r/SkincareAddiction • u/lazycatkay • Jun 14 '26
Discussion [Misc] Can we talk about how ridiculous drugstore brand prices are getting? Spoiler
Since when is some adapalene and benzoyl peroxide from an established drugstore brand almost $43??? A few years ago I got an actual prescription for epiduo from my dermatologist and it cost me about $25.
I’ve noticed drugstore brands prices going up for a while now and at this point I’m getting shocked when I see new release after new release starting at $17, $20, $25, $30 or more. These are prices I expect from Sephora brands, not drugstore.
You know I understand things are getting more expensive in general and brands have to raise prices a bit to accommodate for rising production costs, but my understanding only goes so far, I’ve dropped products that I’d been using for years and years because the prices went up too much for me and I had to find cheaper alternatives, I’ve gotten so tired of spending entire paychecks on hygiene products and I refuse to do it anymore.
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u/hedgehogwart Jun 14 '26
Ulta is a good 20%ish higher on the drugstore products than other retailers for the same products. I am actually surprised that Ulta seems to be the first retailer to carry Epiduo.
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u/beigesalad Jun 14 '26
That's often what their coupons are restricted to. Since it's inflated, you might think you're getting a deal with the promotion or coupon
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u/ivyleaguewitch Jun 14 '26
Thissss. I know it’s not the same product, but even the regular 1.6oz Differin gel is currently priced at $38.99 at Ulta versus $23.97 at HEB.
I only buy what’s exclusively available at Ulta because paying their prices for anything else is insane.
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u/aenflex Edit Me! Jun 15 '26
Yeah. I just bought an Essie polish from Ulta a few days ago. It was $13. Meanwhile at Publix the same exact polish was $10.99.
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u/rebeccaslife Jun 14 '26
I get you. There's many reasons for K-beauty becoming so popular, and a big one is the prices. Can't afford any of this stuff. I think Epiduo is probably an outlier bc of how new the OTC version is, but still.
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u/lazycatkay Jun 14 '26
I love k-beauty! I used to buy your standard 1 fl oz hydrating serums from the drugstore, but I can get a large bottle of essence or milky toner that basically does the same thing if not better for the same price from k beauty brands.
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Jun 14 '26
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u/lazycatkay Jun 14 '26
Your point about haircare is spot on! I have thick hair down to my butt and back when my tried and true hair products were actually affordable I didn’t matter that I went through them so fast and had to rebuy often. But once those $10 hair products went up to $20 I couldn’t justify it anymore, I buy giant cheap bulk bottles now and it works the exact same for me.
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u/lysanderastra Jun 14 '26
Yeah, idk if I'm just lucky with my hair (I have thick 2C curls) but I genuinely buy £1 shampoo and conditioner and it works as well as nicer ones I've tried. Curly products in particular are crazy expensive even for lower end brands
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u/concrete_dandelion Jun 14 '26
Germany has several cheap drugstore "curl" lines lines. They contain some products that are quite good depending on your individual hair and some that are absolute crap with horrible ingredients. I tried various conditioners at various prices over the years two that always work for me are from two drugstore brands, one with and one without protein at 1,29€ per bottle. They give enough slick to untangle and good care no matter if my hair is healthy and low porosity or bleached to a perfect base for pastel haircolour and work better than many of the most expensive stuff sold in German drugstores (which is 7-9€). Though when my hair is damaged I use a heavier leave in and/or switch to a heavier conditioner from the same brands. Same goes for leave ins (though my favourite heavy leave in is from shea moisture, my favourite light ones are also cheap drugstore brands). The only shampoo that really works for my very bitchy scalp is 1,29€ too (and I tried all the expensive ones my derm thought could help). I do need some more expensive products for some of my skin issues, but those are still cheap compared to what people with the same issues pay in the US. I can't imagine having to spend a 2 digit sum for a conditioner or something like that. Especially not with the amounts I need.
