🔗 Share this article

Rachael Parnell

After discovering Rachael Parnell heard a discounter was launching a fresh product collection that looked akin to items from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

Rachael rushed to her local shop to buy the supermarket face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.

The sleek blue tube and gold cap of each creams look remarkably comparable. And though Rachael has not used the high-end cream, she says she's pleased by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been buying lookalike products from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for a long time, and she's in good company.

Over a 25% of UK buyers report they've tried a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This rises to nearly half among younger adults, as per a recent survey.

Alternatives are skincare products that mimic well-known labels and provide cost-effective options to high-end products. These products frequently have comparable labels and design, but sometimes the ingredients can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Is Not Necessarily Better'

Beauty professionals say certain alternatives to luxury labels are reasonable standard and assist make beauty routines more affordable.

"It is not true that costlier is always superior," says consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not every low-budget product line is bad - and not every high-end skincare product is the best."

"Certain [dupes] are really impressive," notes Scott McGlynn, who presents a podcast featuring celebrities.

Numerous of the products modeled on luxury labels "disappear so rapidly, it's just crazy," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert another professional believes dupes are fine to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and cleansers.

"These products will do the job," he explains. "These items will do the essentials to a satisfactory level."

Another skin doctor, thinks you can cut costs when you're looking for single-ingredient products like HA, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient product then you're probably going to be fine in opting for a budget alternative or a product which is quite low cost because there's minimal that can be problematic," she explains.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Packaging'

However the specialists also recommend consumers investigate and state that more expensive products are sometimes worthy of the premium price.

With high-end skincare, you're not just paying for the brand and marketing - at times the increased price tag also stems from the formula and their grade, the potency of the key component, the science used to develop the item, and tests into the products' effectiveness, the expert says.

Skin therapist Rhian Truman suggests it's valuable questioning how some alternatives can be priced so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she says they could have filler ingredients that don't have as many advantages for the complexion, or the components might not be as carefully selected.

"One big uncertainty is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Expert Scott admits in some cases he's bought skincare items that look similar to a established brand but the actual formula has "little similarity to the premium version".

"Do not be sold by the outer appearance," he cautioned.

SimpleImages/Getty Images

Regarding more complicated items or those with components that can aggravate the complexion if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, the specialist advises using research-backed brands.

She states these will likely have been subjected to costly tests to evaluate how successful they are.

Skincare items must be assessed before they can be marketed in the UK, explains expert another professional.

When the brand advertises about the performance of the item, it needs research to verify it, "however the seller doesn't always have to perform the testing" and can alternatively cite studies done by different companies, she says.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Container

Is there any components that could indicate a product is poor?

Ingredients on the back of the container are listed by amount. "Potential irritants that you need to look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up