Alternatives for basic toiletries?

Doc_N

All very simple. Never, ever, buy brands. Stick to reputable own label such as Aldi and Lidl.

What's inside the bottles is pretty much identical, with only minor variations - the only really big differences are the labels, the names and the profit margins.

Spoonie_Turtle

Doc_N said:

All very simple. Never, ever, buy brands. Stick to reputable own label such as Aldi and Lidl.

What's inside the bottles is pretty much identical, with only minor variations - the only really big differences are the labels, the names and the profit margins.

That's really not true (although sometimes the cheaper knockoffs can actually have more effective ingredients!), but for a lot of people the simpler cheap things do a good enough job.

False economies can also come into play though - I have very long hair and get away with washing the lengths* every 2 or 3 weeks because I use conditioners that my hair likes which are a little more expensive.  If I used the cheapest stuff I'd have to be washing every 2 or 3 days to keep it tolerable (not even happy) which ultimately would work out more expensive overall. 

But of course one has to have the money upfront for more expensive products in the first place and have the money to spare to be able to risk trying new things in case they don't work out.  Having money usually means one can save more, and as most of us here know being poor is expensive.

*I keep my hair bunned so the lengths stay clean, and I wash my scalp and roots when they need it which is much more often than the lengths.

x_raphael_xx

I'm not loyal to brands, I'm happy for any cheap nonsense as long as it works.

shandyclover

x_raphael_xx said:

I don't wear make up so thats a big chunk of toiletries I don't have to consern myself with, but what about the others?

Specifially:
Toothpaste
Mouthwash
Earcleaning (I use cotton buds, I know I shouldn't, but not sure how much of a gimmick the ear cleaners I see advertised are)
Deodorant
Shampoo
Conditioner
Bodywash/Shaving cream


Does anyone have any recommendations for good, cheap product replacements?

Most things we use Aldi own. Anything branded we need gets picked up either at Bodycare or Home Bargains. I've found supermarkets prices quite a bit more expensive for all branded products.

Toothpaste - I need sensitive so Wisdom seems to be working right now- bought at HB for half the price of Tesco
Everyone else uses Aldi or Lidl own.
Mouthwash - for hubby from Aldi
Ear cleaning - yes we buy Aldi or Lidl - both paper stalks which is important to me
Deodorant - Aldi own, roll on in winter, spray in summer usually. I have bought a special at Aldi previously - solid stick. I've not used it but daughter reported it worked perfectly fine. I hope they bring those back.
Shampoo - currently Aldi own, I think about 85p? When I've finished I hope to move to solid shampoo bought from Etsy to avoid the plastic. I have also bought the purple blonde shampoo from HB or BC in the past for between £1.00 and £1.50.
Conditioner - currently Aldi. As above
Body wash - I buy the Sanex dupe from Aldi for the bathroom, but I use bar soap in a hessian soap saver. I bought 20kgs of offcuts from Etsy several years ago. Some of the scent has disappeared but soap is perfectly fine and better for my skin. I don't buy anything special for shaving, I have a battery operated ladyshave and just use soap.

I have waist length, wavy thick hair. I've been bought very expensive shampoo, which I personally don't think made a huge difference. Aldi own seems to suit me fine, but I only wash once, and dilute the shampoo. I was once told by a lady with lovely hair that  shampoo can be diluted. Most shampoo is really too harsh and she would water the shampoo down before it touched her hair. Masses of bubbles just means you are stripping your hair. I also use Argan oil as a leave in conditioner.

My youngest has even thicker and curlier waist length hair and uses the curlygirl method - buying her products off Etsy. 

As a family we are slowly moving over to more eco friendly alternatives. Some stocking fillers this year were toiletries bought from Etsy to try out. Though more expensive they do seem to last a lot longer, maybe because the quality is better?

I think it's all a matter of experimentation. For most things unbranded supermarket own works - but others you may need a branded item, but just because its branded doesn't mean the quality is reflected in the increased price level. We have a limited budget and I find myself saving on toiletries that don't make a huge difference in order to buy a more expensive item that really works in a problematic area. i.e. Aldi own hand cream at 89p works perfectly for me, but I buy the Bodyshop Hemp stuff at about £14.00 for hubby whose fingers split in winter, and literally nothing else works.

Gers

All this talk of shampooing comes just after I listened to this BBC podcast - Sliced Bread  The conclusion of it was that on the whole conditioner is more valuable to hair than a specific shampoo (with some caveats).