Superdrug's cheap as chips own-brand skincare range regularly appears on my social media feeds, and if you haven't tried anything from them before, why not start with this budget-friendly Liz Earle dupe? If you read my recent February Empties post, you may have spotted a little spoiler about this product, and I don't think I've ever had as many personal requests to do a review on a skincare item before!
Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser is a British beauty classic, and I've been using it on and off for years. In fact, there's almost always a tube of the stuff somewhere in my bathroom or skincare stash. It's easy to see why it's one of the best cream cleansers on the market as it absolutely destroys makeup in a matter of minutes, and always leaves my skin feeling thoroughly clean and refreshed.
However, it's pricey at £15 for just 100ml, so I'm not surprised that so many people have asked me about a cheaper dupe for it. The beauty industry has seen this demand too, as a lot of brands nowadays sell their own version of this classic cleanser, and Superdrug's Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser is one of the most popular alternatives.
Packaging & Size
The most notable difference, other than the price, is that Superdrug's version is packaged in a large 200ml tube as standard. There's no inbuilt pump like Liz Earle's, which makes dispensing it a little tricky as it's very easy to squeeze too much product out, but practice makes perfect. However, Liz Earle's larger 200ml cleanser size comes packaged in a similar tube without a pump! Currently, there are no travel size versions of the Superdrug one, whilst Liz Earle offers a range of different sizes. Superdrug's comes with a complimentary muslin cloth in the box, whereas Liz Earle only offers these as part of their Starter Kits or sets, or you can choose to purchase them separately.
Price
As mentioned earlier, Liz Earle's is £15 for 100ml or £26 for 200ml. Superdrug's is just £4.99 for a whopping 200ml. That's a pretty big price difference!
Ingredients
The ingredients for Liz Earle are:- Aqua (water), Caprylic/capric triglyceride, Theobroma cacao (cocoa) seed butter, Cetearyl alcohol, Cetyl esters, Cera alba (beeswax), Glycerin, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan stearate, Eucalyptus globulus leaf oil, Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, Humulus lupulus (hops) extract, Chamomilla recutita (matricaria) flower extract, Propylene glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Benzoic acid, Dehydroacetic acid, Sorbitol, Limonene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyaminopropyl biguanide, Citric acid, Sodium hydroxide.
Ingredients for Superdrug:- Aqua, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol (Vitamin E), Panthenol, Alcohol Denat., PEG-35 Castor Oil, Polysorbate 20, Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) Seed Extract, Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A), Inositol, Calcium Pantothenate (Vitamin B), Linoleic Acid (Vitamin F), Biotin (Vitamin H), Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, Citric Acid, Coumarin, Linalool, Buthylphenyl Methylpropional, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Disodium EDTA.
As you can see, there are some similarities between the two, with the first four ingredients being exactly the same, and they share a couple more ingredients throughout the INCI list. That said, there are a lot more 'undesirables' in the Superdrug formula, such as Alcohol Denat, Parfum and Disodium EDTA to name a few, which is often common with cheaper products in general. Both cleansers are certified cruelty-free, but only the Superdrug one is suitable for vegans as the Liz Earle contains beeswax.
Scent
Anyone who has ever used Liz Earle's will either love or hate their iconic fresh Eucalyptus scent. Personally, I love it, but I know many who don't! Superdrug's doesn't contain any Eucalyptus and instead has a sweeter, more Cocoa Butter based scent.
Texture & Performance
Both have a thick and creamy texture, but I'd say the Liz Earle is definitely thicker, as the Superdrug feels more like a rich moisturiser or sun cream. I tested them side by side to see how well they compared with removing a full face of makeup and it was a tough call to be honest! They both removed waterproof eye makeup including stubborn mascara, and they easily made short work of full coverage liquid foundation. The Liz Earle definitely felt more luxurious and refreshing to use though, but both left my face completely make-up free and feeling soft afterwards.
Overall thoughts?
Maybe it's my nostalgia for having used and loved the Liz Earle for so long, but I think I'll always continue to use it and have a tube in my stash. I much prefer the Eucalyptus scent of the Liz Earle and found the Superdrug one to be a little cloying at times. However, I am seriously impressed by the performance of the Superdrug cleanser which makes it a worthy dupe in my opinion. I'll most likely rotate between the two which will give my bank balance a happier compromise!
Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser* (200ml, £4.99) is available in stores nationwide and online at superdrug.com
Have you tried any dupes?
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