We all live and breathe by our skincare products, whether it’s our favorite shampoo and conditioner that keeps our locks looking model-worthy or the heavy duty moisturizing lotion that saves our skin during February’s wintry weather. We always seem to be shopping for the latest and greatest, or simply our tried and true favorite, skincare products, spending money every month on the essentials that make up our toiletry arsenal.
Instead of heading to your go-to shop for your skincare products, it’s time to take a step back, consult your bank account, and think about how maybe you could save a buck or two on items that you are constantly buying. Because face it, even though these products don’t seem very expensive at the checkout counter, over time they certainly add up. Seeing as how the average American spends almost $600 a year on personal care products, it makes sense to find a cheaper way to buy the same stuff (or possibly even better stuff!) you are already going to purchase.
Luckily enough, finding a way to pinch pennies on body wash and face lotion is as easy as simply driving the next street over, to your local Dollar General instead of your regular drugstore or cash-sucking Target, and making the switch from national brand name to generic name products, without compromising quality!
When you hear “generic”, most people run for the hills. Don’t fall for the myth that generic products are inferior, because that’s only what the national brands want you to think! Our culture is led to believe that the best products are the household names all of America knows, and why do we think that? Because those large brands have tons of money to put towards marketing, and that marketing wins us over every time.
The truth is that many private label brands (generic brands) are owned by the specific retailer but produced by other manufacturers (the same ones who make national brand names) and just packaged differently, without the aesthetic frills and multi-million dollar advertisements. It may come as a shock to you to find out that Victoria’s Secret pantyhose are manufactured by Hanes and nine times out of ten, pharmacists and doctors will buy generic aspirin instead of Bayer.
If it still hurts you to depart from the beautiful packaging of your favorite name brand shampoo, keep the bottle, rinse it out, and just refill it with a generic name substitute every time you run out. Shhh… we won’t tell anyone!
While Dollar General isn’t the most glamorous place to trek around, you can use that to your advantage, by grabbing exactly what you need and then moving on to your other errands, thus saving you valuable time and loads of money! And guess what, Dollar General actually carries their own brand of skincare items (DG Body/DG Kids/DG Beauty) comparable to those national brand names you buy elsewhere, at a fraction of the price.
Don’t believe us? We used the power of comparison shopping to show you how much money you could be saving by switching to Dollar General brand products versus your national brand name products bought at the big box stores.
Behold the surprising (and sobering) results:
Shampoo
- The Product Showdown: DG Body Dandruff Shampoo Simply Clean vs. Head & Shoulders Classic Clean Dandruff Shampoo
- Dollar General Price: $2.00
- Target Price: $4.99
- Walgreens Price: $4.99
Kid’s Detangling Spray
- The Product Showdown: DG Kids Detangling Spray Applelicious vs. Johnson’s No More Tangles
- Dollar General Price: $2.00
- Target Price: $3.99
- Walgreens Price: $5.79
Check this out if you’re skeptical about making the switch to generic products. Both DG Kids Detangling Spray and Johnson’s No More Tangles contain the exact same ingredients!
Body Wash
- The Product Showdown: DG Body Sensitive Skin Body Wash vs. Dove Sensitive Skin with NutriumMoisture Body Wash
- Dollar General Price: $2.55
- Target Price: $5.49
- Walgreens Price: $5.49
Body Lotion
- The Product Showdown: DG Body Daily Moisturizing Lotion vs. Aveeno Active Naturals Daily Moisturizing Lotion
- Dollar General Price: $3.00
- Target Price: $6.99
- Walgreens Price: $8.49
Face Wash
- The Product Showdown: DG Body Oil Free Acne Wash vs. Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash
- Dollar General Price: $3.00
- Target Price: $5.29
- Walgreens Price: $6.99
Face Scrub
- The Product Showdown: DG Body Blemish Control Facial Scrub vs. St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub
- Dollar General Price: $2.55
- Target Price: $3.89
- Walgreens Price: $4.79
Face Lotion
- The Product Showdown: DG Beauty Oil Free Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin vs. Neutrogena Oil Free Moisture Sensitive Skin
- Dollar General Price: $3.00
- Target Price: $9.99
- Walgreens Price: $13.79 (… you buy this, and you’re spending almost $11 MORE than you have to!)
It’s time to rethink the way you buy skincare products. By saving your hard-earned money and making generic brands your new go-to, you can still look fabulous and keep your hair and skin routines on point, all while beating the clock and making your wallet (and your husband) a bit happier!
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Photo Credits: Dani
