Having an effective, results-driven skincare routine doesn’t need to break the bank. There are plenty of cheap UK skincare products that will make your skin feel hydrated and smooth as well as look radiant and healthy.
Whether you’re looking to strengthen your skin barrier, revitalise dull skin, get rid of stubborn blackheads, soothe irritation, or relieve dryness, this post shares some of the best cheap UK skincare products that actually work.
Abib Airy Sunstick Smoothing Bar SPF50+
£14.70 for 23g
The Abib Airy Sunstick Smoothing Bar SPF50+ is a fantastic and convenient solid SPF50. It has a velvety smooth texture that doesn’t leave a white cast and glides effortlessly over the skin. Once applied, it’s completely undetectable. It’s comfortable, hydrating, and ultra-lightweight, which makes it perfect for topping up SPF throughout the day. This is a summer skincare must-have!
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
£5 for 30ml
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is a brilliant way to incorporate the powerhouse ingredient niacinamide into your skincare routine. Niacinamide visibly minimises enlarged pores, tightens lax pores, improves uneven skin tone, softens fine lines and wrinkles, diminishes dullness, and strengthens a weakened surface. It can help regulate sebum production in the skin so it’s less oily and supports the skin’s barrier. The Ordinary’s formula is lightweight, which makes it perfect for blemish-prone and oily skin types.
Simple Soothing Facial Toner
£4.50 for 200ml
The Simple Soothing Facial Toner is a very cheap UK skincare product, coming in at under £5! This vegan, fragrance-free, and cruelty-free toner hydrates and soothes the skin. It features the humectants hydrogenated starch hydrolysate and sodium PCA alongside soothing allantoin. It’s simple yet effective.
CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser
£11.45 for 236ml at LookFantastic with my code LFTFBLOGSARAH
The CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser offers a 0.5% concentration of salicylic acid to help smooth rough, dry, and bumpy skin. It’s fragrance-free and provides gentle exfoliation, thanks to barrier-strengthening ceramides and hydrating hyaluronic acid. As you don’t leave cleansers on the skin, this is a very tolerable formula and perfect for people who may be sensitive to typical exfoliating products. It’s perfect for those wanting even skin texture.
The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Sheet Mask
£6 for 1 mask
The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Sheet Mask is a quick and affordable way to pamper yourself at home. Revitalise dull with this radiance-boosting sheet mask, which makes skin look brighter and healthier. Hyaluronic acid and glycerin hydrate the skin, vitamin C brings the glow, and aloe vera soothes the skin. This vegan sheet mask delivers instant results!
COSRX Master Patch Intensive
£10.49 for 36 patches at LookFantastic with my code LFTFBLOGSARAH
The COSRX Master Patch Intensive is one of the most effective and fast-working spot patches you’ll ever try. These clear hydrocolloid patches work overnight to help reduce the appearance of breakouts, associated redness, and blemishes. They make spots less bumpy overnight while easing any irritation around the pimple.
Byoma Hydrating Serum
£12.99 for 30ml at Sephora with my code SARAHSSPH
The Byoma Hydrating Serum is a beautiful ceramide-enriched product that will moisturise your skin. It’s gentle, hydrating, and helps boost the skin’s barrier. If your skin is dehydrated or dry, or you simply want to focus on soft, smooth, and glowing skin, this serum is a cheat code. All Byoma products are affordable and effective at strengthening the skin’s barrier.
NUXE Rêve de Miel Lip Balm
£10.27 for 15g at LookFantastic with my code LFTFBLOGSARAH
The NUXE Rêve de Miel Lip Balm is divine and luxurious. This creamy lip balm is enriched with nourishing honey, shea butter, and sweet almond oil to hydrate and protect the lips. The formula is non-greasy and non-sticky. If you want smooth, soft, and comfortable lips, this balm quickly repairs chapped and sore lips. It smells sweet and with subtle citrus undertones.
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel
£14.25 for 50ml
The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel is an iconic, refreshing gel moisturiser. This watery cream is lightweight and absorbs instantly, making it perfect for oily and combination skin that may find typical creamy moisturisers too rich. It’s hydrating, plumping, and makes skin dewy. It’s formulated with hydrating hyaluronic acid and glycerin.
Pixi Glow Tonic
£14.22 for 250ml at LookFantastic with my code LFTFBLOGSARAH
The Pixi Glow Tonic is a cult classic. This exfoliating toner is powered by glycolic acid to deliver smooth and even skin texture and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Aloe vera helps to soothe and hydrate the skin to help offset potential irritation. This is the secret to a radiant and healthy complexion in a bottle.
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water for Sensitive Skin
£7.99 for 400ml
The Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water for Sensitive Skin is a classic affordable skincare product. This gentle and effective micellar water cleanser easily removes stubborn makeup and can be used on the eyes, lips, and face. It’s vegan, cruelty-free, and features hydrating glycerin. After removing makeup and skincare with this micellar water, follow up with a different hydrating cleanser to ensure there’s no leftover residue, and your skin will be left fresh, hydrated, and clean.
