🔗 Share this article

Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer found out a supermarket was launching a new product collection that looked similar to products from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

The shopper hurried to her local store to pick up the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.

Its smooth blue tube and gold cap of the two items look noticeably alike. Although she has not tested the premium cream, she states she's pleased by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been purchasing beauty alternatives from popular shops and supermarkets for some time, and she's not alone.

More than a fourth of UK buyers state they've tried a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This jumps to nearly half among 18-34 year olds, based on a February survey.

Dupes are beauty items that imitate well-known companies and offer cost-effective substitutes to high-end products. These products typically have comparable branding and containers, but occasionally the formulas can differ substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Always Better'

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

"In my opinion more expensive is necessarily more effective," comments dermatology expert one expert. "Not all low-budget skincare brand is inferior - and not every high-end beauty item is the best."

"A number of [dupes] are truly excellent," adds a podcast host, who hosts a podcast featuring public figures.

Many of the products inspired by luxury brands "sell out so rapidly, it's just crazy," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert Ross Perry thinks alternatives are fine to use for "fundamental products" like moisturisers and face washes.

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

Another skin doctor, suggests you can spend less when seeking simple-formula products like HA, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be fine in opting for a budget alternative or a product which is quite inexpensive because there's very little that can be problematic," she explains.

'Do Not Be Influenced by the Packaging'

However the experts also suggest shoppers check details and state that higher-priced products are sometimes worth the premium price.

With luxury beauty products, you're not only funding the name and promotion - sometimes the elevated price also stems from the components and their grade, the concentration of the effective element, the science used to produce the product, and trials into the item's performance, she says.

Facialist another professional says it's worth thinking about how certain alternatives can be sold so inexpensively.

Sometimes, she states they may have filler ingredients that don't have as numerous positive effects for the complexion, or the components might not be as high-quality.

"The big uncertainty is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she remarks.

Commentator McGlynn admits on occasion he's bought skincare items that look similar to a well-known label but the item has "no resemblance to the luxury product".

"Don't be fooled by the outer appearance," he added.

SimpleImages/Getty Images

For potent products or ones with components that can inflame the complexion if they're not made properly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate advises selecting more specialised companies.

She says these probably have been subjected to comprehensive tests to determine how efficacious they are.

Skincare products must be tested before they can be marketed in the UK, notes skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

If the company states about the effectiveness of the item, it needs evidence to back it up, "but the manufacturer doesn't necessarily have to perform the testing" and can alternatively reference evidence completed by different firms, she clarifies.

Read the Back of the Bottle

Are there any components that could suggest a item is poor?

Components on the back of the bottle are listed by concentration. "Potential irritants that you should look out for… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up