Is that $1.25 serum from Dollar Tree actually doing the same thing as the $48 bottle at Sephora? This episode puts budget beauty under the microscope with pH strips, ingredient lists, and side-by-side formulation breakdowns. Julian Thorne walks through active ingredient concentrations, price-per-ounce math, and the real differences in how cheap versus expensive skincare products are made. If you've ever wondered whether you're paying for results or just fancy packaging, this one answers that question with chemistry instead of opinions.

• Dollar store niacinamide works just as well as the expensive stuff. The magic number for niacinamide is 5%, and Dollar Tree hits that concentration. Going higher doesn't make it work better—it just makes for better marketing. The cheap version costs about $1.25 per ounce while Sephora starts around $1 ...