Supermarket Beauty Lookalikes Could Save Consumers a Fortune. Yet, Do Affordable Skincare Products Really Work?

Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer heard a supermarket was selling a fresh skincare range that looked akin to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

She hurried to her nearest outlet to pick up the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml item.

Its smooth blue container and gold cap of the two products look strikingly comparable. Although she has not used the luxury cream, she claims she's pleased by the dupe so far.

She has been using skincare dupes from popular shops and supermarkets for some time, and she's in good company.

Over a fourth of UK consumers report they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This jumps to 44% among 18-34 year olds, as per a recently published survey.

Alternatives are beauty items that imitate established brands and offer cost-effective options to luxury products. They typically have comparable branding and containers, but in some cases the ingredients can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Necessarily Better'

Skincare experts argue many alternatives to high-end brands are good standard and assist make beauty routines more affordable.

"It is not true that costlier is always better," states dermatology expert a doctor. "Not all low-budget product line is inferior - and not every high-end beauty item is the best."

"Certain [dupes] are absolutely excellent," adds Scott McGlynn, who hosts a program featuring public figures.

Numerous of the items modeled on luxury labels "run out so fast, it's just unbelievable," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry thinks alternatives are fine to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes.

"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he says. "These items will handle the fundamentals to a acceptable degree."

Another skin doctor, advises you can save money when seeking single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're buying a simple item then you're likely going to be fine in using a dupe or something which is very affordable because there's minimal that can cause issues," she adds.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Box'

But the experts also advise buyers investigate and note that costlier items are occasionally worthy of the premium price.

With premium beauty products, you're not only paying for the label and marketing - often the higher price also stems from the formula and their quality, the strength of the effective element, the technology employed to create the item, and tests into the item's performance, the expert says.

Beauty expert Rhian Truman argues it's important considering how some dupes can be sold so cheaply.

Sometimes, she says they may include less effective components that don't have as many positive effects for the skin, or the materials might not be as high-quality.

"One key question mark is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Expert Scott says sometimes he's purchased skincare items that appear comparable to a big-name label but the product itself has "no resemblance to the premium version".

"Don't be convinced by the container," he added.

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Regarding potent products or those with ingredients that can inflame the skin if they're not created correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, she recommends sticking to medical-grade labels.

She explains these typically have been through costly trials to evaluate how efficacious they are.

Beauty products must be assessed before they can be available in the UK, says expert Emma Wedgeworth.

If the brand makes claims about the effectiveness of the item, it must have research to verify it, "however the seller doesn't always have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively cite evidence conducted by different brands, she says.

Examine the Back of the Pack

Is there any ingredients that could suggest a item is inferior?

Components on the list of the bottle are listed by quantity. "The baddies that you want to look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up