High-Street Skincare Alternatives Might Save Consumers a Fortune. Yet, Do Affordable Skincare Items Actually Work?

Rachael Parnell

When a consumer heard a supermarket was selling a new beauty line that appeared similar to offerings from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

She dashed to her closest store to pick up the supermarket face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.

Its streamlined blue packaging and gold top of each items look noticeably comparable. And though Rachael has never tried the luxury cream, she states she's satisfied by the alternative so far.

She 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 shoppers report they've tried a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This jumps to 44% among younger adults, according to a recent poll.

Lookalikes are beauty items that imitate well-known labels and present affordable alternatives to high-end items. These products often have alike labels and design, but in some cases the components can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Always Better'

Skincare specialists argue some substitutes to premium labels are reasonable quality and aid make beauty routines less expensive.

"I don't think higher-priced is necessarily better," states consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not every budget beauty label is bad - and not all premium skincare product is the best."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely amazing," adds Scott McGlynn, who hosts a program with celebrities.

A lot of of the items inspired by luxury labels "sell out so fast, it's just crazy," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry believes dupes are acceptable to use for "fundamental products" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Alternatives will do the job," he says. "These items will handle the fundamentals to a reasonable level."

A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can cut costs when you're looking for single-ingredient items like HA, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a simple product then you're probably going to be fine in opting for a lookalike or a product which is quite low cost because there's minimal that can cause issues," she explains.

'Don't Be Sold by the Container'

However the professionals also recommend shoppers do their research and say that higher-priced items are at times worth the premium price.

Regarding premium beauty products, you're not just funding the name and marketing - sometimes the increased price tag also is due to the components and their standard, the potency of the active ingredient, the science utilized to develop the item, and studies into the products' efficacy, the expert says.

Facialist she argues it's important thinking about how certain alternatives can be priced so cheaply.

In some cases, she believes they could include filler ingredients that lack as significant benefits for the complexion, or the components might not be as well sourced.

"One big uncertainty is 'Why is it so low-priced?'" she says.

Commentator McGlynn notes sometimes he's bought skincare items that look similar to a well-known brand but the product itself has "no resemblance to the original".

"Do not be fooled by the packaging," he cautioned.

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Regarding potent items or ones with ingredients that can aggravate the skin if they're not made correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C, Dr Bhate recommends using research-backed brands.

The expert explains these typically have been through comprehensive tests to evaluate how successful they are.

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

If the brand advertises about the effectiveness of the product, it needs research to back it up, "but the seller doesn't necessarily have to conduct the trials" and can instead cite evidence completed by other firms, she clarifies.

Read the Back of the Pack

Is there any components that could indicate a item is inferior?

Components on the back of the tube are arranged by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to be wary of… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up