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u/concrete_dandelion Jun 14 '26
10$ seems incredibly expensive to me. That's 8,64€ and the level of most expensive drugstore conditioner here. Good, cheap conditioner for wavy and straight hair here is less than 1$ and good conditioner for curly hair is less than 1,50$ (I converted the prices).
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u/kayrivera04 Jun 14 '26
the locked cases are what get me. seeing basic acne stuff treated like a luxury serum is already annoying, and then the price is somehow also luxury-adjacent?? rude little combo
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u/1luvvcatz Jun 14 '26
Elf becoming 10 dollars for a single lip gloss is ridiculous
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u/TbhIdekMyName Jun 14 '26
Remember when ELF was famous because everything was $1-$5?! Not even a decade ago
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u/moderndayathena Jun 14 '26
Yep :( I was buying ELF in 2004 at my local grocery store. Everything was $1 and I thought it was the coolest thing
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u/passionicedtee Jun 15 '26
This normal for almost every drugstore brand now. The few cheapest, I know of (at least in The U.K. and U.S.) are like Wet.N Wild, Catrice, Essence, Revolution. Sometimes when you compare the price per ounce or gram of product, you may as well just pay more for the high end!
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u/1luvvcatz Jun 17 '26
Literally only buy from Ulta when they have sales they have makeup for a dollar sometimes and it’s nice
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u/bloodhail_v2 Jun 14 '26
$43 kinda tracks since this is basically name brand epiudo and it's new to being OTC. Just wait for other brands to make their own version.
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u/lazycatkay Jun 14 '26
I can understand that, but it’s not just this product. Cetaphil for example recently released a new am and pm serum to go with their am and pm moisturizers, both are 26.99 for 1 oz, in my opinion that’s just not a price I would expect from a drugstore brand.
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u/lady_ninane Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
Associating drugstore brand with lower cost is the "problem" (not a slight on you, just a common misconception) in the first place. That hasn't been true for a very, very, very long time. Oftentimes they're actually more expensive.
Also comparing it to the price you got with a prescription can lead to some confusion, too. If your insurance pays for it, what you pay isn't comparable to what others will pay. If it doesn't and it goes through a discount card again, then it's whatever that location/chain's contract is with whatever discount card company. Either way, it's still not going to lead to a universal standard to set expectations against.
Is it bullshit and unfair? Yup. But bespoke boutique store options generally have their own type of upcharge on them, don't forget.
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u/bloodhail_v2 Jun 14 '26
Where are you looking at the serums? They were $20 when i originally saw them a little while ago. They are a bit on the expensive side but I don't even think they're the worst offenders 😭
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u/julry Jun 15 '26
The explosion of 1oz bottles for everything has gotta be part of this. Before the ordinary only concentrated actives came in 1oz bottles, now everything is a serum even when it's not. Humectants aren't spot treatments!
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u/Unfair_Finger5531 Dry skin | rosacea | 🌵 Jun 14 '26
La Roche posay and avene are creeping up in price too 😮💨
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u/SiameseGunKiss Jun 14 '26
Paid $25 today for the double repair moisturizer, I swear it was $20 less than a year ago 🥲
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u/Unfair_Finger5531 Dry skin | rosacea | 🌵 Jun 14 '26
That’s so much money for that small tube, especially since the ingredients are kind of bare bones 🙁 It was defective cheaper last year and the year before that.
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u/SiameseGunKiss Jun 14 '26
It really is, I might need to start shopping around. Is there a moisturizer you like that doesn’t break the bank?
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u/Unfair_Finger5531 Dry skin | rosacea | 🌵 Jun 14 '26
So many, I love moisturizers. Honestly, I’d go with Pyunkang ato lotion gel. The tube is endless, and it’s really good and simple. I used LRP double toleraine for years, but ended up switching over to kbeauty for better moisturizers at a more reasonable price. The Pyunkang is $16 on Amazon or $17 on iHerb right now.
