Shampoo & Shower Gel Downshift Challenge – Is it worth ditching brands for cheaper ‘dupes’?

I've picked out some of the most highly-rated shampoo/conditioner and shower gel dupes I’ve heard are available now, subject to stock, at Aldi, Poundland, Savers and Superdrug. You can also see below how much extra it costs for the similar big-name near-equivalent (so how much you could save taking the Downshift Challenge). Yet only make a switch if you’re happy take a chance on something cheaper achieving the same results.

I've noted below where products have been confirmed as cruelty-free and/or vegan – where I've not indicated either way, it doesn't necessarily mean they aren't, I’ve just not had confirmation.

As you can see, Aldi doesn’t pull punches when it comes to ‘sincerely flattering’ imitation packaging. If you normally buy Aussie, you could save 64% by switching to Aldi, and in the case of the conditioner, you’ll actually get 50ml more than with the branded product. It’s the same case with body wash – even on offer, you’d still save 39% switching your Original Source for Aldi’s Kick Start shower gel. I’ve used this one myself and find it lathers better than the brand, smells similar (not completely the same), but the cheaper gel does seem thinner.

At the moment, the Original Source on offer at Tesco* for 90p until Tuesday 10 March is a bargain compared to its normal price of £1.80 so is worth picking up if you simply cannot give it up.

It’s worth noting Aldi has a list of products it says are suitable for vegans, as most of the shampoos and body washes we looked at weren’t labelled as such (some are labelled cruelty-free), but do appear on the list.

Fans of John Frieda might want to check out their local Poundland, as it has a lookalike that’ll save you £3.25 a bottle, or 81% on the cheapest price we could find the branded product. There’s also a dupe of the posh shampoo brand OGX – £1 instead of £3.50 or up to £7 if it’s not on offer. Your Poundland might not have the scents listed above but at a full-price saving of £6 it’s worth a look.

MoneySavers have been raving about XHC banana shampoo and conditioner, which is also sometimes available in Poundland, as a dupe for The Body Shop’s banana offering for a while. There are also strawberry and green tea scents which banana-phobes might be more inclined to try, especially as you’ll save £8 on the cost of the branded bottle – 89% of the cost.

The biggest saving is on ginger anti-dandruff shampoo. The Body Shop's branded version will set you back £9.50, but you can pay £8.51 less to give the Savers version a try. If you're looking for an alternative to T/Gel, you can try 'X-Pel' for a fiver less. Your local Savers might not have all the scents listed above, but it's worth a look.

As Original Source is currently on offer at Tesco for 90p, you'll save less than if it were full-price swapping to Superdrug's own version, but you'll still save 23%. It’s worth picking up to try as it smells very similar and is a similar consistency to the big brand.