Aldi’s latest £7 Plumping Face Cream believes it can take on Tatcha’s hero £67 Dewy Skin Cream – but can it? Our head of beauty finds out
As a beauty journalist with 12 years of experience in skincare, I’ve tested more moisturisers than I can count – and yet, few have earned a permanent spot on my own bathroom shelf. One that has? Tatcha’s The Dewy Skin Cream. It’s rich, indulgent and when my skin is having a bad day, I know I can smother it in this moisturiser and it will be nursed back to health. I’ve loved it for years, and it’s become something of a gold standard in my routine. I know this is the same for a lot of people, too.
So when Aldi popped a pot of its latest skincare launch – the new Lacura Plumping Face Cream – on my desk, promising hydration, radiance and a price tag that doesn’t make you wince, I was all ears. Aldi’s been quietly building a reputation for creating impressive beauty *alternatives*, shall we say, and I was curious: could this budget buy really stand up to a cult classic like Tatcha?
With Tatcha’s cream retailing for £67 and Aldi’s up for grabs for £6.99, it makes the supermarket moisturiser around 90% cheaper. And with everything costing more at the moment, and all of us looking for ways to cut back and save, I’ve taken it as my personal duty to compare the two buys to see if there really is a difference in formulas and results.
Let’s dive into both of the ingredient lists first…
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Aldi Plumping Face Cream – key benefits
- Hydrates and plumps with hyaluronic acid
- Softens and protects skin using squalane
- Brightens and evens tone with violet rice extract
- Simple, minimal formula with few potential irritants
Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream – key benefits
- Deep hydration and skin barrier support with hyaluronic acid, squalane and silk protein
- Brightening and anti-ageing from rice ferment, ginseng and multiple plant extracts
- Luxurious texture and glow-enhancing finish with gold, dimethicone and botanical oils
- Traditional Japanese ingredients for a luxurious skin experience
So, does Aldi’s cream live up?
Both Aldi’s Plumping Face Cream and Tatcha’s The Dewy Skin Cream share three key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, squalane, and rice-derived extracts. Hyaluronic acid helps deeply hydrate and plump the skin, while squalane provides lightweight moisture and supports the skin barrier. Both also use rice-based ingredients to brighten and improve skin tone—Aldi includes violet rice extract, while Tatcha uses fermented rice filtrate and rice bran extract.
That said, Tatcha’s hero moisturiser is the more luxurious formula, offering a wide range of concentrated ingredients and skin benefits beyond hydration– including anti-ageing, brightening and skin barrier support. Aldi’s cream is definitely a solid, budget-friendly alternative that focuses on hydration and simplicity, making it a great choice for sensitive or low-maintenance routines. If you’re looking for high-end results and indulgence, Tatcha wins. For everyday hydration without the splurge, Aldi delivers well.
As someone who has tried both moisturisers, I can solidly say I do prefer Tatcha. It makes my skin feel incredibly soft and plump, while Aldi’s did the job at moisturising, but was heavily fragranced and less indulgent. However, as a beauty journalist who is incredibly lucky to receive samples, it’s easy for me to say I’d stick with the £67 cream, but if I were saving money or needing to stock up on several beauty products at once, I’d be more than happy to save some pounds and coat my skin in Aldi’s moisturiser instead.
You can shop Tatcha’s The Dewy Skin Cream for £67 or pick up Lacura’s new spring skincare collection in Aldi stores now, including this Plumping Face Cream for £6.99 while stock lasts.
