Grocery Store Beauty Lookalikes Might Save Shoppers Hundreds. But Do Budget Skincare Products Perform?

Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell found out a discounter was launching a recent skincare range that seemed akin to offerings from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

She dashed to her local store to buy the supermarket face cream for a low price for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the luxury brand 50ml item.

Its streamlined blue tube and gold lid of each products look noticeably comparable. While she has not used the luxury cream, she claims she's pleased by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been using beauty alternatives from high street stores and grocery stores for a long time, and she's not alone.

More than a quarter of UK consumers say they've bought a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This rises to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, according to a February poll.

Dupes are skincare products that copy established companies and offer budget-friendly options to luxury items. These products often have similar labels and design, but in some cases the components can vary substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Necessarily Better'

Skincare experts contend many substitutes to luxury brands are decent standard and aid make beauty routines more affordable.

"In my opinion higher-priced is always superior," says dermatology expert Sharon Belmo. "Not all affordable beauty label is inferior - and not every high-end beauty item is the best."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely impressive," says a podcast host, who hosts a show about famous people.

Many of the items based on high-end labels "disappear so fast, it's just crazy," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert a doctor argues dupes are suitable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and face washes.

"These products will serve a purpose," he says. "They will do the essentials to a satisfactory standard."

A consultant dermatologist, suggests you can spend less when seeking simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a simple item then you're likely going to be okay in opting for a budget alternative or a product which is very low cost because there's not much that can be problematic," she says.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Container'

Yet the specialists also recommend buyers investigate and note that higher-priced items are occasionally worthy of the additional cost.

Regarding high-end skincare, you're not just paying for the name and advertising - at times the higher price tag also comes from the components and their grade, the strength of the effective element, the technology employed to create the item, and studies into the products' performance, Dr Belmo says.

Facialist Rhian Truman suggests it's important questioning how certain alternatives can be priced so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she states they could contain filler ingredients that lack as many benefits for the skin, or the ingredients might not be as high-quality.

"One big question mark is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she remarks.

Expert McGlynn notes in some cases he's purchased skincare items that look comparable to a established brand but the actual formula has "little similarity to the luxury product".

"Don't be sold by the container," he cautioned.

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For potent products or ones with components that can aggravate the complexion if they're not made correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, the specialist suggests sticking to more specialised companies.

She says these will likely have been through costly trials to evaluate how effective they are.

Beauty items need to be tested before they can be sold in the UK, explains skin doctor another professional.

When the label states about the performance of the product, it requires evidence to back it up, "however the brand doesn't always have to conduct the testing" and can alternatively use evidence done by other firms, she says.

Examine the Back of the Pack

Is there any ingredients that could indicate a item is low-quality?

Components on the label of the bottle are ordered by concentration. "Ingredients to avoid that you should look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up