Generic vs. Name Brand – What Works Best For Eczema & Budgets?

generic vs name brand eczema

If your family is like ours, chances are saving money is really important to you. Having a child with a special health need can be a real tax on funds, so I am always looking for simple ways to save money and cut back on how much we spend treating eczema and skin issues. When I started looking for ways to save money on my child’s eczema, the number one tip I got was to switch to generic brands. The difference in cost between a name brand ointment and a generic version can be several dollars – so it’s no wonder why so many parents make the change. My question is this: is the money you save on switching to a generic brand eczema treatment worth it?

Ingredients vs. Quality

The biggest argument I’ve seen for moving to generic brands is that the ingredients on a generic label and a name brand label are often completely identical! That’s right – the difference between a $15 product and a $25 product could be nothing more than the label that’s on the container – or is it? What I’ve discovered is that even though the ingredients may be the same on the list, they may not be arranged in the same way as the original.

Often times the generic version was created after the original name brand version. This means they can use the same ingredients but they don’t know the secret way those ingredients may be mixed by the original brand. This is like knowing all the ingredients in a cake but not knowing how much of each ingredient needs to be mixed in the bowl. Sometimes the generic version works out great and does the trick, but other times it seems like a completely different product.

Cost Over Time

As I explore some generic version of my favorite skin treatments, I found that in most cases I was left wanting more. While a few generic products did the trick, it always seemed like the original version was better. I’m not sure if this is because name brand products have more money to invest in research and formulating, or if they’ve been around so long because they simply do it better – but name brand tends to work better for me.

Even though I was trying to save money by trying generic version, I think I ended up spending more money in the long run! Because I bought generic, had to try a few version of each, and then ended up returning to my tried-and-tested name brand, I spent a whole lot more than usual.

Which Do You Buy?

Have you experimented with generic or low-cost versions of your favorite skin and eczema products?
Which ones did you try, and how well did they work for your family?

Share your experiences with us in the comments below!

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