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8 budget skincare brands that are an alternative to The Ordinary
Your routine doesn't need to cost the earth
When The Ordinary launched their budget skincare line back in 2016, they truly changed the face of the beauty industry for good.
Not only did they make effective skincare affordable for all, but their transparency around ingredients gave consumers the knowledge to know exactly what they were buying, instead of relying on "miracle" marketing slogans.
Without them you can be sure that you still would have no clue that hyaluronic acid is something you apply to your face, or that salicylic acid is good for fighting spots.
Since then, a whole host of other brands has followed suit. Delivering the same affordable, transparent products that The Ordinary came to be known for.
Take The Inkey List for example, who started out very much in the shadows of The Ordinary with their single-ingredient formulas, but have since grown exponentially. Not only do they now create their own loved and much-hyped formulas (hello Oat Cleansing Balm), but they're also the brand that TikTok king Hyram decided to partner with to launch his debut line: Selfless.
Seeing the success of these brands prompted retailers Boots, Superdrug and Beauty Bay to launch their own high-performance affordable lines, as well as stocking other budget brands like Revolution Skincare.
Skin & Me's online service aims to make dermatologist appointments affordable for all, with their £19.99 per month service which sees you receive prescription-strength skincare direct to your door.
Not forgetting former beauty director Alex Steinherr's award-winning collaboration with Primark and Garden of Wisdom's considered, yet affordable formulations.
Here's our pick of the best affordable skincare lines out there, along with our hero product for each.
The Inkey List
Shop our hero product: The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm, £9.99
Like The Ordinary, The Inkey List's products are based on simple, single-ingredient formulas. The line began with 15 hero products, including: Hyaluronic acid, retinol, vitamin C and rosehip oil.
In recent years though they have expanded beyond single use ingredients, creating their own formulas including the Cosmo beauty award winning Oat Cleansing Balm and collaborating with Hyram on his new skincare line.
With the most expensive product costing £14.99, The Inkey list will save both your skin and your purse.
Skincare by Beauty Bay
Shop our hero product: Beauty Bay Skin Hit Soothing Serum with Niacinamide & Copper, £5
Beauty Bay has been our go-to beauty retailer for years, so it makes sense they branched out and created their very own line of skincare.
Their line up is super affordable (serums cost around £5) and contains unique ingredients like copper (known for its anti-inflammatory and healing benefits) that we're not used to seeing from high street brands.
Revolution Skincare
The brand that brought you the £4.99 concealer the Internet went wild for, has branched out into skincare, and just like their makeup, it's surprisingly good.
Hero products from the vegan and cruely-free range include the Niacinamide Serum for spotty prone skin, the caffeine and hyaluronic acid serum for de-puffing and the Multi Peptide Serum, which will give all skin types a much-needed nourishment boost.
Boots Ingredients
Shop our hero product: Boots Ingredients Salicylic Acid Serum, £7
Boots' own line of ingredient led skincare products are not only vegan and cruelty free, but they're also incredibly effective.
Take our hero product for example, their Salicylic Acid Serum, which at just £7 is a worthwhile addition to your routine if you're prone to breakouts.
Skin + Me
Due to either long waiting lists or lack of funds, most of us will never get round to seeing a dermatologist.
Skin & Me aims to bridge that gap by prescribing prescription strength skincare that is personalised to you for just £19.99 a month.
If you're looking to start your retinol journey or struggling with acne, this online dermatologist service is the best for giving your skin exactly what it needs.
Superdrug Me+
Shop our hero product: Salicylic Acid & Ceramides Cleanser, £6.99
Superdrug's Me+ range is a line of boosters designed to supercharge your skincare routine, without tipping you into your overdraft.
Here you'll find a lot of familiar, staple ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluoronic acid, along with some innovative formulas like their Salicylic Acid & Ceramides Cleanser which is great for helping soothe breakouts without stripping the skin.
Garden of Wisdom
Shop our hero product: 100% Pure Squalane Oil, £10
There's a reason the oh-so picky Reddit skincare community go wild for Garden of Wisdom Skincare, aka (GOW).
Founded over ten years ago in Arizona, the cruelty-free, simple ingredient formulations, start at £9 and go up to £20. With their niacinamide serum - which helps regulate oil production - being one of their best sellers.
Alex Steinherr x Primark
In-store only
"What's the best high street skincare brand?" That's the question former Glamour beauty director, Alex Steinherr, has been asked the most in her career.
So it makes sense then that she teamed up with Primark to create her own range of affordable products, with ingredients usually reserved for more luxury brands.
The 20-product collection is split into five lines: 'Plump & Glow', which focuses on hyaluronic acid. 'Maximum Moisture', for those of us with a forehead like the Sahara. 'Pore Balance', aka your spots worst nightmare. 'Pollution Solution', for when the tube plays havoc with your skin and 'Sleep Spa' for skincare that works overnight. Plus, did we mention the whole range is priced from £3-£5, and it's vegan, cruelty and fragrance free.
Laura is a former writer for Cosmopolitan UK, covering everything beauty and fashion related and specialises in makeup, plus-size fashion and the world of YouTube. Her favourite pastime is reminding everyone of that one time she met Charlie Hunnam and Jason Momoa. Please don't ask to see the pictures...
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