Shopping at everyone’s favourite German supermarket has always meant that a few ‘extra’ things land in the basket, but did you know that there is a whole range of cruelty free and vegan skincare by Aldi to explore? Me neither! As a long-time Aldi fan, I was super thrilled when they offered to send me a few of their current beauty staples – while I do a lot of my day-to-day shopping there (and we have an impressive collection of their Little Town wooden toy range), their in-house Lacura brand isn’t one I’ve bought frequently. But I’ve been hearing good things, so I wanted to see for myself if the budget-friendly range could live up to the hype!
Vegan Skincare at Aldi – First Impressions!
My first thought when I opened the bright orange box full of goodies was how clearly labelled everything was. Most Aldi products are Cruelty Free International (that’s the leaping bunny!) certified, and everything they sent me also stated clearly that it was suitable for both vegetarians and vegans. That’s often something that’s totally lacking from packaging, so bonus points right there! I also loved the decent sizes, the fuss-free packaging, and the jade roller thrown in for good measure!
With all skincare, it’s never a good idea to throw your existing regime out of the window and replace all your products in one go, so I’ve been phasing in my vegan skincare Aldi range one by one over the course of a few weeks. I’ve broken down my thoughts on each of the products below, and will update this post as I work my way through them all!
The Jade Face Roller
Opinions are divided on whether face rollers really do anything, but I’ve got to say that my skin is always in much better condition if I’ve used one the night before. Sure, it might just be because I’ve worked in my moisturiser and facial oil properly and relieved tension with a mini massage, but if it works, why question it! This particular version is sturdy, and hopefully won’t break like the last one I had when I inevitably drop it…
Multi-Peptide Moisturiser
I was hesitant to try the Multi-Peptide Moisturiser, I’ve often struggled with anything but the most gentle of creams and I was worried this would irritate my skin. It is, however, absolutely gorgeous! The pump-lid hybrid is a bit strange, it means you always have the perfect amount of moisturiser, but it also makes it much harder to recycle. The product itself though is absolute perfection, it absorbs quickly, leaves no oily residue, and has left my skin glowing!
Glycolic Serum
If you’ve been following my Instagram, you’ll know that I’ve been incorporating more actives, particularly to help smooth and even out my skin tone. I’ve been using this glycolic serum every few days as part of my evening routine, and it works SO well! I’m particularly prone to uneven texture around my nose and cheeks, and whenever I’ve used this I wake up with perfectly smooth skin.
Original Hot Cloth Cleanser
One I’ve not yet had a chance to try. I used to love a good hot cloth cleanse in the evenings, but with life getting more hectic, it’s something that just fell out of my routine. I’m looking forward to starting up this little self-care ritual again!
Pineapple Microdermabrasion Scrub
Using more acid-based exfoliants means I’ve been slacking on the physical exfoliating products, but really I need to make an effort to balance both types to get their benefits! I’m looking forward to giving this a go, especially because I love pineapple!
Healthy Glow Glycolic Toner
Another one on the yet-to-try list – this has been around for some years and it has absolute rave reviews. It’s such an affordable toner and comes in a generous size, and as it’s not a spray, I’ll be using it with my reusable cotton rounds.
Rose Facial Oil
The rose facial oil was actually the first of all the products I tried – together with the jade roller, it’s an absolute treat to finish my PM routine with. The scent is lovely, it softens and hydrates my skin, and you only need a few drops to see the benefit. Of all the vegan skincare Aldi sent over, I think this one may be my favourite!
Jelly Cleanser
My final to-try product as I’m still using up my current cleanser! I’m really quite excited for this jelly cleanser, as I keep seeing jelly texture products everywhere and everyone seems to love them. This will make a perfect second cleanse, in combination with the hot cloth cleanser!
Vegan Skincare at Aldi – Final Thoughts
I’m no expert on skincare formulation, but these affordable products work. I can’t fault any of the ones I’ve tried so far, and will almost certainly be repurchasing at least some of them. My main criticism of the range is that I feel it could have done more on the eco side. But mostly fuss-free packaging that’s straightforward to recycle, and the budget-friendly aspect making it generally quite accessible mean that the range ticks really quite a lot of boxes. So when we’re thinking about the affordable, actives-led, functional future of vegan skincare, Aldi may just be right up there at the front!