you need to spend money to look younger? We compare and contrast expensive anti-aging products and products you can purchase at the drugstore. Do they really work the same? We looked at some of the most common skincare products and test pricier versions against their more affordable counterparts. Here’s what we found. Wallets rejoice.
Serum
A must in any anti-aging toolkit, serums can often be expensive, (some clocking in at $150). Even though Philosophy When Hope Is Not Enough is reasonable at $38 and we appreciate its toning properties, we found Burt’s Bees Naturally Ageless Intensive Repairing System to be just as good. Pomegranate helps to smooth skin naturally and a little goes a long way, making the $25 price point even more desirable.
Lip treatment
It might be tempting to splurge on a conditioning lip treatment like Clinique’s All About Lips but at $22 we wanted to find something a little more wallet-friendly. Our pick: Blistex. It soothes, smoothes and otherwise makes our lips feel great. The fact that it’s medicated means it has the power to do more than provide a glossy sheen, and at $1.69 it’s a steal.
Peel
Peels are another must in most anti-aging arsenals, but price is a factor in many people’s decision to use them. Popular brand Peter Thomas Roth offers Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads at $45 and though we liked the convenience of the pads and the fact our pores looked tighter after several days, we fell in love with the more affordable ($21.99) Olay Regenerist Daily Thermal Mini-Peel. The self-heating formula felt luxurious on our face and did a good job of polishing the skin.
Makeup remover
We all know sleeping with makeup on is bad for your skin, so take it all off. But you don’t need an expensive product to get the job done. We pitted Bobbi Brown Instant Long-Wear Makeup Remover against the humble baby wipe and we swear by baby wipes to get all every last speck of color off our cheeks. Anything soft enough for a baby is good enough for us. At $22, the Bobbi Brown product works, but we prefer the wallet-friendly and easily accessible wipes. You can buy two tubs of Pampers Baby Wipes for $5 at Walgreens.
Cleanser
While we love the tingle and fresh scent of Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash, we decided to see if we could find something similar at the drug store. Olay Foaming Face Wash ($4.49) offers just as much dirt and oil-busting power and smells great to boot. The non-drying formula left our skin soft and supple and not tight.
Moisturizer
Anti-aging moisturizers come in a wide variety of price points, many of which are less than wallet-friendly. We tried both the pricier Dior Hydra Life Pro-Youth Comfort Crème (which was very rich and silky) and Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Sensitive Skin Cream. At $10.99 the Eucerin cream is obviously a more budget-friendly choice, but we also found it to be perfect for our easily-irritated skin. It not only works to reduce signs of aging, but also softens and smoothes skin.
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