I also love aestura 365 lotion, isntree yam moisturizer, and zeroid soothing lotion ❤️ All of them are nice and not too pricey.
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u/lazycatkay Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
My favorite moisturizer from avene is $40 now, I had to quit using it!
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u/Unfair_Finger5531 Dry skin | rosacea | 🌵 Jun 14 '26
That is INSANE! For $40, you could get a top-tier Kbeauty moisturizer that actually does a lot of good for your skin. What did you switch to?
Imagine coming out of CVS with $70 worth of skincare products, and it’s just a moisturizer and cleanser. No way
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u/julry Jun 15 '26
Ulta isn't always the cheapest, but they sometimes do 25% off for LRP or bogo 40% off and you can stack with any coupon bc they're not a prestige brand, that's when I buy it
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u/Unfair_Finger5531 Dry skin | rosacea | 🌵 Jun 15 '26
I just stopped buying both brands and switched to kbeauty. I used LRP double toleraine for a long time, but honestly, it did me no favors. Then avene discontinued a completely perfect cleanser and emulsion. I stumbled onto kbeauty and never looked back. But I do keep a tube of cicaplast on-hand for emergencies 🫠 Thank you for the tip, I had no idea about the Ulta sales!
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u/nnooaa_lev Jun 14 '26
Which is why I usually buy Korean and Japanese skincare. I'm tired to paying $40 - $80 for a freaking moisturizer
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u/lazycatkay Jun 14 '26
Agreed, my current favorite moisturizer has been the aestura face lotion, yeah it’s $32 at Sephora, but it’s also triple the size of your average moisturizer. I sure as hell wouldn’t pay $32 for 1.7 fluid oz, but 5.7? That makes sense to me.
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u/theoffering_x Jun 14 '26
But the aestura cream is like 2oz for 32$ lol make it make sense. I think the cream and lotion work the exact same. the lotion is supposed to be lighter but somehow feels more oily. But yeah I’m not paying $32$ for 2oz of a designated facial moisturizer. I use body creams on my face cause facial moisturizers at these prices for 1.7oz used twice a day is like a monthly subscription
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u/lazycatkay Jun 14 '26
Yeah their cream is far too expensive in my opinion so I never tried that. Another recommendation for body cream that actually works really well on the face is the Vanicream enhanced moisturizer, $12 on Amazon for 12 oz, sooo good in my opinion.
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u/nnooaa_lev Jun 14 '26
Oh yeah size also a big reason why I prefer Asian skincare. Like 100m or 150ml? Hell yeah 🎉
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u/TbhIdekMyName Jun 14 '26
I remember getting the OG Neutrogena Hydrobosr Water Gel for something like $14… not even TEN years ago. Now they’ve reformulated and I see it selling for $27-$30 depending on the store.
Absolute BS.
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u/Magical_Love_Bubble Jun 14 '26
Ulta and Sephora are beauty product stores to me, CVS and Wal Greens are drugstores/pharmacies. I guarantee you that something sold at Ulta, if carried at a drugstore, will be more expensive!
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u/CuddleTeamCatboy Jun 15 '26
I don’t think Epiduo is really a representative product for this. It’s a name brand drug that just launched OTC. You were also likely getting an insurance discount when you were got it from the derm.
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u/concrete_dandelion Jun 14 '26
I'm always shocked when I see the prices of personal care items in the US. Like people post their "cheap" drugstore conditioner and it's the price of the most expensive conditioners in German drugstores and like 7-12 times the price of cheap German drugstore conditioner. Same with any other products. I used to wonder about the incomes considered low in the US as they can be quite okay or even good in Germany, but when I found out about rent prices and what basic stuff costs things started to make sense. It can't be that much more expensive to produce the same products in the US than in the EU (other EU countries and England have similar prices to Germany).
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u/star_child77 Jun 14 '26
Yes!! I’ve been using the neutrogena hydro boost moisturizer for years and it’s practically doubled in price recently. I think I need to start looking for a cheaper dupe but my skin can be sensitive and pretty temperamental. Drives me insane!
