Affordable Dupes for 10 Popular High-End Skin Care Products (2021)
My 2019 Affordable Skin Care Dupes Post is surprisingly still my most-viewed post to this day, and I’m not mad at that at all! I mean, c’mon, who doesn’t love a good dupe?
Because of the great response, I’m going to continue doing this series. If you missed last week’s post, I touched on Affordable Makeup Dupes. This post, I’m going to do an updated list of some skin care dupes. Don’t let anyone trick you into emptying your pockets buying expensive beauty products. The drugstore and other e-commerce sites have great affordable options.
Here’s my 2021 list of 10 top rated skin care products, and affordable alternatives that give similar results.
*Disclaimer: by “dupe” I don’t mean exact match. These are similar affordable products that have some matching ingredients and/or work to target the same skin issues
1. Peter Thomas Roth’s Water Drench Hyaluronic Hydrating Moisturizer SPF 45 vs. Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion Sunscreen SPF 50
So, number one of the list is a sunscreen dupe of course. A good sunscreen is hard to come by for darker skin tones, which is why I love Peter Thomas Roth’s Water Drench and Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Sunscreen. They are both broad spectrum UVA/UVB chemical sunscreens which I tend to like better than mineral sunscreens because they soak into your skin without leaving that dreaded ashy white cast. They both have lightweight, gel-like consistencies so they are easy to blend into the skin and won’t clog your pores, and they both contain hyaluronic acid for an extra boost of hydration. I love Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Sunscreen because it comes in a larger size, and offers two different SPF ratings, SPF 30 and SPF 50. I typically grab the SPF 30 for the colder months, and switch to SPF 50 during the spring and summer. I also love that you can pick it up right at your local drug store. The price can vary, but I have been able to snag this sunscreen for under $10, which is a complete steal.
2. It Cosmetics’ Bye Bye Makeup Cleansing Balm vs e.l.f. Cosmetics’ Holy Hydration! Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm
Now, on to the battle of the cleansing balms. I loveeee cleansing balms. I actually created a whole post this month on the benefits of double cleansing. It Cosmetics has a great cleansing balm that not only cleanses the skin, but also contains ingredients that are great for the skin such as hyaluronic acid, which provides hydration, ceramides, which maintain the skin barrier, and peptides, which reduce wrinkles and keep the skin looking plump and firm. Not all cleansing balms contain such great ingredients, but e.l.f. Cosmetics’ Holy Hydration! Makeup Melting Cleansing balm does, and at a fraction of the price.
3. Youth to the People’s Kale + Green Tea & Spinach Vitamins Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser vs Naturium’s Mixed Greens Nutrient Rich Cleanser
Youth to the People’s Kale + Green Tea & Spinach Vitamins Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser is one of my all time favorite cleansers. I am forever trying to find a good dupe for it, and Natrium’s Mixed Greens Nutrient Rich Cleanser seems to be a good match. Like the YTTP cleanser, Natrium’s Mixed Greens Cleanser is a cruelty-free, vegan cleanser that’s free of parabens, and loaded with mixed greens such as green tea and aloe which gently cleanse the skin while providing hydration and moisture.
*Added bonus: Natrium’s cleanser is fragrance-free while YTTP’s is not.
4. Fresh’s Rose & Hyaluronic Acid Deep Hydration Toner vs. Naked Flamingo’s Rose Water + ACV Calming Toner
Fresh’s Rose & Hyaluronic Acid Deep Hydration Toner just screams “luxury”. It truly makes me feel like I’ve had a spa treatment after using it. It contains rose water which helps to calm, sooth and hydrate the skin. I find that a lot of toners can be quite harsh and soak up all of the oils in my skin, but Fresh’s toner is non-stripping, and safe for daily-use. That price though….yikes. I stopped purchasing this toner because of the price actually, and I’ve been on the hunt for a more affordable option, which landed me on Naked Flamingo’s Rose Water + ACV Calming toner. I’m already a huge fan of Naked Flamingo; I love this brand. They are a black-owned, organic and plant based skin care brand. Their products are amazing! I love how short the Naked Flaming Rose Water Toner ingredient list is. It’s a simple, zero-frills toner that contains rose and cucumber waters too improve hydration, and soothe the skin. It also contains apple cider vinegar which has antibacterial properties that helps restore the skin’s natural PH, keeps irritants out, and fights bacteria.
