I’m a beauty editor and tried Aldi’s new anti-ageing skincare – I was sceptical about a £4.99 buy but they converted me

WHEN you think of Aldi skincare, you probably think of dupes. 

I was recently impressed by their Visage Ionic Hairdryer, £14.99, and I am a regular buyer of their luxe-looking candles. 

Aldi

The new Aldi HA5+ range promises to hydrate and tighten skin[/caption]

While Aldi do have an extensive range of products inspired by cult buys, they have an even more impressive range of own-brand skincare, and it’s expanding. 

A new 4-piece anti-ageing skincare range hits stores this Sunday, 9th March, and every product is under £10. 

The HA5+ collection includes a Day Cream, £7.99, Night Cream, £7.99, Eye Cream, £4.99 and Facial Serum, £6.99, and I put them to the test. 

Here’s everything you need to know. 

Aldi

Aldi’s HA5+ Day Cream delivers lightweight hydration[/caption]

Lacura HA5+ Day Cream, £7.99

This lotion-like cream promises to deliver intensely hydrated and youthful skin, plumping fine lines and boosting radiance. . 

Star ingredients include a blend of not one, but five different kinds of hylauronic acid, which draw moisture into the skin alongside nourishing  acacia, almond oil and shea butter. 

The packing also boasts UV filters, but as there’s no SPF rating for the product, I’d take that with a pinch of salt and apply an additional SPF as normal. 

I’m quite fussy when it comes to moisturiser – I like something that’s lightweight but still leaves my face feeling soft, and shockingly, this ticks all the boxes. 

A little goes a long way so the pot will last for ages, although it’s definitely one for those of us with skin on the oily side, as if you struggle with dryness, it won’t be rich enough. 

Another thing to note is that it has a quite heavy, almost medicinal scent – I don’t mind it, but it might irritate sensitive skin. 

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Aldi’s HA5+ Night Cream is an unexpected hit with Beauty Editor Tara Ledden[/caption]

Lacura HA5+ Night Cream, £7.99

I feel compelled to be upfront with the fact I don’t usually use a night cream. 

As I mentioned, I’ve got oily skin, so tend to use the same moisturiser day and night rather than two separate products – and went into trying this cream with low expectations. 

The ingredients list the same 5-strong hyaluronic acid complex that runs throughout the range, with additional watermelon seed oil to prevent overnight moisture loss and support the cells natural overnight regeneration process. 

At first, I was put off by the super thick texture – it’s almost like a balm, but when I put it on my face it didn’t feel at all cloying or heavy. 

There’s no greasy or oily residue, which is what I’d expected, and instead it felt like swiping velvet on my skin, leaving it soft and supple. 

I’ve even applied a thick layer and left it on my face for a few hours, so it would act like a face mask and leave my skin hydrated – think of it as a lighter alternative to the slugging trend, suitable for even spot-prone skin like mine. 

Surprisingly, it’s my favourite product from the range, and I could definitely see myself continuing to use it in future. 

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Aldi’s HA5+ Serum didn’t live up to Beauty Editor Tara Ledden’s expectations[/caption]

Lacura HA5+ Serum, £6.99 

Featuring acacia – which is rich in fatty acids to help boost the skin barrier, and citric acid, which gently exfoliates dead skin cells to brighten, this serum claims to have visible lifting and tightening properties, leaving the skin plump, smooth and radiant. 

Serums are usually my favourite skincare step – they’re virtually weightless, and sink in fast, so it’s a great way to get change-making active ingredients onto skin without feeling like you’re wearing loads of layers. 

This is on the thicker side, which I’m normally a fan of as it makes application easier, and often means they’re more hydrating, but in this case it’s too thick to work with the pipette style packaging which makes it near impossible to get out. 

Despite the four-inch long pipette – which you’d expect to house enough product for a couple of days’ worth of full-face application, you can only pick up a pea-sized amount, so it took me a good few minutes to get enough serum to cover my whole face, which is much more effort that I’d ideally go to twice a day. 

Once on skin, it dries down fast and leaves my skin feeling quite tight, almost as if I’d applied a peel- off face mask. 

The quick-drying formula may help reduce the appearance of wrinkles on more mature skin by freezing skin in place, but it left me uncomfortable. 

It’s also very heavily scented, which isn’t ideal for sensitive skin. 

Worst of all, as soon as I applied moisturiser on top, it piled – falling off my face in scraps like those that come off an eraser when you’re rubbing out a pencil.  

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If you’re not normally a fan of eye cream, Aldi HA5+ Eye Cream will change your mind[/caption]

Lacura HA5+ Eye Cream (£4.99, 15ml). 

Much like night cream, I don’t tend to use eye cream on a regular basis.

Whether or not you need a dedicated cream is one of the most-contentious beauty conversations, and I tend to err on the side of low-maintenance and use my moisturiser instead. 

However, this clever gel-water cream might convince me to switch sides. 

When I say it’s weightless, trust that once I’d applied it, I forgot it was even there. 

It sinks in almost instantly, leaving my under-eyes soft without any noticeable texture change – which is great for layering under make-up as it won’t impact how it applies or wears. 

Because it’s so lightweight, it also won’t cause milia, the tiny, hard white spots that can crop up with heavier products around the eye area. 

The packaging claims the cream will reduce puffiness, minimise the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and soothe the delicate skin around the eye area with protective acacia – none of which I noticed, but the skin around my eyes definitely felt nourished. 

Given the gel-like texture, I could also see myself using this all over my face in-place of moisturiser on holidays, when I’ve got to get everything into the tiny clear-plastic cabin bag. 

If you’re on the fence about eye cream, this is definitely one to try!