Have you ever encountered a skincare product, say a moisturizer, and thought that you have to get it until you saw its price, and you just went for an alternative cheaper product in the drugstore? Yup, we’ve all been there. Skincare products tend to be divided into two: the expensive, high-end ones and the cheaper, drugstore ones; and believe it or not, this has always been a heated debate between people (1). But does it really matter whether you use drugstore or luxury products for your routine? Is using the cheaper version of a unit much better as opposed to purchasing the latter? Or does expensive really mean better?
In this article, we’re going to discuss the differences that lie between high end skin care VS drugstore skin care brands. Towards the end, we’ll discuss a few products from both luxury and drugstore brands. If you’re torn in choosing between the two, you’re reading the right article. So, which type of brand do you mostly go for?
One of the Most Important Habits: A Skincare Routine
Before we start comparing details on brands, we want to emphasize the importance of establishing a great skincare routine in the first place. The problem is, this is the routine that people tend to easily forget or be lazy about, which is completely wrong. Your skin health should be one of your priorities because it serves as your first line of defense against pollutants around you. Having a skincare routine (and being consistent with it!) makes long-lasting and visible differences in the years ahead of you.
Make sure you have patience and a sense of responsibility because achieving beautiful skin overnight isn’t a thing. It takes time and assessment to be able to find the right products that work well with your skin. If you haven’t thought of starting a skincare routine, there’s no more perfect time than now. You won’t believe the results that are waiting for you. Start by determining your skin type among dry, oily, and combination of both; then you can go from there. Don’t be afraid of testing products from different brands, whether luxury or drugstore, to find the perfect ones for your skin.
The Differences Between Using Drugstore Brands Vs High-End Brands for Skincare
When you take two brands of cream in front of you, one costs $200, and the other one is $25, you pretty much know which one you’re going for if you want to be practical. Who doesn’t want to spend less on a product that has the same promise as the more expensive one? This has been a continuous debate because some people are willing to spend extra pennies for high-end brands. With the factors below, we’re going to discuss the differences between the two:
Product Creation
Luxury skincare brands take different measures of preparation in releasing products. Some units require extensive research, clinical testing, and medical-grade professionals to be able to ensure the effectiveness of the output to a certain issue. Because of this, high-end companies don’t miss a beat when investing in this process, reflecting on the market price of the corresponding products.
On the other hand, drugstore skincare brands normally don’t have the budget to do the same kind of research; however, most brands still find a way to make their products efficient.
Ingredients
One of the major reasons why high-end brands have expensive products is the ingredients behind each one. Luxury brands utilize premium ingredients, sometimes even rare ones, on their products; most of the time, they prefer to use natural and organic extracts for guaranteed efficiency.
Drugstore brands use more common but effective ingredients like retinol and Vitamin C. There are instances when they use superior ingredients too. Still, they use lower content concentration to make the price stay affordable. This is also the reason why you often see the same premium contents in both types of brands, but you’ll notice the difference in the ingredient list; high-end products typically have the superior brands in the first five places in the list, while drugstore ones have premium components on the list’s lower part.
Effectiveness
Again, this factor relies on the ingredient list of a product. Because luxury brands invest in their products by utilizing superior ingredients, the results from these are more outstanding than those from drugstore brands, which use lower quantities of premium components (2). If you can only afford drugstore skincare products, for the time being, you can still expect great results; however, it would take more time and usage consistency. On the other hand, if you want to spend extra for a luxury product, it’s guaranteed to bear with excellent results.
Product Recommendations
In this section, we present you with four products you’d love to add to your skincare routine!
If you’re looking for a skincare product that benefits you with the best botanical essential oils, you need to check this. INIKA boasts that this facial oil contains the highest concentration of high-end botanical extracts, which guarantees its effective results among users. The product uses 18 natural oils, together with Vitamins A, E, and K, and the nine fatty acids to nourish your skin further and repair possible cell damage from day-to-day activities and pollution encounters. If you’re sensitive to artificial fragrance, this face oil only produces 100% natural scent from the organic oils it has.
Mario Badescu is one of the few drugstore brands that successfully delivers high-quality results with low-priced skincare products. This Foaming Cleanser from the brand mainly focuses on fixing skin brightening issues, such as hyperpigmentation and congestion, which hinder you from achieving that radiant glow on your face. The product uses Glycolic Acid, together with extracts from sage, chamomile, and yarrow, to work on your skin’s rejuvenation, repair, and balance. The brand recommends this cleanser to all skin types, with varying moderation of usage: once to twice a week for dry to combination skin, and twice to thrice a week for combination to oily skin.
This gel facial cleanser from e.l.f is surely a must-try if you’re looking for an affordable product that’s infused with Niacinamide. The product has vegan ingredients that include lavender for efficacious skin moisture enrichment and cleansing; with these, e.l.f.’s foaming gel wash strips off dirt, oil, and other impurities on your face, revealing glowing and even skin tone on your face. This facial wash can cater to all skin types, and it’s gentle enough to be used daily.
The last one on our list is this Hydro Boost Water Gel moisturizer by Neutrogena. Like Mario Badescu, this drugstore brand doesn’t disappoint because it releases clinically-approved skincare products with premium ingredients. This facial gel is formulated with Hyaluronic Acid, which encourages moisture on the skin and locks it in for intense hydration. The best thing is that it doesn’t contain traces of oil and alcohol, so it’s completely safe to use even under makeup. Lastly, the Neutrogena Hydro Boost works well with both dry and oily skin types.
Final Thoughts
Determining which one is better from high-end and drugstore skincare brands need different factors to be considered. Which one used higher concentrations of their supposed “star ingredient”? Do the products work well with your skin? Did you notice any changes after you use a product from that brand? It’s all trial and error to be able to find the perfect ones for your skin, whether the products are from a luxury or a drugstore brand. You can always mix things up and go from there. Remember, you get what you paid for.