5. Drunk Elephant’s Protini™ Polypeptide Moisturizer vs. The Inkey List’s Peptide Moisturizer
On to the battle of the peptide moisturizers! Here we have The Inkey List and Drunk Elephant. Peptides are great for your skin. They are responsible for adding firmness, elasticity, and smooth texture to the skin. Peptides in skin care products can maintain the skin’s moisture barrier, reduce wrinkles and texture, calm inflammation, and help clear breakouts. If you’re looking for a moisturizer packed with anti-aging properties, than a moisturizer with peptides is a great way to go. Drunk Elephant’s is a super popular (and expensive) option, but The Inkey List’s Peptide Moisture is a pretty good dupe if you’re looking for something less pricey.
6. Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado vs. Yes to’s Avocado Fragrance-Free Daily Eye Cream
I am a fan of Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. It’s a great eye cream that instantly moisturizes and wakes up tired eyes. It contains avocado oil which moisturizes, soothes, and protects the skin. While I love this eye cream by Kiehl’s…that price though…I can’t say I’m a fan of that if I’m being honest. Eye creams are not products that I like to splurge on. While I do enjoy them, they just aren’t necessities in my skin care routine anymore. Yes to’s Avocado Eye Cream is a great product for those who are like me, and enjoy a good eye cream, but don’t want to break the bank purchasing one. It’s a fragrance-free formula that contains hyaluronic acid, avocado oil, and jojoba oil which hydrate and moisturize the under-eye.
7. Tatcha’s The Rice Wash Skin-Softening Cleanser vs. 9Wishes’ Rice Foaming Cleanser
I’ve gotten a sample of Tatcha’s Rice Water Cleanser and I actually really enjoyed it. Fermented Rice Water has great antioxidant properties which provide anti-aging benefits to the skin such as firming, soothing and brightening. Tatcha’s Rice Water cleanser also gently cleanses the skin without stripping it of its natural oils, which is what I look for in a great cleanser. It also has small beads in it that provide a gentle exfoliation that’s safe for everyday use. The 9wishes’ Rice Foaming Cleanser is pretty similar at a much more affordable price. It’s a mild rice water cleanser that contains rice flour which is a gentle exfoliator that can be used everyday.
8. Peter Thomas Roth’s Pumpkin Enzyme Mask Enzymatic Dermal Resurfacer vs. Nola Skinsential's’ Pumpkin Enzyme Mask
Peter Thomas Roth’s Pumpkin Enzyme Mask does a great job of exfoliating the skin and improving texture and tone. I actually notice a brightening effect immediately after washing when I use this mask. This mask contains pumpkin enzyme, AHAs, and aluminum oxide crystals to exfoliate, chemically peel, and polish the skin’s surface. I will admit, it’s a bit intense, and I found that my mask expired before I was even able to finish it because of how infrequent I needed to use it, so most of that $60 was pretty much thrown in the trash. Nola Skinsentials luckily also has a great, more affordable pumpkin enzyme mask that’s a bit less intense, but still does a great job of exfoliating and revealing radiant skin.
*Bonus: Nola Skinsentials is a black-owned brand. Love to see it!
9.Lancôme’s Advanced Génifique Anti-Aging Face Serum vs. L'Oreal Paris’ Revitalift Triple Power Anti-Aging Serum
I’ve heard nothing but good things about Lancôme’s Advanced Génifique Anti-Aging Face Serum. It’s packed with ingredients that help target multiple signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles, dullness, dryness, etc. While this product is highly raved about and worth the try, it is on the expensive side. If you’re looking for an anti-aging serum that’s a bit more affordable, look into L'Oreal’s Revitalift Triple Power Anti-Aging Serum. While ingredients are a bit different than Lancôme’s, it also works to fight multiple signs of aging. The serum actually contains a patented L'Oreal ingredient called Pro-Xylane which improves fine lines, wrinkles and uneven skin.
10. First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair® Oat & Hemp Seed Dry Oil vs FaceTory’s Oats Calming Glow Weightless Facial Oil
My skin absolutely loves oat. It’s an anti-inflammatory that helps moisturize dry skin, reduce redness and irritation, and soothe the skin. I have sensitive skin, so mixing an oat oil with my moisturizer at the end of the day feels absolutely amazing. It definitely helps to desensitize my skin and protect my moisture barrier. First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair® Oat & Hemp Seed Dry Oil is one of my absolute favorite oat-containing oils. It’s a constant rebuy for me, but FaceTory’s Oats Calming Glow Weightless Facial Oil is also a great oil for dry and sensitive skin. It contains oats, squalane, and rice water, which together help maintain moisture, calm redness, brighten, hydrate, and smooth out skin texture.