11 best skincare products under £15, according to our beauty writer

The ultimate SPF with a skincare ingredient element, Garnier’s niacinamide UV protectant serum is unbelievably good for the price. We love how feather-light it feels on sweatier days and found it didn’t irritate our eyes as much as thicker formulas (eye irritation with face SPFs can be a common teething problem). With regards to where this product sits in a skincare routine, it can be layered between your serum and moisturiser, and of course, be used last, as a typical SPF.

This is one of the best value-for-money picks, particularly owing to the strong ingredients line-up, including niacinamide and salicylic acid. If your budget is really tight, this formula makes cutting out your toner and serum possible.

We’ve been using the Face Halo remover pads for several years now. The texture of the pads can be likened to a dressing gown and we are impressed by how effectively they remove a full face of make-up with only so much as a splash of water.

What’s more, we were impressed by the pad’s ability to even remove waterproof make-up. We found it much less irritating on the eyes than a face wipe or even a cotton pad and micellar water.

The sort of cleanser you’d definitely reach for in winter, COSRX’s formula smells soothing, with an almost deep heat essence – minty and herbal. The product is designed for dry skin and it lathers up when applied – this means it doesn’t make the skin tight in the same way other foaming cleansers do.

It’s a perfect morning cleanse and, in terms of value for money, it’s worth noting that we used this as a second cleanse in the evening after we’ve removed our make-up.

An ideal pick for every skin type, e.l.f.’s pure skin toner is generously sized, gentle on the skin and jam-packed with some of our favourite actives. Niacinamide is at the core of this toner, working to keep your skin’s oil table balanced without any possible irritation that comes with pore-refining AHAs and BHAs.

Similarly, we were pleased to find the inclusion of oats within the formula, making it a great option for sensitive skin. We found it to be both comfortable and calming. Owing to the fairly runny formula, we found a little goes a long way.

This eye cream was one of our go-to products when travelling on a budget and has since been a mainstay in our skincare arsenal thanks to its calming, brightening effects.

For less than £10, we were pleased to see a metallic sheen, which is usually an element reserved for more premium price points. Similarly, the inclusion of green coffee beans in the formula means the product reminds us of Dermalogica’s awaken peptide eye gel with caffeine (£59, Lookfantastic.com), which is more than five times the price.

Along with The Ordinary, The Inkey List is one of our favourite cheap skincare brands. When reviewing this hyaluronic acid serum, we were let down by its small size but were pleased with the ‘stretch’ of the gooey-textured serum and felt it left our skin bouncy and hydrated.

It layered well with other skincare products and didn’t feel heavy, like other cream-based serums. A top pick for dehydrated skin and, for those not in the know, dehydrated – versus dry – means skin that is in need of water (where the alternative is usually in need of oily ingredients).

In its infancy, The Ordinary struggled to keep its products in stock, with its popular retinol and peeling solutions flying off the shelves. Owing to its hard-working, science-backed formulas, it is a go-to for many, even those with significant expendable incomes.

We found this serum to be a gentler introduction to retinol, with the addition of squalane balancing out the formula for a more nourishing result. We used the product two to three times a week at nighttime and think it would be a great pick for those with normal to dry skin types.

One of the products we were most impressed with is this moisturiser from Bubble. A relatively new brand in the skincare sphere, Bubble’s slam dunk moisturiser is aesthetically packaged, with a luxe-style dispenser (that we’d liken to a Kate Somerville product) and a lightweight and nourishing formula.

It works well as a day and night moisturiser, suitable for most skin types if a little too lightweight for dry, flaky skin in need of intervention. Even in these cases, the Bubble moisturiser could be layered with a face oil or heavier SPF, while for combination to oily skin types, it’s an affordable godsend.

A cult product for a reason, Weleda’s best-selling skin food range just had to be a part of this round-up, with celebrities including Julia Roberts and Emma Watson among fans of the calming cream.

While not one for those prone to shiny skin, skin food is a perfect pick for flakiness, dry patches and an all-over glow. Many shoppers cite the product as an excellent base for make-up and, when trying, we found the spa-like scent to be heavenly. We found it to be a good last step in our nighttime skincare and sealed in serums, eye creams and mists.

Yet another one of Victoria Beckham’s beauty heroes that’s made this list, Dr PawPaw’s original balm is a mainstay in our beauty bag, handbag and gym bag. We never leave the house without it and, the hands-free applicator is perfect for germ-filled spaces like the tube, train and bus (lest you catch something untoward).

We love the comforting feel of the product on our lips and find it really does help to plump, reduce fine lines and make the application of colours and glosses 10 times more seamless.

Dr Jart+ is the TikTok Korean skincare phenomenon that’s been filling our screens consistently since 2020. More of a mid-premium skincare brand, we were thrilled to see an item from the brand’s best-selling Cicapair range costing less than £10.

During testing, we enjoyed the cooling effect on the skin, which continued long after removing the sheet mask. The product leaves zero residue, making it perfect for make-up application post-use; though we did find it took a minute for the redness-soothing effects to work. We’d recommend using it either before bed or perhaps an hour or two before you plan to leave the house. It’s a top-budget mask pick, nonetheless.