The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum
£7.99 for 30ml
The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum is one of this affordable brand’s most popular products. Featuring hydration hero hyaluronic acid, this serum is lightweight and delivers lasting moisture. It’s suitable for all skin types and leaves skin plump, smooth, and dewy. This is the perfect way to incorporate hyaluronic acid into your skincare routine.
Dermatica Caring Squalane Cream Cleanser
£12.95 for 150ml
The Dermatica Caring Squalane Cream Cleanser is a cream-to-oil-to-milk cleanser. This nourishing formula easily removes makeup, dirt, oil, and grease, without stripping the skin or leaving it feeling tight. It’s gentle, so it won’t irritate sensitive skin either. This is the perfect product for your first cleanse as part of an evening skincare routine.
Skin Proud Recharge Serum
£13.95 for 25ml
The Skin Proud Recharge Serum is a very affordable retinol serum, especially considering a lot of retinol products cost upwards of £30! A 0.5% concentration of retinyl palmitate (a derivative of retinol) works as an antioxidant to prevent signs of ageing. This vegan and cruelty-free serum is also enriched with hydrating hyaluronic acid and nourishing rosehip oil to help buffer any potential irritation and make this formula more tolerable.
Weleda Skin Food
£11.21 for 75ml at LookFantastic with my code LFTFBLOGSARAH
Weleda Skin Food is a dry skin must-have. This rich and intensive moisturiser instantly relieves dry skin. Its thick consistency delivers long-lasting moisture and acts as a protective barrier on the skin to defend against dryness and environmental stressors. It can be used on the face or body for nourished, radiant skin. This cream can be used all year round but is particularly suitable for colder and harsher winter months to restore skin.
Q+A Caffeine Eye Serum
£5.52 for 15ml at Sephora with my code SARAHSSPH
The Q+A Caffeine Eye Serum is designed to reduce puffiness, brighten, and minimise the appearance of dark circles around the under-eye area. Caffeine, cucumber water, and green tea extract help soothe tired eyes. It’s also vegan and cruelty-free.
Bondi Sands Sunscreen Lotion Fragrance Free SPF50+
£8.99 for 150ml
The Bondi Sands Sunscreen Lotion Fragrance Free SPF50+ is an incredibly affordable SPF. Most sunscreens sit around the £20 mark and upwards, so the fact this SPF50 formula is under £10 is excellent. This formula is lightweight, non-greasy, absorbent and leaves no white cast. It’s hydrating, doesn’t pill, and is free from fragrance, making it suitable for all skin types.
Glow Hub The Scar Slayer Facial Serum
£14 for 30ml
The Glow Hub The Scar Slayer Facial Serum targets pigmentation, scarring, and dark spots left over from breakouts. It incorporates tranexamic acid, which fades the look of post-breakout marks, reduces redness, and fades discolouration caused by sun damage. While 3-O ethyl ascorbic acid (a form of vitamin C) helps brighten, reduce wrinkles, and fade hyperpigmentation to restore a more even skin tone.
e.l.f. Cosmetics Holy Hydration! Face Cream Fragrance Free
£13 for 50g
The e.l.f. Cosmetics Holy Hydration! Face Cream Fragrance Free delivers lasting hydration. This lightweight and absorbent formula instantly refreshes and plumps skin with a dewy finish. It’s absorbent and free from fragrance, making it perfect for sensitive skin. Oily and combination skin types will particularly appreciate the non-greasy finish.
Coats Gentle Dual Exfoliant Cream
£15 for 75ml
The Coats Gentle Dual Exfoliant Cream is a lovely non-abrasive formula. This creamy exfoliant is applied to damp skin, left on for 2 minutes, and then washed away. Mandelic acid and lactic acid work to make the complexion smoother, more even, and glowy. It doesn’t feature big exfoliating particles, which are harsh on the skin. Instead, the formula feels hydrating and creamy.
Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum
£14 for 30ml
The Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum is designed to supercharge lacklustre skin. 60% propolis helps to soothe skin, while the powerhouse niacinamide works to brighten the complexion, regulate sebum production, minimise the appearance of enlarged pores, and support the skin’s barrier. This serum is healthy skin in a bottle. It’s lightweight, non-sticky, and layers well with other skincare products.
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser
£11.06 for 75ml at LookFantastic with my code LFTFBLOGSARAH
The Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser is a fantastic non-stripping gel cleanser. It works into a mild foam that leaves skin feeling fresh and moisturised. It’s designed for all skin types and gently dissolves excess oil, dirt, and debris. Use this as your morning or second cleanse to keep skin revitalised and clean.
Sarah Sarsby is the owner of A Woman's Confidence. With over 5 years' experience of writing in the fields of beauty and lifestyle, Sarah is passionate about all things content, makeup, skincare, wellness, and lifestyle. She has oily skin, is obsessed with lip gloss, and loves cookie dough.
I love the Skin Food! This is such a comprehensive list – thank you!