BOOST2FOR1
Boost Lab is a relatively new Australian brand that makes good quality skincare serums with declared percentages of actives and are fragrance-free and free from animal testing. Products are either made in Australia or New Zealand. AdoreBeauty now stocks them as well - see editor review. I've only tried the Hyaluronic Acid serum myself and was impressed with the quality and texture. If you like brands like The Ordinary or The Inkey List, check them out. When they run 2 for 1 promos like this, it's very affordable and flexible as you can get any two serums of your choice. There's free delivery and a free sample sachet of your choice as well. Remember to apply the coupon code to get the offer. This code was in a facebook ad but doesn't seem to be advertised on the website itself.
They don't offer the myriad of options from The Ordinary, but it also makes it easier to choose. Most formulas are very gentle and you can mix multiple serums without worrying about conflicts (when some active ingredients don't work well when applied at the same time as another active ingredient).
These are the serums they offer (see Boost Lab links for full list of ingredients):
Brightening: 5% Niacinamide, 3% Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (A non-irritating vit C derivative that has brightening properties), Vitamin E 1%, Pentavitin 1%, Alpha Bisabolol 0.5%
Oil/Blemish control: 10% Niacinamide, 1% Zinc, Pollustop 3%. 'Pollustop' is just a fancy trade name for Biosaccharide gum-4 and 1,2-hexanediol. A good alternative to the Ordinary's 10% Niacinamide + 1% Zinc, which has some pilling issues on some.
Hydration: HA with Chondus Crispus (Marimoist) 10%, D-Panthenol 3%, Hydrolysed HA 0.5%, Hydrolite Green (Pentylene Glycol) 0.5%. Not really a dupe for The Ordinary's Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (the formulas are quite different) but it is a very pleasant, non-sticky serum that I would recommend.
Retinoid for PM: Granactive Retinoid 2%, Retinol 50c 0.5%, Aloe Vera 3%, Vit E 1%, Bisabolol 0.5%. "Retinol 50c" is a mix of pure retinol and polysorbate 20 at 50% each, so I guess this formula also has 0.25% pure retinol. This has the same active ingredient, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate/Granactive Retinoid at a 2% concentration, which is the same as The Ordinary's 2% Granactive Retinoid offerings. This seems to be in a propanediol base, rather than in emulsion or squalane like The Ordinary.
Anti-aging: Pollustop 3%, Syn-Ake (Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate) 2%, Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide-8) 2%. 'Pollustop' is just a fancy trade name for Biosaccharide gum-4 and 1,2-hexanediol.
AHA exfoliant: Lactic Acid - Arginine Complex 15%, Aloe Vera 3%, Manuka Honey 1%, Bisabolol 0.5%. This 'Lactic Acid - Arginine Complex' would not be 100% lactic acid, so I would take a guess that this is somewhere between 5% and 10% lactic acid. In any case it looks like a nice slow-release formula with some soothing ingredients in there. I wouldn't recommend it for sensitive skin though, proceed with caution if you must.
Eye serum: Eyeliss 3%, Syn-Eye 1%, Sepitonic M3 1%. Some fancy trade names in there but this does have multiple peptides and antioxidants in there. 30ml is massive for an eye serum.