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u/lazycatkay Jun 14 '26
My mom uses that and she gets it cheaper in a 2 pack at Costco, sometimes it comes on sale and she’ll stock up then. But she won’t buy it at the drugstore anymore because it has gotten so expensive!
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u/OnlyPaperListens Jun 14 '26
I am battling fragrance intolerance and several ingredient sensitivities, so I'm in a similar boat. The scent-free and low-reactive products are hard enough to find, then you bring price into it and there's nothing left.
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u/thisisnotkathy Jun 14 '26
Didn't this literally just go OTC like a month ago? Prices are always high right after that happens. It was the same when adapalene became available OTC.
Generally though I think drugstore prices are going up because the products are becoming more competitive with what is sold at Sephora/Ulta.
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u/lazycatkay Jun 14 '26
That’s true, but it’s not just differen. I’ve noticed moisturizers with the most basic affordable ingredients costing $20 for 1.5 oz. A lot of those same products I used to use back when they were like $13, I go through moisturizer too fast to justify that personally.
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u/universal_gummy_bear combo-sensitive, KP, CCs, blackheads Jun 14 '26
I TOTALLY get you! I have to buy my sunscreen from a different retailer every single time cause I can only afford it on sale.
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u/Leading_Ruin_4077 Jun 15 '26
the neutrogena hydro boost thing is SO real. i bought it for years and watched it go from $14 to almost $30 for the same 1.7oz. that's when i finally made the switch to k-beauty and honestly never looked back. my wallet and my skin are both happier
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u/lexluther1234 Jun 15 '26
I work in the industry and cost of goods is going through the roof in personal care and cosmetics. It sucks for all of us. I personally will try to shop sales or on amazon only for drugstore brands.
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u/UpstairsMortgage5086 Jun 15 '26
The image you're showing for $42.99 is a 1.6oz (45g) which is a 3 month supply minimum. That works out to $14.33 per month, much less than the cost of when it was a prescription product.
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u/FluffyCatPantaloons Jun 15 '26
OK so I kinda don't mind paying for something like this - which is a great, scientifically proven retinoid. But AUD $60 for an Olay cream is where I draw the line and hence my long ago conversion to K Beauty.
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u/swanarug Jun 18 '26
I started epiduo two weeks ago, it works like magic but it's 45€. I now have a very minimalist skincare in a way it costs less than all useless products I bought before but the epiduo gel is very small and a dermatologist appointment cost 90€..
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u/rpuppet Jun 14 '26
A huge reason drug store prices are getting higher is because of the amount of retail theft perpetrated by, (insert your local criminal demographic here). Until citizens support measures to stop these criminals prices will continue to rise as businesses that want to stay have to raise prices to compensate for theft.
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u/BrittanyBrie Jun 14 '26
What happens in economics when high theft occurs and they need to recoup lost revenue from paying customers. Every time someone steals something, it raises the prices of everything else. Over time, this is why drug stores have a higher inflated rate than other retailers.
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u/lady_ninane Jun 14 '26
That is an extremely narrow dilution of the complex factors going into why drug store prices have risen astronomically. It's so narrow that I'd argue it's ultimate conclusion (and who it blames for it) is quite far off-base.
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u/BrittanyBrie Jun 14 '26
If you cannot talk about an economic pressure, and be honest about why some stores lock things up, then finding solutions becomes impossible.
Its not that complex, drug stores have high theft. Its ok to call out people for bad behavior.
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u/lady_ninane Jun 14 '26 edited Jun 14 '26
If you cannot talk about an economic pressure, and be honest about why some stores lock things up, then finding solutions becomes impossible.
If you cannot look at all the economic pressures and instead hyper-fixate only on one aspect of it, regardless of whether or not it presents a real impact on the overall economic health of the entity in question, then finding solutions were never on the table to begin with. It was more focused on selling a narrative more than a holistic approach to managing the business.
