Supermarket Beauty Lookalikes Might Save You Hundreds. But Do Economical Beauty Items Actually Work?

Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell found out a supermarket was offering a new skincare range that seemed akin to products from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

She hurried to her nearest shop to buy the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream.

The smooth blue container and gold lid of both creams look remarkably similar. Although she has never tried the high-end cream, she claims she's satisfied by the dupe so far.

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

Over a quarter of UK consumers say they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This increases to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, according to a recently published poll.

Alternatives are skincare products that imitate bigger name companies and offer cost-effective alternatives to luxury items. They frequently have similar names and packaging, but occasionally the components can differ considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Beauty experts say some substitutes to high-end brands are good quality and assist make beauty routines more affordable.

"I don't think more expensive is always better," states consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not all low-budget beauty label is inferior - and not all high-end skincare product is the best."

"Some [dupes] are truly excellent," says a podcast host, who runs a program featuring public figures.

A lot of of the items based on luxury brands "run out so rapidly, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor believes alternatives are suitable to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and face washes.

"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he explains. "These items will do the fundamentals to a acceptable standard."

Ketaki Bhate, suggests you can save money when searching for single-ingredient products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be fine in opting for a budget alternative or something which is very low cost because there's not much that can cause issues," she adds.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Container'

But the experts also advise shoppers investigate and note that costlier items are sometimes worthy of the extra money.

With premium skincare, you're not just funding the brand and promotion - often the higher price tag also is due to the formula and their standard, the potency of the effective element, the technology used to develop the item, and tests into the item's effectiveness, Dr Belmo notes.

Beauty expert Rhian Truman says it's important considering how certain dupes can be offered so cheaply.

Sometimes, she believes they could contain less effective components that do not provide as many benefits for the skin, or the materials might not be as well sourced.

"The big doubt is 'Why is it so low-priced?'" she says.

Commentator McGlynn says in some cases he's purchased beauty products that appear similar to a established label but the product itself has "no resemblance to the premium version".

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

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Regarding potent products or those with ingredients that can irritate the complexion if they're not created accurately, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate advises selecting more specialised companies.

The expert states these probably have been through costly trials to determine how effective they are.

Beauty products need to be evaluated before they can be available in the UK, says consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

When the company states about the effectiveness of the item, it requires evidence to support it, "however the brand doesn't necessarily have to perform the testing" and can instead use testing conducted by different brands, she adds.

Check the Ingredients List of the Bottle

Are there any ingredients that could indicate a product is poor?

Ingredients on the label of the bottle are listed by quantity. "The baddies that you need to look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up