Dull skin getting you down? You’ll be pleased to hear that there are products out there which can help to brighten the complexion and restore a dewy glow. But, how much do these cost exactly?
The price of skincare can vary wildly depending on which brand you turn to. Plus, it can be even harder to figure out the cost when it may take more than one product to brighten the skin. We’re here to shed some light on the mystery.
Here at Face Dr, our team of Skin Experts have decades of experience working with the latest and greatest products out there. We’ve helped thousands of clients get the glowing skin we’re all striving for. So, while the world of skincare price tags can be daunting, we’ve broken down exactly what it’ll cost to brighten the skin.
We include options for those with a budget of:
- Up to £25
- £25 to £75
- More than £75
From high street products to cosmeceutical brands, there’s something for every budget. However, here at Face Dr we always recommend only the best medical-grade brands to suit any budget, not available on the high street. This is because, by in large, skincare products available on the high street just won't have enough of the high-concentrated active ingredients needed for long-lasting results. However, in this article we will include a range of products including Face Dr recommendations and our best pick of high street products and let you decide what's best for your skin. If you’re looking for advice on how to put these products into a skincare routine or what ingredients, in particular, you should look out for, we’ve covered that too.
What is dull skin?
Before we dive into the numbers, it’s important to know a bit about why skin can be dull in the first place. Firstly, though dull skin isn’t a medical diagnosis, it’s often recognised as skin that looks tired, flat, grey, lifeless and just not as healthy and glowing as it should be.
The most common causes of dull skin are:
- A buildup of dead skin cells
- Dehydration
- Poor diet and lifestyle
- Your environment—like pollution and dry air
- Sun damage
- Using the wrong skincare products
How much does it cost to get glowing skin?
This is the big question and unfortunately, there’s not a straightforward answer. Of course, the brands and products you choose will change the price dramatically, but it also depends how dull your skin is looking and if you need a whole new skincare routine to get it glowing again.
Highstreet vs medical-grade products
The biggest difference in price is between high street and medical grade brand products. What exactly is the difference? Medical grade skincare contains a higher concentration of active ingredients and can often penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin. Not only are they more effective, they often work much quicker, too. In addition, we find that before coming to us, many of our clients have wasted hundreds on high street products that simply don't work, making them false economy. For this reason, we recommend medical grade products, especially as there are a range of brands to fit every budget.
While high street skincare products can start from as little as £5, many simply aren’t that effective, so you can easily spend lots of money on skincare that just isn’t doing its job. Most medical grade products start from about £15, with targeted treatments being more expensive, but provide real results.
Here’s how much it costs to tackle tired-looking skin.
Up to £25
If you’re on a tight budget, you can boost your skin’s radiance for under £25. For an entire skincare care routine on this budget, explore Garnier, who have exfoliating scrubs and blemish-clearing cleansers, or Avène, whose serums and exfoliating masks are customer favourites.
For this price tag though, it can be better to invest in one key product instead of spreading your budget across the entire skincare routine. For example, you can use the best serum or exfoliator you can afford and use a cheaper cleanser. This is because serums are the perfect opportunity to deliver powerful ingredients to the skin and exfoliating away dead skin cells is the most important step to tackling dull skin.
For products under £25 which pack a punch, try Clinique’s Vitamin C serum for a dose of the radiance-boosting ingredient or Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel Exfoliant for a powerful exfoliating product.
Products to try:
- Avène Cleanance Mask-Scrub £10
- Avène Hydrance Intense Serum £15
- Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel Exfoliant £24
- Clinique Fresh Pressed 7-Day System with Pure Vitamin C £25
£25 to £75
With up to £75 to spend, you can start to bring in more products to hydrate, exfoliate and refresh the skin. Again, it can sometimes be more beneficial to pick one or two key players in your routine, like a serum and exfoliating product, and use lower-priced products elsewhere.
Some options could include La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C which brightens the complexion, Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution for those with uneven skin tones and dullness from discolouration, or the ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish to buff away dead skin cells and reveal a dewy complexion.
If you want one go-to product that can cleanse and brighten at the same time, try the ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser for a daily dose of exfoliation.
Products to try:
- La Roche-Posay 10% Pure Vitamin C £38
- ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser £39
- Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution £42
- ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish around £50
More than £75
If your budget is more than £75, you’re in the best place to get glowing skin in no time. That’s because skincare works as a whole system, so often the best results come from a routine with brightening products, rather than just one product. With this budget you can ensure you’re using a high-quality cleanser every day, a serum to boost hydration and a high-grade exfoliating product.
Serums to consider include SkinCeuticals HA Intensifier Serum to boost the skin’s hyaluronic levels and hydration. ZO Skin Health’s Brightalive Skin Brightener is another option for a serum as it has been specifically designed to boost radiance and brighten the complexion.
For powerful exfoliators guaranteed to buff away dullness, look to the Obagi Professional-C Microdermabrasion Polish + Mask plus the brand’s Professional-C Serum range has a vitamin C serum for every skin type which can leave skin glowing.
- Obagi Professional-C Microdermabrasion Polish + Mask £87
- SkinCeuticals HA Intensifier Serum £90
- ZO Brightalive Skin Brightener £96
- Obagi Professional-C Serum 20% £71 to £109
Need help deciding?
We hope that’s shed some light on what exactly the price of treating dull skin is. Whether you have a specific budget in mind or just need help getting started, why not turn to an expert for advice?
At Face Dr we offer free online consultations with a member of our team. They’ll analyse your skin and ask about your specific concerns. Armed with this information, they’ll be able to recommend brands and products that can help wake up tired skin and restore a healthy glow. We only recommend products and brands that use high-grade ingredients and have proven results, so you can trust you’ll get value for your money, whatever you’re spending.
As well as product recommendations, our experts can share advice on how to use them and how to build the best skincare routine for you. Plus, they can give you a clear idea of what exactly it’ll cost to get skin glowing.
Want to find out more about how to banish dull skin for good? Click the titles below to read more:
How to choose the right skincare ingredients to tackle dull skin
Which skincare brands are best to get glowing skin
