🔗 Share this article

Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell learned a discounter was selling a fresh product collection that looked similar to offerings from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

The shopper hurried to her local shop to pick up the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the luxury brand 50ml product.

The streamlined blue tube and gold top of both items look noticeably alike. And though Rachael has not used the premium cream, she states she's satisfied by the dupe so far.

She has been purchasing lookalike products from popular shops and grocery stores for years, and she's part of a trend.

Over a 25% of UK shoppers say they've bought a beauty or cosmetic alternative. This rises to 44% among 18-34 year olds, according to a February survey.

Lookalikes are beauty items that imitate bigger name brands and provide budget-friendly options to premium products. These products often have comparable labels and design, but in some cases the ingredients can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Skincare professionals say many alternatives to luxury brands are reasonable quality and assist make beauty routines less expensive.

"I don't think higher-priced is necessarily more effective," says skin specialist Sharon Belmo. "Not all affordable beauty label is bad - and not all premium beauty item is the finest."

"A number of [dupes] are really excellent," says a skincare commentator, who hosts a program with celebrities.

Many of the products modeled on high-end brands "run out so rapidly, it's just insane," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert a doctor argues alternatives are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Dupes will be effective," he says. "They will do the essentials to a satisfactory level."

A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can save money when searching for simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be fine in using a budget alternative or something which is fairly inexpensive because there's not much that can go wrong," she adds.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Container'

Yet the professionals also advise consumers check details and state that costlier items are occasionally worth the additional cost.

Regarding high-end beauty products, you're not just covering the brand and advertising - at times the elevated cost also comes from the formula and their grade, the strength of the effective element, the technology utilized to produce the item, and trials into the products' efficacy, she explains.

Facialist she suggests it's worth thinking about how certain dupes can be offered so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she believes they might have less effective components that do not provide as many positive effects for the complexion, or the components might not be as well sourced.

"One key doubt is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she remarks.

Commentator Scott admits on occasion he's bought skincare items that look comparable to a established brand but the product itself has "no resemblance to the original".

"Don't be convinced by the outer appearance," he warned.

SimpleImages/Getty Images

Regarding more complicated products or those with ingredients that can irritate the complexion if they're not made accurately, such as retinoids or vitamin C, Dr Bhate recommends sticking to more specialised companies.

The expert states these probably have been through comprehensive studies to determine how effective they are.

Skincare products must be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, explains consultant dermatologist another professional.

If the brand states about the efficacy of the product, it must have evidence to verify it, "however the seller does not necessarily have to do the trials" and can alternatively reference evidence completed by other brands, she clarifies.

Read the Back of the Bottle

Are there any components that could suggest a item is low-quality?

Ingredients on the back of the container are arranged by concentration. "The baddies that you want to avoid… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up