Founded by MIT grads, Maelove's under-$30 skincare products are on par with many luxury brands I've tried — here's what they're like to use

• Maelove is an affordable skincare line founded by MIT grads. Most products, with the exception of the Love 31 face oil ($74.95), are under $30. 
• The cult-favorite $28 vitamin C serum (which customers have pointed out is very similar to SkinCeuticals' $166 version) put the company on the map and is prone to frequent sellouts. 
• I've used eight products from Maelove: the Night Renewer ($28), the Glow Maker ($28), the One Cream ($28), the Eye Enhancer ($28), and more. Across the board, they're budget-friendly hero products for sensitive skin.
• I try lots of skincare products for my job at Insider Reviews, and Maelove is one of my most recommended brands for its balance of price and efficacy.
• The company also has a generous return policy: If you're not happy with your purchase, you're able to return it within 100 days for a full refund.

It doesn't take long in a Sephora to realize that plenty of skincare is not affordable. Glossy tubs of La Mer go for $180, and there's an $85 Peter Thomas Roth mask with pure 24-karat gold inside of it. 

But, if you know where to look, you can find skincare products that perform on par with luxury picks. Companies like Maelove, a startup founded by MIT grads (skincare obsessives, brain and cancer researchers, and chemical engineers), use many of the same ingredients and cosmetics labs as high-end brands but sell products for a fraction of the cost, like a skincare version of Italic. See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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