Inexpensive Hyaluronic Acid: As good as its luxe sisters?

Hyaluronic acid is a skincare favourite in the beauty world. But do the cheaper versions work as well as the luxe ones?

Hyaluronic acid is one of our favourite go-to products here at Beaut HQ. When our skin is lacking bounce or needs a good dose of moisture, it is the only thing that will do the job - and quickly. After all, the little powerhouse molecules hold 1000 times their weight in water. And if that can't help, what can?

We know that hyaluronic acid is good for our skin, that's a given. But with so many different versions on the market, how do you know which will be most effective? Will they really deliver on their promises?

When we were first introduced to hyaluronic acid, there were really only expensive luxury serums and moisturisers available. But more recently there have been less expensive versions launching. The question is, are they as good as their luxe sisters?

Luxe

One of our all time favourite HA serums is by the Irish brand Pestle & Mortar. It's won countless awards, been featured in practically every high fashion glossy and has a score of influential fans. So we're in good company with our tastes eh? At €43 though, it isn't exactly cheap. Although, in saying that it's not astronomically pricey either when you consider the results it gives.

Take the Skinceuticals version for example, which is over double the price. It's fantastic yes, but also, pretty harsh on the ol' wallet.

Less

It's impossible to mention skin care on a budget without talking about The Ordinary. Their affordable skin care stormed the beauty world and has gained legions of fans. The high-performance skin care works well and comes in usually around the €6 - €12 mark. Similarly, The Inkey List (recently launched in Arnotts) has a hyaluronic acid serum for less than eight euro in their stable. French skincare favourites La Roche-Posay and Vichy also have HA serums available which are moremid-rangee in price at about €20 - €35.

But - are they as good?

What is interesting when you compare these, is that the main differences come in the packaging. The inexpensive ones often save money by using plastic over glass packaging. There are fewer frills involved. In terms of performance, they can vary but do often hold up against their luxe sisters day to day.

Our favourite is probably always going to be the Pestle & Mortar serum, but if our bank account is looking a little sad, there's no reason why we wouldn't opt for a cheaper version. If it does the job, why not, eh?

Are you a fan of less expensive skin care? Or do you prefer to stick to luxe?