Aldi’s CBD collection includes a cleanser, toner and moisturiser – here’s what we thought

With three skincare essentials included for under £15, it certainly sounds tempting

CBD oil, CBD gummies and CBD beauty are big buzzwords (The Independent)

In recent years, CBD has gained a lot of attention. But regular questions that still keep cropping up include: What is it? How can you get hold of it? What can it be used for? Luckily, we’re no newbies when it comes to the stuff, and we’re here to answer all your questions, as well as share an exciting announcement – budget retailer Aldi has just stepped up to the CBD plate.

Officially called cannabidiol, CBD is linked to cannabis. But before you start getting ready to blaze it 420 style – or run a mile in the opposite direction – it isn’t the same as its classic marijuana mate.

Derived from the hemp plant, CBD on its own is not classified as a drug substance by the World Health Organisation and does not cause any high feeling. While its effects are still heavily debated, according to Healthline, there is evidence to suggest that when it comes to skincare, CBD can regulate oil production (helping those who have acne), reduces inflammation to ease existing breakouts, and hydrates the skin to keep moisture levels high.

So, if that sounds like something you could do with – and we imagine almost everyone could – then it’s well worth a look into CBD skincare and its powers. Fortunately, Aldi has made it a whole lot easier, thanks to its new bargain bundle kit, comprising a facial cleanser, toner and moisturiser, all for under £15.

If that sounds too good to be true, then keep reading below, as in true IndyBest fashion, we put it to the test to see whether this beauty bundle was really a bargain or a bust.

How we tested

The CBD kit includes a facial cleanser, toner and moisturiser, providing the foundations of a good skincare routine and the bare basics for anyone looking to add their own favourite serums on top. So, not only was this quite a cost-saving set, but it was also incredibly easy to use.

Using the kit both morning and night for one week, we washed our face with the cleanser and warm water, following with a splash of the toner and sealing it in with the moisturiser. We tried not to use any other products alongside this trio (apart from sunscreen, of course) to truly see how it felt and changed the appearance of our skin. And here’s what we found…

Lacura CBD Collection: £14.97, Aldi.co.uk

(Aldi)

The refreshing facial cleanser

While the bottle may not be the most beautiful – we kept ours inside the bathroom cabinet – it does the job with a click-up cap that allows easy opening and closing. Just be sure not to squeeze the bottle too hard.

In an oil-based format, this cleanser is quite a joy to put on, lathering up into a milky foam once water is added and rubbed in. A little goes a long way, so rinse really well, or your toner will lather it back up, resulting in a bit of a sticky mess.

Read more: 11 best face cleansers for every skin type

Cannabidiol is one of the main ingredients, followed by orange essential oil, rosemary leaf oil, hops and lavender extracts, making the cleanser smell as amazing as you can probably imagine. While orange and rosemary help to fight acne, lavender deeply cleanses and hops stimulate circulation.

Our tester is a big fan of oil-based cleansers, as they deeply clean while removing stubborn make-up and even mascara in a hydrating way, and this oil cleanser was no different. Although our tester doesn’t have acne, they did notice a subtle reduction in redness, and the scent made the cleanser a joy to use. We just wished it came in a slightly bigger size, although this was quite good for holidays when every ounce counts.

The balancing facial toner

Toners can be hit or miss, either working as a lovely, refreshing finish to your cleansing routine, or smelling like alcohol and drying your face out. Our tester is rather sceptical of them for this reason –only using the best and often gets nervous to give others a try – but this one passed the test.

It comes in the same bottle as the cleanser, so although functional, it won’t be winning any points on aesthetics. Used either with a cotton-wool pad and smoothed across the face, or splashed on like an aftershave, the choice is yours, but try not to be wasteful, as at 120ml it isn’t going to last the longest time.

Read more: 9 best eye creams to combat dark circles, wrinkles and puffiness

A big plus for this toner is that there’s no alcohol smell – if you’ve ever opened up a toner that smelt suspiciously like vodka, you’ll know that’s a good thing. The main ingredient is water, which comes as no surprise, as it has a typical water-like texture.

Again, cannabidiol features heavily, as you would wish from a CBD toner, and the same key elements of orange essential oil, rosemary leaf oil, hops and lavender extract follow. It also includes cucumber seed extract, lemon peel extract and vitamins C, A and E, making it quite the skincare cocktail.

Hydrating moisturiser

In a glass bottle with a removable lid and pump, the moisturiser feels much more premium than the cleanser and toner, so we let this one stay out on the sink. However, at 50ml, it is on the smaller side, so isn’t going to last you that long.

Water and sunflower seed oil are the core ingredients, providing hydration while soothing skin at the same time. Sunflower seed oil is said to be especially good for sensitive, mature, oily, dry and combination skin types – which pretty much covers the lot.

Read more: 11 best sunscreens for your face that offer non-greasy SPF protection

Cannabidiol is again a focus ingredient with all of the same players as before, plus spirulina extract and hydrolysed wheat protein, which helps aid skin vibrancy and luminosity. It had a similar scent to the cleanser and toner but with a sweeter undertone.

The result

While we probably didn’t use the products long enough to see a huge difference in our complexion, they definitely did seem to soothe and calm redness. The cleanser made our face feel clean and quickly removed all dirt and make-up, while the toner locked in the fresh feeling. The moisturiser hydrated all day and night, all while smelling like a botanical mix of herbal goodness.

The verdict: Lacura CBD collection

Working out at around £5 each, we’d happily take any of the CBD collection products into our regular routines. And for overnight stays or holidays away when you’re looking to ditch the full-sized products, they’re quite a handy go-to. Working as a trio, they seemed to complement each other well, were easy to use and gave us the basis of a good skincare routine.

For anyone looking to test the CBD waters but aren’t quite ready to ingest anything, we’d urge this to be your first port of all. Cheap, cheerful and calming for the skin, we have no current complaints. Just be sure to do a patch test first, as with any new product, just in case.

Buy now

Looking for more CBD skincare? Take a look at our list of best CBD beauty buys