A new Primark opened nearby recently. I went in to browse their skincare offerings and I left with two skincare serums from the PS Skin range, because it turns out Primark has been quietly producing what appear to be Trinny London skincare dupes, and I was not going to walk past that without investigating.
Both serums cost £5. The packaging is clearly modelled on Trinny London’s distinctive coloured packaging and that alone will get some people through the door. Whether the formulations justify even that modest cost is a more complicated story. There are other serums available mimicing other Trinny London serums.
💜 Primark PS Skin Overnight Facial Serum Review
The Overnight Facial Serum is positioned as a dupe for Trinny London’s Overnight Sensation, a retinal-based serum that I have used and rated. Retinal, for those less familiar with the active ingredient landscape, is a more potent derivative of vitamin A than the retinol you’ll find in most high street offerings, and the Trinny London version also contains Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, which works similarly and is generally well tolerated. The Primark version contains retinal, technically, but it appears well past the halfway point on the ingredients list and sits after Phenoxyethanol, which typically indicates a concentration of under one percent. The brand has not disclosed the exact percentage, which tells you something in itself.
So overall, despite the inclusion of Retinal in the formula, there’s no indication for the consumer to understand exactly how strong this is. You also have to take into account the absence of Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, which plays a significant part in the Trinny London formula.
🩵 Primark PS Skin Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum Review
The Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum is an interesting case because Primark has not really attempted to replicate the Trinny London product the packaging evokes. The Trinny London version in that colourway contains exfoliants to address dull and uneven skin. The Primark version is simply a hydrating serum. This makes it closer in spirit to Trinny London’s Plump Up, though without the peptides that make that product worth its price tag.
As a straight hydrating serum it is perfectly pleasant and does what it says. For £5 there is nothing to actively complain about. Just be clear that you are buying a budget hyaluronic acid serum that happens to look like something else. It’s not a genuine dupe of the product it resembles.
Primark can and does produce decent affordable skincare. But the gap between the Primark PS Skin and being Trinny London Skincare Dupes is considerable. And when the difference comes down to active ingredient concentration and formulation integrity, the lower price stops feeling quite so triumphant.
