I spent so much money on high-end skincare thinking expensive meant better.
I’d buy a €60 serum thinking it would change my skin.
Then I’d try a €10 drugstore version of something similar and honestly it was like 80% as good.
Which made me realize I was paying for branding and packaging more than actual results.
That’s when I started actually comparing ingredients instead of just buying expensive.
And I found drugstore dupes that genuinely work just as well.
Not exactly the same products. But similar formulations that deliver similar results.
For like 1/5 the price.
Best drugstore dupes: The Ordinary for serums, CeraVe for moisturizers, Cetaphil for cleansers, Neutrogena for retinol. High-end skincare has better packaging and marketing but drugstore often has equal or similar ingredients at lower prices.
High-end skincare brands charge premiums for:
The actual active ingredients? Often similar to drugstore versions.
A €100 retinol serum and a €15 retinol serum have similar retinol concentrations.
They both do the same thing.
You’re paying €85 extra for the bottle and the brand name.
That’s not always a bad thing (nice packaging feels good) but it’s not necessary for results.
High-End:
High-End:
Drunk Elephant: vitamin C serum, fancy packaging, feels luxurious.
The Ordinary: vitamin C serum, basic packaging, same basic ingredient.
Results: basically identical. You’re paying €72 for the bottle.
La Mer: expensive moisturizer with fancy marketing, feels luxurious.
CeraVe: basic moisturizer with proven ingredients, does the same job.
Results: CeraVe is often better because of actual ingredients (ceramides).
You’re paying €285 for the La Mer name.
SK-II: expensive toner, hyped in Asia, feels special.
Thayers: basic astringent toner, does similar job.
Results: both work. Thayers is 90% as good. Paying €90 for branding.
Serums, retinols, niacinamide, vitamin C, AHAs, BHAs.
Minimal branding. Maximum ingredients. Cheap prices.
Quality is genuinely good. The products work.
Downside: basic packaging, minimal instructions, can be confusing.
This brand is literally the best drugstore skincare option.
Cleansers, moisturizers, sunscreen.
Recommended by dermatologists. Good ingredients. Affordable prices.
Quality is solid. Works for most skin types.
This brand is trusted for a reason.
Cleaners, moisturizers, basics.
Simple, gentle, effective.
Not trendy but reliable.
Sunscreen, retinol, cleansers, moisturizers.
Good prices. Solid quality. Wide availability.
Not fancy but works.
Witch hazel toner.
Cult classic for a reason. Effective and cheap.
Works for most skin types.
Affordable dupes of high-end products.
Quality varies but often surprisingly good.
Very cheap prices.
Minimalist, ingredient-focused, cheap.
Not fancy but effective.
Basic skincare products. Decent quality for price.
No frills. Functional.
House brands with good quality.
Accessible. Affordable.
Don’t try to find exact dupes. That’s impossible.
Instead find products with similar active ingredients at different price points.
Looking for:
Then try the cheaper version and see if you get similar results.
There are exceptions. Sometimes expensive skincare is actually better:
Advanced ingredients:
Some high-end brands develop truly innovative ingredients that drugstore doesn’t have yet.
Packaging matters for stability:
Some actives (like vitamin C) need special packaging to stay stable. Expensive brands often have better packaging.
Texture preference:
If you hate how drugstore products feel, high-end might be worth it for the experience.
Specific skin concerns:
Some expensive brands focus on specific issues (sensitive skin, rosacea) with better formulations.
But generally? Drugstore equals high-end for ingredients.
Look at ingredient lists.
Check the order (ingredients listed by concentration).
See if active ingredients are similar.
Websites like INCIDecoder can help compare ingredient lists.
If the active ingredients are the same or similar, it’s likely a good dupe.
Yes for active ingredients. No for packaging/experience. If you care about results, drugstore often equals high-end.
Packaging, marketing, brand prestige, sometimes better formulations for texture/feel. Actual effectiveness is often similar.
Genuinely good skincare. Minimal branding but solid ingredients. Lots of dermatologists recommend it.
Mix works fine. Maybe one high-end product you love, rest drugstore. Or all drugstore. Whatever works.
Sometimes yes. CeraVe is often better than luxury moisturizers because of actual ingredients (ceramides).
Morning:
Night:
Total: €30 drugstore, €68 high-end.
My skin is fine. The expensive moisturizer feels nice but the drugstore stuff does the heavy lifting.
Start with drugstore. See what works.
If you want to splurge on one high-end product for the experience, do it.
But don’t feel like you NEED expensive skincare for results.
Drugstore ingredients are often just as effective.
Save money. Use it for something else.
Your skin won’t know the difference.
What’s your favorite drugstore skincare product? Have you found good dupes? Tell me in the comments!