It’s very hard to find an affordable anti-ageing cream. As a beauty writer, I know first-hand that prices for good anti-ageing products usually start at around £50, and are often £90 or higher for a measly 50ml formula.
But when I spent weeks testing the best anti-ageing creams, one stood out for its remarkable efficacy at a low price. Facetheory’s glow-C daily moisturiser with SPF 30 is remarkably good at protecting and rejuvenating skin.
For those unfamiliar with Facetheory, the British skincare brand's products are vegan, claim to use backed-by-science ingredients, and the formulations come at relatively affordable prices – it’s a brand competing in the same niche as The Ordinary and The Inkey List.
The beauty brand has recently had a sleek redesign, with the glow-C face cream now coming in a recyclable aluminium tube. The moisturising formula is a bestseller for the brand, and features the dream team of vitamin C with SPF, but for just a fraction of the price of many similar products.
I decided to give this cream another look under closer scrutiny, to see if this budget cream still offers excellence at a fair price point – and if the fancy new redesign is hiding any drops in quality.
How I tested
I put the day cream to the test for a month, during sunny heatwaves with high UV levels. This enabled me to score the product on how well it protected my skin, as well as its skin-renewing qualities. During testing, I considered a range of key criteria:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Sabine Wiesel is a beauty journalist. As someone in her 40s, she specialises in mature and anti-ageing skincare and beauty products. After speaking to expert dermatologists for their advice, she’s reviewed everything from the best neck creams to retinol eye creams to find the best value products that actually make an impact on fine lines and pigmentation.
Facetheory glow-C daily moisturiser, SPF 30
Key ingredients: Niacinamide, vitamin C
SPF: 30
Size: 50ml
Why we love it
- A multi-tasking antioxidant serum, moisturiser and SPF in one
- Powerhouse actives at a fraction of the price
- Brightens and evens skin tone
Take note
- Citrus scented, but also comes unscented
- Slight tackiness on application
The formula
A deep dive into this formula’s ingredient list shows that Facetheory uses 3-O ethyl ascorbic acid – a more stable and less irritating derivative of pure vitamin C. This makes it less likely to go off and suitable for all skin types – I found it very gentle on my skin, which tends to flare up due to sensitivity.
The antioxidant is paired with a broad-spectrum SPF 30 filter to protect skin against ageing UVA and damaging UVB rays. Protection is, of course, key when it comes to defying the signs of ageing.
Vitamin C is also known for its skin-brightening abilities – a must for those with pigmentation and dark spots. Here, the brand has teamed it with 5 per cent niacinamide, which is another skincare hero known to help even skin tone and texture.
When you put it all together, you can think of this as a multi-tasking antioxidant serum, moisturiser and SPF all in one, making it ideal for those on a budget or those who prefer a minimal skincare routine.
The application
Packaged in a new recyclable aluminium tube, a gentle squeeze releases the mousse-like cream. It may look thick, but it’s surprisingly lightweight, absorbing into the skin in an instant and leaving behind a subtle grapefruit scent. It also comes in an unscented version for those who prefer fragrance-free formulas.
It leaves behind a beautiful natural glow without a greasy finish or a white or grey cast. There is a slight tackiness to it at first, but this quickly disappears, and you can still apply makeup on top, with the face cream acting like a primer, providing great grip for coverage.
The result
Surprisingly, for its budget price point, this product delivers luxe appeal, thanks to its unique mousse-like texture that melts into the skin, leaving it instantly feeling comfortable and glowing, with no signs of grease or chalkiness.
After a month, my skin felt amazing – soft, supple and beautifully smooth. The cream perked up my lacklustre, dull complexion, which is not only brighter after using this product, but it now has a more even tone, and the enlarged pores on my nose are less obvious. While a dedicated SPF is always advisable year-round, I felt safer in the sun thanks to the combination of antioxidants and SPF included in this product.
Buy now £20.00, Facetheory.com
What is the best budget anti-ageing cream?
The Facetherory glow-C daily moisturiser SPF30 gets my seal of approval as a fantastic budget anti-ageing cream; it offers so much for a relatively purse-friendly price. It couples antioxidants with broad-spectrum SPF protection against further signs of premature ageing. It also helps to correct existing damage, with vitamin C helping to improve tone and texture, brightening the look of your skin. It also makes a great moisturiser, hydrating the skin and leaving it soft and supple and ready for makeup. It’s a true multi-tasking budget hero.
For more anti-ageing recommendations, take a look at my test of Murad’s superactive moisturiser SPF50
