Supermarket Beauty Lookalikes Could Save Shoppers a Fortune. Yet, Do Affordable Skincare Products Perform?

Rachael Parnell

After discovering Rachael Parnell heard a supermarket was offering a fresh skincare range that appeared comparable to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

Rachael rushed to her local shop to pick up the store-brand face cream for a low price for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml item.

Its smooth blue container and gold cap of each products look strikingly similar. And though she has not used the high-end cream, she says she's impressed by the dupe so far.

She has been purchasing lookalike products from popular shops and grocery stores for some time, and she's in good company.

More than a 25% of UK buyers state they've bought a skincare or makeup dupe. This increases to 44 percent among younger adults, based on a recently published poll.

Alternatives are skincare products that mimic bigger name brands and offer cost-effective alternatives to luxury products. These products often have alike branding and containers, but in some cases the components can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Always Better'

Skincare specialists say some substitutes to high-end labels are decent standard and assist make skincare more affordable.

"I don't think more expensive is necessarily better," comments dermatology expert one expert. "Not all affordable skincare brand is bad - and not every premium skincare product is the top."

"A number of [dupes] are really amazing," notes a skincare commentator, who hosts a program with celebrities.

Numerous of the items inspired by high-end labels "run out so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert another professional argues dupes are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Dupes will do the job," he says. "They will handle the fundamentals to a reasonable degree."

Ketaki Bhate, suggests you can cut costs when seeking simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be alright in using a budget alternative or a product which is very low cost because there's minimal that can be problematic," she adds.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Packaging'

Yet the professionals also recommend shoppers investigate and say that costlier products are occasionally worthy of the extra money.

Regarding luxury beauty products, you're not only funding the label and advertising - sometimes the elevated price tag also is due to the formula and their standard, the strength of the key component, the research used to produce the item, and studies into the products' efficacy, Dr Belmo says.

Skin therapist another professional says it's important considering how some dupes can be sold so inexpensively.

In some cases, she states they may contain filler ingredients that do not provide as numerous benefits for the skin, or the components might not be as carefully selected.

"The big uncertainty is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she remarks.

Podcast host Scott says sometimes he's bought skincare items that appear comparable to a big-name brand but the product itself has "no connection to the luxury product".

"Do not be convinced by the container," he cautioned.

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For potent products or ones with components that can irritate the complexion if they're not formulated properly, such as retinols or vitamin C, Dr Bhate recommends selecting research-backed labels.

She explains these typically have been through comprehensive studies to determine how effective they are.

Beauty items are required to be tested before they can be marketed in the UK, notes skin doctor another professional.

When the brand advertises about the effectiveness of the product, it requires evidence to support it, "but the manufacturer doesn't always have to perform the trials" and can instead use studies completed by other companies, she says.

Examine the Back of the Pack

Are there any ingredients that could signal a item is inferior?

Components on the back of the container are listed by concentration. "Ingredients to avoid that you should be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up