Get smoother, brighter skin with these Sunday Riley Good Genes dupes
Sunday Riley’s cult skincare product might help you dupe the effects of having good genetics, but it can’t help you pretend you were born into money. Which, you might have to be, to keep a constant supply of this pricey product in your bathroom. That’s where these Sunday Riley Good Genes dupes come in. They’ll help you fake the inherited clear skin and save your decidedly non-heiress status bank account. (We have even more makeup dupes for that, by the way.)
You might assume at $110 dollars a bottle that this product found some Holy Grail of ingredients that other companies don’t have. But you’d be wrong.
Sure, it brightens, tightens, and smooths. But it’s not magic. At the end of the day, it’s a lactic acid treatment. And, sure, it also packs some skin-soothing ingredients to ensure your face stays redness-free after the treatment.
But here’s the thing. Other companies are doing the exact same thing. But they’re not getting the love they deserve. Maybe because their bottles are slightly less Instagrammable. We’re not sure. But whatever the reason is, you can benefit from it.
The beauty lovers who have stumbled upon these Good Genes dupes are hooked. And soon you will be, too. While some are closer matches than others, we verified that they get the same results. Because that’s what you’re after, right? Not a bottle that looks pretty on your feed.
We broke them down into two categories: dailies and weeklies. Some of these Sunday Riley Good Genes dupes are actually stronger than the original. So we suggest you use them only a couple times a week, at least to start.
Good Genes dupes you can use daily
- The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA 2%
- The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA
- OLEHENRIKSEN Invigorating Night Transformation™ Gel
Sunday Riley Good Genes dupes to use weekly
- Farmacy Honeymoon Glow AHA Resurfacing Night Serum with Echinacea GreenEnvy™
- Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Glow Moisturizer
- Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum
- tarte Knockout Tingling Treatment
Sunday Riley Good Genes dupes you’ll reach for every damn day
There’s a reason people love Good Genes. Its 5% concentration lactic acid treatment is just strong enough to get real work done on your complexion without causing too much irritation. And just to be sure they packed their formula with skin-soothing ingredients like aloe and licorice. All that adds up to instant results that only build over time.
So when we hunted down Good Genes dupes you could use every day, we used those characteristics as our standards. Formulas that could replace Sunday Riley on your shelf needed to offer the same incredible results. But they also needed to boost the look and feel of your skin over time without irritation or redness. These are the products that rose to the top.
The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA 2%
Overall verdict: This is the most talked about of all Sunday Riley Good Genes dupes. And while, yes, the formula is similar enough for you to see the same results, it’s not for that reason. It’s because of the price tag. More than any other product, this one gives you the price break you’re probably craving. And since it uses the same amount of lactic acid as Good Genes, you know what to expect in terms of treatment, and results.
Main features:
- Hyaluronic base makes lactic acid more effective over time
- Same lactic acid concentration as good genes
- Less acidic, so gentler for sensitive skin
- More of a serum so good for layering
The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA
Overall verdict: We’re putting an asterisk by this Good Genes dupe. It’s definitely a higher concentration of lactic acid than the cult classic skincare product. But that might be exactly what you need if you’ve been doing acid treatments for a while. Your typical treatments can lessen in effect after a while. So check out your skin and reassess. Is it time to bump up the strength? Because we found the perfect next-step product.
Main features:
- Higher concentration of lactic acid than original
- Anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal Tasmania pepperberry
OLEHENRIKSEN Invigorating Night Transformation™ Gel
Overall verdict: Lactic acid is the sixth ingredient in both of these formulas. And while that doesn’t mean this product is an exact Sunday Riley Good Genes dupe down to the perfect of lactic acid, it means it’s pretty darn close. It also means it’s a gentler formula that won’t irritate your skin, even with consistent daily use. (*NOTE: The packaging of this product has been changed since publication.)
Main features:
- Lactic acid 6th ingredient in both formulas
- Licorice root for brightening, soothing like Good Genes
- Just as effective exfoliating, clearing as Sunday Riley
- Bit tacky for a few minutes just like Good Genes
Good Genes dupes to use a couple times a week
Although we love that products that can replace your daily Good Genes use, there were even more alternatives out there that offered the same results. The biggest difference: they were stronger. So they’re not going to be part of your nighttime routine each and every day, but they certainly deserve a spot in your bathroom cabinet.
If you’ve been using Good Genes for a while or are accustomed to acid treatments, you might be able to get away with using some of these more frequently. Still, we suggest you start slow. They’ll all get you the same instant results that Sunday Riley does, so there’s no need to push to use it daily. Find your skin’s tolerance and enjoy the glowing benefits along the way.
Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Glow Moisturizer
Overall verdict: We might not have considered this moisturizer a Sunday Riley Good Genes dupe if it weren’t for tons of fans comparing the two. Good Genes is a chemical exfoliator. ExfoliKate is a physical exfoliator. But they both put AHA to good use smoothing and toning your skin in similar ways that fans love, so we added it anyway. Did we mention you get roughly twice the product for a fraction of the price?
Main features:
- Roughly twice the size of Sunday Riley Good Genes
- Comes in a mini under $25 so you can try
- Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and AHA to repair skin’s barrier
- Physical rather than chemical exfoliator
Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum
Overall verdict: While some fans use this Good Genes dupe nightly, we’re going to suggest a couple times a week. Lactic acid is the serum’s sixth ingredient, just like in Sunday Riley’s formula, but this product also gets power from glycolic acid. But don’t worry that the skipped days will mean less resurfacing or brightening for your skin. Even users who claim to apply this serum just three times a week praise Drunk Elephant for delivering the same results as Sunday Riley.
Main features:
- Lactic acid 6th ingredient just like with good genes
- Resurfacing, brightening, smoothing
Farmacy Honeymoon Glow AHA Resurfacing Night Serum with Echinacea GreenEnvy™
Overall verdict: Maybe you’re not a long daily routine kind of girl. Some us like to have a bare minimum of daily products and save stronger treatments for the weekends. If that’s you, this is your perfect dupe for Sunday Riley Good Genes. Lactic acid is the second ingredient, so it packs a powerful punch. But don’t worry: they include honey to help keep your skin calm.
Main features:
- Stronger than good genes so not for daily use
- Has soothing ingredients, but uses honey
- Lactic acid second ingredient; 6th in Good Genes
tarte Knockout Tingling Treatment
Overall verdict: You’re getting a slightly stronger acid complex with this Good Genes dupe. But that’s not a concern if you’re accustomed to AHA treatments. It’s just stronger enough to get dull skin responding and glowing again without irritating your complexion. That said, if you’re new to lactic acid treatment it’s better to err on the safe side. Start with a couple times a week and work your way up once you confirm your skin is glowing like it should.
Main features:
- Slight tackiness after application like Sunday Riley
- Lactic acid is third ingredient vs sixth ingredient in Good Genes
- 10% acid complex, also uses salicylic acid
