The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?
Aldi’s new bargain vitamin C range is here, and we got a first look
The cost-cutting supermarket is back at it again, with a range of skincare for savvy savers
Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for insider tips and product reviews from our shopping experts
Sign up for our free IndyBest email
Our love affair with Aldi is no secret. By now, any regular IndyBest reader will have been regaled with our weekly Specialbuy selects, Le Creuset dupes, gin, air fryers and more, and we have no plans to break off our besotted bargain hunting anytime soon.
What you may not know is the supermarket has another range for savvy savers that goes beyond the peculiar pile that can be found in the middle aisle: skincare.
Named Lacura, the in-house brand stocks a wide range of sunscreen, make-up and skincare dupes of some of our favourite designer brands. New for 2022 is a range of vitamin C products.
Heralded as a powerful antioxidant and a skincare must-have amongst beauty buffs, vitamin C is known to reduce wrinkles, help prevent sun damage, increase collagen production and reduce dark spots and scarring. So, you can understand why we were so keen to test the cleanser, gel cream, eye cream and serum that comes in Aldi’s new range.
The bad news is that most of the range is in-store only, aside from the cleanser, so be sure to get down to your local Aldi to try to cop the collection. But, coming in at £4.99 or less, we think it’s a welcome addition to anyone’s bathroom cabinet – if you don’t believe us, then keep reading.
Read more:
How we tested
With a cleanser, serum, gel cream and eye cream, all included in the new range, it has all your basic skincare needs sorted for a simple daily routine. Using the products together in a vitamin C-focused routine, our tester got to swap out some of their favourite products for this Aldi range. Here’s how each product fared.
Lacura vitamin C hot cloth cleanser: £3.99, Aldi.co.uk
For those who love the feel of a flannel, this hot cloth cleanser may be for you. Complete with a 200ml face wash and a soft muslin face cloth, it has everything you need to wipe off make-up – although it wasn’t the best with waterproof mascara or glitter eyeshadow – in one fell swoop.
Similarly to the brightening daily cleanser below, it had the same orangey whiff, keeping within the orange-focused trend, and lathered up into a creamy foam for a really clean feeling. Enriched with vitamin C, E, cocoa butter and thyme oil, it does have an impressive number of ingredients within and does offer some hydration post wash too. Just be sure to patch test first, as some skin may be sensitive to vitamin C.
Lacura vitamin C brightening daily cleanser: £3.99, in-store only
Coming in at under £4, this cleanser is, as you’d expect, a bargain. The orangey whiff is the first thing our tester noticed, helping to get them wide awake while bleary-eyed washing their face in the morning. Starting out as an orange gel, it soon whipped up into a creamy foam instantly whipping away dirt for a clean feeling face.
The nod to the vitamin C comes from orange fruit water and orange extract, giving it its signature scent. But, sensitive-skinned folk, please note that it does have cocamidopropyl betaine as one of the main ingredients, which some people’s skin doesn’t get on well with. So, if you notice any tightness, itchiness or redness post-use, best to leave this one at the back of the cupboard and be sure to patch test before.
In-store only
Lacura vitamin C brightening serum: £4.99, in-store only
Most vitamin C serums come in at a much heftier price tag, so this was the product we were most keen to try. In the same orangey hue as the cleanser, it also has the same distinct whiff of the fruit, but, compared to other vitamin C serums we’ve tried, it was much heavier with a slightly tacky finish.
At just 30ml, it is on the smaller side, but that was to be expected when the price comes in at under a fiver. The product also comes with a pump for easy application, and you can also unscrew the lid to scrape every last bit out when you get to the end too.
Looking at the ingredients, 3-O ethyl ascorbic acid is the vitamin C of choice, which is one of the best when it comes to effectiveness – reducing wrinkles, brightening the skin and evening out skin tone. And at 15 per cent, it’s in an incredibly high concentration in this serum, so be sure to patch test before. In fact, you may need to work your way up to using this every day as even our tester, who is a regular vitamin C user, felt a slight tingle when putting this on. Five per cent PHA has also been added, gently exfoliating the skin, along with hyaluronic acid for hydration.
In-store only
Lacura vitamin C brightening gel cream: £4.99, in-store only
Clearly, Lacura really wanted to make a stand with the vitamin C push, as this lightweight gel cream is to go over your serum. Less orangey in scent, it smells more like that strange banana-like medicine we had as kids and it doesn’t quite give the same vibrant fresh feel as the cleanser or serum.
However, it did feel lovely and cooling on the skin while hydrating for a good seven to eight hours. 3-O ethyl ascorbic acid is again the vitamin C included but in a much smaller quantity than the serum, so although it does have a nice nod to the theme, don’t go expecting the same results.
In-store only
Lacura vitamin C brightening eye cream: £3.99, in-store only
Coming in an adorable 15ml pot this tiny eye cream is rather sweet. The same vitamin C derivative has been brought through to this product too, yet again in a smaller concentration than the serum. Camellia sinensis leaf extract also comes into play here and helps to protect the skin against UV damage. Lactobacillus helps to relieve dry and tight skin, while punica granatum extract offers antioxidant properties to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. And that’s just the start of this caffeine, vitamin C packed product.
It’s immediately cooling when applied to the eyes, making them feel much more awake for the day ahead, and it gave us a great boost of hydration too. As it’s a brand new launch, we haven’t been able to test it for too long so are yet to see whether it can tackle our dark circles and fine lines but looking at its ingredient list we are very hopeful.
In-store only
The verdict: Aldi’s Lacura vitamin C range
The benefits of vitamin C in skincare is not breaking news, but we’re often met with costly products that promise the world and it can be a little disheartening to part with the cash before knowing if they’ll truly work for your skin. Cue Aldi’s new Lacura vitamin C range and bargain beauty hunters couldn’t ask for much more.
The whole range can be bought for less than £25, which is quite a great price for a (near) complete skincare routine. But, if we had to pick only one product it would have to be the Lacura vitamin C brightening serum, thanks to its impressive vitamin C concentration and ingredient list – just proceed with care, as it is on the strong side. If you do find it a little too much, try diluting it down with your current moisturiser and applying it just two to three times a week until your skin gets used to it.
Voucher codes
For the latest discount codes on beauty ranges, try the links below:
Looking for more vitamin C products? Take a look at our guide to the best serums to buy