🔗 Share this article High-Street Skincare Lookalikes Can Save Consumers a Bundle. But Do Economical Skincare Products Really Work? Rachael Parnell Rachael states with certain lookalikes she "can't tell the distinction". When one shopper learned a supermarket was offering a recent skincare range that appeared similar to items from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited". She hurried to her nearest store to buy the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 of the luxury brand 50ml cream. Its streamlined blue packaging and gold top of each items look remarkably alike. And though Rachael has not used the premium cream, she states she's satisfied by the dupe so far. Rachael has been buying lookalike products from popular shops and supermarkets for some time, and she's in good company. Over a 25% of UK buyers state they've bought a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This increases to nearly half among younger adults, according to a February survey. Dupes are skincare products that imitate established labels and offer cost-effective alternatives to luxury products. They frequently have comparable labels and design, but sometimes the formulas can differ significantly. Victoria Woollaston High-end vs affordable: Augustinus Bader's 50ml face cream costs £240, while the supermarket's recent store-brand face cream is £8.49. 'Expensive Isn't Necessarily Superior' Beauty professionals say many substitutes to luxury brands are decent quality and aid make beauty routines less expensive. "In my opinion higher-priced is necessarily superior," states consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not every budget skincare brand is inferior - and not every premium skincare product is the top." "A number of [dupes] are absolutely impressive," notes a skincare commentator, who hosts a show with celebrities. Many of the items based on luxury labels "disappear so quickly, it's just unbelievable," he observes. Scott McGlynn Skincare expert Scott McGlynn states some budget items he has used are "amazing". Skin specialist another professional thinks alternatives are fine to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes. "Dupes will do the job," he explains. "They will do the fundamentals to a reasonable degree." Another skin doctor, thinks you can spend less when searching for simple-formula items like HA, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient. "When you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be alright in using a lookalike or something which is very low cost because there's very little that can cause issues," she explains. 'Do Not Be Swayed by the Packaging' But the professionals also suggest buyers check details and say that costlier products are occasionally worth the premium price. Regarding high-end beauty products, you're not only covering the label and advertising - often the elevated price tag also stems from the formula and their standard, the strength of the active ingredient, the science utilized to create the product, and tests into the item's efficacy, Dr Belmo says. Facialist Rhian Truman suggests it's important thinking about how some alternatives can be sold so cheaply. Occasionally, she says they may include bulking agents that do not provide as significant benefits for the skin, or the materials might not be as high-quality. "One major uncertainty is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she says. Commentator Scott notes on occasion he's bought skincare items that appear similar to a well-known label but the item has "no connection to the premium version". "Do not be sold by the container," he warned. SimpleImages/Getty Images The dermatologist advises sticking to clinical brands for products with components like vitamin A or vitamin C. Regarding potent products or those with components that can irritate the complexion if they're not made accurately, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, the specialist suggests sticking to more specialised brands. The expert states these typically have been subjected to expensive trials to assess how efficacious they are. Skincare products are required to be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, says consultant dermatologist another professional. When the company advertises about the efficacy of the product, it must have research to verify it, "however the brand doesn't always have to do the trials" and can alternatively cite studies conducted by different companies, she adds. Check the Ingredients List of the Bottle Is there any ingredients that could signal a product is poor? Ingredients on the list of the bottle are listed by concentration. "Potential irritants that you should look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up