Molton Brown Dupes at ALDI!!

As a keen Molton Brownie you can only imagine my excitement as I tripped down to the local Aldi to discover if indeed it was true and they have launched a range of shower gels and hand wash dupes via their inhouse Abbott & Broome brand. They have and OMG they are amazing!!

The Detail:
The range includes 3 luxurious liquid handwashes priced at €1.49 each compared to a hefty €17.50 for the MB equivalent and a further 3 luxurious bath and shower gels priced at €1.99 compared to €20 for the MB equivalent. Having to restrain myself from snapping the entire box up (at least until they'd received my stamp of approval) I very carefully (and maturely I might add!) selected one hand wash and one shower gel. The packaging is a ringer for their muse not to mention the scents! I selected the "Carageen Irish Moss" handwash for direct comparison to my MB mini equivalent called "energising seamoss" and the "Devine Gingerlilly" which I assumed, hoped and prayed with much anticipation was a suitable equivalent to MB's "Heavenly Gingerlilly" - the scent that started off my love affair with the MB range many years ago!

The Images:
So below is the Abbott & Broome ones:

And here is the Abbott & Broome Handwash (Carrageen Irish Moss), An empty MB Handwash (for comparison) and the MB equivalent of this scent in a mini (Energising Seamoss)

The Sciencey Bit:

So ok - the look almost identical, they smell identical and they foam and cleanse as good as the MB range - surely there must be some difference given the ginormous price differential?? In truth not really. I spent quite a bit of time (sad individual that I am) analyzing the ingredients in the two brands moss scent. Both have SLS in them and both have Cocamide DEA. The Aldi range does also have MIT which the Molton Brown one does not. However likewise the Molton Brown one has a couple of parabens which the Aldi one apears to be free of! The Aldi one uses two colours where as the MB one uses just one. The MB one has horse chesnut seed extract as well as fucus vesiculosus (seaweed to you and I) while Aldi just uses the latter. I must admit I was somewhat shocked at the level of sulphates and other not so luxurious ingredients in my Molton Brown - I had always just assumed that the pricetag it carried meant it was full of healthy and natural ingredients!

The Conclusion:

Abbott & Broome get my vote and I will most definitly be ending my MB love affair. Granted A&B have copied my favourite scent so it's not a toughie for me. Perhaps an extension of range into hand and body lotions as well as a few more scents may make it an even easier decision but at a saving of  €18 a bottle I can now use my favourite shower gel every day thanks to the clever people at Aldi!