🔗 Share this article

Rachael Parnell

After discovering one shopper learned a discounter was launching a recent beauty line that seemed comparable to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

She rushed to her local shop to purchase the supermarket face cream for a low price for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 price tag of the luxury brand 50ml product.

The smooth blue tube and gold lid of each products look noticeably alike. And though Rachael has not used the luxury cream, she states she's pleased by the alternative so far.

She has been buying lookalike products from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for some time, and she's part of a trend.

Over a 25% of UK consumers report they've tried a skincare or makeup alternative. This rises to 44% among younger adults, as per a recent poll.

Lookalikes are beauty items that imitate bigger name labels and provide budget-friendly options to high-end products. These products often have similar names and packaging, but sometimes the formulas can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Always Superior'

Skincare experts say certain alternatives to premium brands are reasonable standard and aid make skincare cheaper.

"I don't think costlier is always superior," states dermatology expert a doctor. "Not all low-budget skincare brand is bad - and not all premium skincare product is the finest."

"Certain [dupes] are really excellent," adds Scott McGlynn, who runs a podcast with public figures.

Many of the items based on luxury brands "disappear so fast, it's just insane," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert a doctor thinks dupes are fine to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he says. "They will do the basics to a reasonable level."

A consultant dermatologist, suggests you can spend less when you're looking for simple-formula items like HA, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're buying a single-ingredient product then you're probably going to be fine in opting for a dupe or something which is fairly affordable because there's minimal that can go wrong," she explains.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Container'

Yet the professionals also advise buyers investigate and say that costlier items are at times worth the additional cost.

With premium skincare, you're not only covering the brand and marketing - sometimes the increased cost also comes from the formula and their grade, the potency of the key component, the technology used to create the product, and studies into the products' performance, Dr Belmo says.

Skin therapist another professional suggests it's important considering how certain alternatives can be priced so cheaply.

Sometimes, she believes they may have bulking agents that do not provide as numerous advantages for the skin, or the materials might not be as high-quality.

"The key uncertainty is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she says.

Podcast host Scott admits in some cases he's purchased skincare items that look similar to a big-name brand but the item has "no connection to the original".

"Do not be convinced by the container," he cautioned.

SimpleImages/Getty Images

For potent products or ones with components that can irritate the skin if they're not formulated accurately, such as retinoids or vitamin C, the specialist suggests sticking to research-backed brands.

The expert states these typically have been through comprehensive studies to evaluate how efficacious they are.

Beauty products need to be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, notes expert Emma Wedgeworth.

If the label makes claims about the effectiveness of the product, it must have data to verify it, "but the manufacturer doesn't always have to conduct the testing" and can alternatively reference testing completed by other brands, she adds.

Read the Label of the Bottle

Is there any components that could suggest a product is poor?

Components on the list of the tube are arranged by concentration. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to be wary of… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up