Cold fronts bite and faces feel it first. A budget range returns with a quiet promise of comfort this season.
As winds rise and radiators flick on, shoppers face a familiar question: protect skin without emptying the wallet, or pay premium for peace of mind. Aldi’s Lacura line is stepping back into stores with peptide-packed formulas, glow tints and pocket-price lip care designed to make that choice easier.
Autumn shelves: what’s coming back and when
The return lands in stores on 25 September. The headliner is the Lacura Multi-Peptide Moisturiser at £7, pitched for face and neck as temperatures drop. Alongside it sit the Lacura Peptide Lip Treatments at £2.99 in three versions — salted caramel, watermelon and an unscented option — plus new Lacura Bronzing Drops and Glow Drops made to blend into your existing routine.
Back in stores 25 September: £7 multi‑peptide moisturiser; £2.99 peptide lip care; two glow and bronzing drops to mix with your cream.
The moisturiser’s formula highlights seven peptides and waterlily extract. The lip treatments add shea butter, babassu and cupuaçu for cushion and shine. The drops come in two sun‑kissed shades and include niacinamide, vitamin E and marula oil for a lit‑from‑within finish without skipping skincare.
The peptide pitch: what seven peptides actually do
Peptides are short chains of amino acids. On skin, certain peptides act like messengers, nudging cells to support collagen and elastin — two structural proteins that give skin its spring. Age and cold weather both chip away at that bounce. A peptide cream steps in to bolster resilience, while humectants and oils lock down hydration.
Waterlily extract appears on both the Aldi jar and more expensive competitors. It’s used to soothe the look of redness, refine the appearance of pores and add surface-level moisture. None of this replaces sunscreen or retinoids. But the combo of peptides plus a calming botanical can help a complexion look smoother and better cushioned against wind, central heating and rain.
Seven peptides plus waterlily extract aim to hydrate, support the barrier and soften the look of fine lines as the weather turns.
Shoppers comparing shelves will notice a familiar silhouette: higher-priced peptide creams often stack more peptide types — nine in one well-known jar — yet share similar themes of barrier support and hydration. The practical question is less about counting peptides and more about how a cream feels, layers and keeps water in the skin through long, chilly days.
- Peptides: signal skin to support firmness and elasticity.
- Waterlily: comforts stressed complexions and helps with the look of redness.
- Niacinamide (in the drops): evens tone and strengthens the barrier.
- Vitamin E and marula oil: nourish and reduce tight, dry feel.
Lips, tint and glow: small prices, big comfort
Lips suffer first in a cold snap. The £2.99 Peptide Lip Treatments are built for repeated daily use. Peptides offer a plumping, smoothing effect over time, while shea butter, babassu and cupuaçu form a soft, occlusive layer that resists wind and indoor heating. Choose salted caramel or watermelon for a hint of flavour, or go unscented if your lips react to fragrance.
For faces that look flat in low autumn light, the Bronzing and Glow Drops bring back warmth without the heavy look of makeup. Blend one to three drops into your moisturiser or body lotion, or pat a tiny amount over cheekbones. Niacinamide supports an even tone. Vitamin E and marula oil add slip and comfort. The finish is light‑diffusing rather than glittery, so skin reads healthy rather than heavily made‑up.
Two sun‑kissed variants are designed to mix with moisturiser for a soft, light‑diffusing finish that feels like skincare.
| Product | Key actives | How to use | Price | In stores |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lacura Multi‑Peptide Moisturiser | Seven peptides, waterlily extract | AM/PM on face and neck after cleansing | £7 | 25 September |
| Lacura Peptide Lip Treatment | Peptides, shea butter, babassu, cupuaçu | Reapply throughout the day and before bed | £2.99 | 25 September |
| Lacura Bronzing Drops | Niacinamide, vitamin E, marula oil | Mix 1–3 drops with moisturiser or body lotion | — | 25 September |
| Lacura Glow Drops | Niacinamide, vitamin E, marula oil | Blend into cream or tap onto high points | — | 25 September |
How to build a cold‑weather routine with Aldi picks
Go simple in the morning: cleanse if needed, then apply the Multi‑Peptide Moisturiser. Add your sunscreen after it settles. If you want warmth, blend a single drop of Bronzing or Glow Drops into your cream; add another if you need more. Finish with the lip treatment to seal in moisture.
At night, cleanse away SPF and grit. Apply the moisturiser again, using a little more across drier zones like cheeks and jawline. You can pat a tiny amount of Glow Drops on high points for a soft sheen that doesn’t transfer onto pillowcases. Layer the lip treatment thickly before bed to reduce overnight moisture loss.
Who should tweak or test first
If your skin flares easily, reach for the unscented lip treatment and patch‑test new face products. Dab a pea‑sized amount beneath the ear or along the jawline for two nights. Watch for stinging or prolonged redness. Add actives one at a time and keep a steady routine for a week before changing anything.
Using a prescription retinoid? Peptides sit well with it. Apply the retinoid on dry skin, wait a few minutes, then follow with the moisturiser. For oily or breakout‑prone skin, the drops may work better mixed into moisturiser rather than layered neat, which limits excess slip.
Value maths: can £7 carry you through winter?
Cost of living still bites. A £7 cream that you use twice a day can come out at pennies per application. Pair it with a £2.99 lip treatment and you stay under a tenner for two hard‑working basics. That matters when central heating runs for months and skin cries out for extra care.
Under £10 can cover your daily moisturiser and a lip treatment — with enough left for a glow drop top‑up later.
Stretch value by using only what you need: a blueberry‑sized blob for the face, another for the neck. Warm it in palms, press it in, then smooth. On wet, freshly rinsed skin, you can use less cream because water boosts spreadability.
Extra tips to lock in comfort
Think environment as well as formula. Lower shower temperature a notch and limit long blasts of hot water, which strip lipids. Run a humidifier in the bedroom to counteract dry heating. Keep a lip treatment on your desk and reapply before heading out or after hot drinks.
If your makeup pills over the moisturiser, reduce the amount or give it a two‑minute wait before SPF and foundation. For evening events, mix one drop of Glow Drops into moisturiser for the whole face, then add a second micro‑drop tapped on cheekbones and the bridge of the nose.
Honestly tempted to swap my £60 jar for the £7 Lacura. Seven peptides + waterlily sounds solid for barrier support, and I like that they call out niacinamide and marula in the drops. If it layers well under SPF and doesn’t pill, that’s a win. I’ll patch‑test first (sensitive cheeks), but in a cost‑of‑living squeeze this feels like smart skincare, not false econommy.