We Found Cheaper Versions Of The Skincare Products Chrissy Teigen Swears By

Scrolling through Instagram is a great way to kill time, but the platform is also the perfect place to pick up a beauty tip or two from your favourite celebs. Proof: Chrissy Teigen recently shared the secret to her flawless complexion on her feed.

“I will admit I am def proud of my skin lately and feeling myself!,” the cookbook author captioned a clip where she is showing off a swipe of orange eyeliner (a look we’ll absolutely be stealing for summer), before listing all the products she uses regularly. Her eight-step routine is a mix of high-end and drugstore products, though there’s no denying her perfect skin comes at a cost—$1,760, to be exact. 

Here, all the skincare products Chrissy Teigen swears by, plus affordable options to get her signature glow for less.

iS Clinical Cleansing Complex

“The iS Clinical cleanser and the lotion [are] the only thing I use consistently and they’ve always been so good to me,” writes Teigen, adding that “everything else is just a bonus.” In the comments, she confirms that she uses the cleanser in the “blue bottle,” which is the brand’s Cleansing Complex ($65).

The lightweight cleansing gel is said to be particularly good for blemish-prone skin types. It contains a powerful cocktail of antioxidants—like chamomile flower extract and cica, a green herb known for its wound-healing properties—as well as mild exfoliating ingredients, like white willow bark and sugar cane extracts, to remove all traces of makeup and impurities without drying out skin.

Budget buy: To up your cleansing game, try the Weleda Clarifying Gel Cleanser ($30), which contains willow bark, liquorice root extract and jojoba oil to cleanse, balance, tone and soothe oily complexions without disrupting the skin’s protective barrier.

iS Clinical Moisturizing Complex

In the post’s comments, Teigen writes that the lotion she swears by is the iS Clinical Moisturizing Complex ($107), an intensely hydrating moisturizer that contains moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid, antioxidant-rich vitamin E and retinyl palmitate, a gentle vitamin A derivative that treats fine lines, wrinkles, uneven texture, dark spots and increases collagen production without the irritation that typically results from harsher retinol formulas.

Budget buy: For a similar, more affordable formulation, pick up a jar of Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer ($36), a rich face cream formulated with retinol and hyaluronic acid to target fine lines, dark spots and uneven skin texture, while also providing a hit of hydration.

Control Corrective Sunscreen SPF 30

To protect her skin from harmful rays, Teigen uses the Control Corrective Sunscreen SPF 30 ($52), an oil-free, moisturizing formula recommended to her celebrity esthetician Shani Darden.

Budget buy: For a cheaper alternative, try Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel sunscreen with SPF 30 ($13), a lightweight oil-free formula that feels cool on skin, absorbs quickly and provides a solid hydration boost thanks to hyaluronic acid.

La Mer Crème de la Mer

It wouldn’t be a celebrity skincare routine without a couple of splurgy recommendations from luxury skincare line La Mer. “$$, I know I know but I gotta be honest,” writes Teigen of the moisturizer and serum.

So, what’s so special about the Crème de la Mer face cream ($445 for 60 mL), aside from its price tag? The expensive face cream contains a cell-renewing cocktail of fermented sea kelp, vitamins and minerals the brand calls “Miracle Broth.” Each batch of Miracle Broth takes about three months to make and contains drops from the batch that came before. Oh, and there’s more—scientists play the elixir a special soundtrack as it ferments.

Budget buy: Incorporating seaweed into your routine doesn’t have to be expensive. Try the Mario Badescu Seaweed Night Cream ($29), a seaweed-infused moisturizer that also contains collagen to hydrate and plump skin overnight.

La Mer The Concentrate

Like the Crème de la Mer moisturizer, La Mer’s The Concentrate ($485 for 30 mL) also contains seaweed-infused Miracle Broth. This is the most expensive product in Teigen’s routine, and is said to help calm redness and soothe irritation and inflammation.

Budget buy: To boost your glow on a budget, try the Pure + Simple Algae Serum ($56), a moisturizing serum packed with sea algae to help skin retain moisture and antioxidant-rich green tea to give it a lasting glow.

Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

To keep her skin in check, Teigen uses “a steady stream of Bioré chin and nose strips” ($16). While the blackhead-fighting strips are truly a quick-fix and actually won’t reduce the size of your pores, there’s no denying that looking at all the gunk that comes out is oddly satisfying.

Budget buy: For a more eco-friendly and longer-lasting alternative to disposable nose strips, we love the Quo Beauty Silicone Pore Refiner ($6), a cleansing pad covered in tiny, flexible bristles that helps massage product into the skin for a more effective cleanse.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel

Teigen also name-checks Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel ($115 for 30 pads) in her list. “So important for on and around my nose and chin,” she wrote. “You’ll notice a HUGE difference!!” The handy pre-soaked, two-step wipes contain five acids (including glycolic, lactic and salicylic) to visibly reduce dullness, uneven texture and dark spots.

Budget buy: To slough away dead skin and reveal brighter skin, try the Glossier Solution Exfoliating Skin Perfector ($39), a 10 percent blend of chemical exfoliants that contains glycolic and lactic acids to exfoliate, salicylic acid to remove build-up, banish blemishes and unclog pores and gluconolactone, a polyhydroxy acid (PHA) that gently exfoliates while moisturizing and conditioning the skin.

A cream to firm skin and fade dark spots

To top off her routine, Teigen says she uses a now-discontinued $475 cream from a celebrity cosmetic dermatologist’s skincare line when she’s “feeling icks.”

It’s worth noting that the cream mentioned in the post contains hydroquinone—a controversial and potentially harmful ingredient used to fade dark spots—at a concentration of two percent, which is the upper limit of what’s considered safe according to Health Canada.

Budget buy: For a safe, gentle and more affordable way to firm your skin and fade dark spots (sans controversial ingredients), try the Drunk Elephant C-Firma Vitamin C Day Serum ($105). The formula is packed with antioxidants and fruit enzymes to firm and brighten skin’s appearance and help improve signs of photo-aging.