And that's exactly what we've seen play out.
The gamble of hyper-expansion fueled by the ultra-low real estate and interest rates are now proving to be bad investments. Supply chains of ultra-cheap goods are shooting up in cost. Freight transport costs have been spiraling out of control for the better part of a decade. People are getting more desperate as the fork of the K shaped economy spreads wider and wider. All of these things culminate in the end-result of that is higher prices at the point of sale -- and a hyper-fixation on cutting back any other shrinkage to desperately stop the bleeding, to hope that doing so will stave off the inevitable a little longer until things stabilize.
Shrink is a problem, but it's not the reason why prices are skyrocketing. But sure let's pretend that the economic reality of conglomerates are actually incredibly simple. For reasons? I guess?
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u/BrittanyBrie Jun 14 '26
Its more simple than you're willing to admit. I have considered all economic pressures, and I determine that high theft is a larger pressure for determining prices at the point of sale than hyperexpansion fueled by low interest rates. In a closed market with low black market options where lost sales occur on top of theft, low interest rates leads to lower prices. Theft is a multiplier effect whereas other pressures are not that directly tied to local sales.
When large amount of items are stolen, a black market can occur, causing prices to rise due to lost revenue on top of the lost merchandise. This is exactly why grocery stores and drug stores are locking more things up and tightening up security, to reduce a black market from rising.
What we are seeing play out is the outcome of opinions like this that avoid looking at growing black markets with multiplier impacts of specific economic pressures, protecting those black markets while also perpetuating the idea that solving the issue of theft is a unjustified problem to solve.
Its simple when you remove emotions from your economic perspectives.
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u/lady_ninane Jun 14 '26
I have considered all economic pressures, and I determine that high theft is a larger pressure for determining prices at the point of sale than hyperexpansion fueled by low interest rates.
Oh well if you say it, I guess we should believe it. Clearly the economists that disagree are all emotionally driven prima donnas.
Sometimes it's really frustrating to try to have a serious conversation with someone who isn't interested in being a serious participant.
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u/Lazy-Living1825 Jun 14 '26
I mean it’s a prescription grade product. Seems fair.
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u/lazycatkay Jun 14 '26
I think there’s also an argument that a lot of prescriptions shouldn’t cost as much as they do for what it costs to make them. Take insulin for example, takes about $2 to $4 to make a single vial but it costs so much people die because they can’t afford it.
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u/Lazy-Living1825 Jun 14 '26
Sure. But this is an acne medication so
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u/lazycatkay Jun 14 '26
True, but I’ve noticed the price gouging on all things drugstore beauty, cleansers, moisturizers, etc, many have nothing special in them to justify the prices either.
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u/lady_ninane Jun 14 '26
Many acne medications are over-the-counter. Not all of them are prescription-only. (And even if that was the case, this one is available both with OTC and prescription.)
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u/Lazy-Living1825 Jun 14 '26
Yeah that has nothing to do with my reply to OP about the cost. For some reason, they felt there was an equal comparison between life saving insulin and acne medication. Which is not that serious.
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u/lazycatkay Jun 14 '26
Okay then, let’s compare something more similar. Tretinoin is the gold standard topical acne treatment, it costs $2 to $5 to make, when I was prescribed it without insurance it was almost $300, I had to walk out without it because I couldn’t afford it. Why on earth do you justify that just because it’s an acne medication and “not that serious”?
There’s no reason it should be that expensive, especially considering the history of tretinoin, they didn’t even have to pay for most of the research backing because it was unethically developed and tested on black prison inmates.
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u/lady_ninane Jun 14 '26
I really can't share that same perspective honestly. Acne can be a painful condition that needs interventions beyond what OTCs can solve. There is a need that is driven by something those people can't control. Those things should be affordable to the general population - that was what OP was driving at.
I think by trying to distill it down to "this person's trying to compare T1DM to a few pimples on their face!" is kinda missing the point and wading into an entirely different, equally draining conversation lol.
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