Are cheap skincare serums actually worth trying?

Since ingredients are typically listed in order of most to least present, the back of a bottle can give you some insight into a product’s effectiveness. As a general rule, Cauchi recommends looking for products where the ingredients you are looking for to treat a particular concern are near the top of the list.

But this rule doesn’t always apply. Retinol, which typically makes up about 1 per cent of a formula, will always be near the bottom of a list, explains Taylor.

While everyone’s skin will respond differently and “the efficacy of a formula should always be judged on the formula as a whole and not individual ingredients,” Rooney says there is scientific research into ingredients and the percentage at which they’re the most effective.

Not all brands will be transparent about percentages, so he recommends seeking out brands that are.

Sometimes, Rooney says, the best method is to try out a product for yourself. “At the end of the day, everyone’s skin is different. You could go to Aldi or Kmart and pick up something for a few dollars, try it for a couple of weeks and if it agrees with your skin, and it makes you feel good, then keep using it.“

However, Taylor says a skincare line like Kmart’s would be suitable for teenagers, as they have relatively low doses of active ingredients. “When you’re just starting out, you need to be really careful using these things because they can irritate skin.”

Consider your skincare routine as a whole

Just because active ingredients can be beneficial for your skin, doesn’t mean you want them in every single product. Most of the cleansers in Kmart’s skincare range, for example, contain exfoliating acids and retinol, Cauchi points out. So if you’re using most of the range, your skin is going to overload on active ingredients, causing damage to your skin barrier.

Favour quality packaging

Packaging can play a role in the longevity of the product. Cauchi says vitamin C and vitamin A in particular oxidise quickly when exposed to air and light, so look for opaque packaging. For the same reason, a pump bottle will help preserve a serum longer than a dropper.

Know what products to splurge on

“You can use a really cheap and cheerful cleanser, moisturizer and hyaluronic acid, but when it comes to vitamin C and retinol, you probably need to invest a little more,” says Taylor. Peptides are another product experts suggest investing in since the delivery system – and size of the molecules – matter.

Another way to cut down on costs is to invest in multipurpose products. Cauchi says vitamin C or A won’t have enough contact time in something like a cleanser to be effective, but a cleanser with a chemical exfoliator can be great. Ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and vitamin B are “in everything these days” and good to look out for.

And, as Taylor points out, you don’t need to overhaul your whole routine at once, which would be costly and potentially damaging to the skin. “We should not be chopping and changing our skincare – that is the worst thing we could be doing.”

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