🔗 Share this article

Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell found out a supermarket was offering a new beauty line that looked comparable to items from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

She rushed to her closest outlet to pick up the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream.

The smooth blue packaging and gold top of each creams look noticeably comparable. And though Rachael has not used the luxury cream, she says she's satisfied by the product so far.

Rachael has been buying skincare dupes from popular shops and supermarkets for years, and she's not alone.

Over a 25% of UK consumers state they've purchased a skincare or makeup alternative. This jumps to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, based on a recent survey.

Lookalikes are beauty items that copy well-known brands and offer affordable substitutes to luxury items. These products often have similar names and packaging, but in some cases the formulas can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Necessarily Better'

Skincare professionals say many substitutes to luxury labels are decent standard and aid make skincare cheaper.

"It is not true that costlier is necessarily superior," comments skin specialist Sharon Belmo. "Not all budget beauty label is inferior - and not every luxury skincare product is the finest."

"Certain [dupes] are really impressive," adds a podcast host, who runs a show with public figures.

A lot of of the items inspired by luxury labels "run out so quickly, it's just unbelievable," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional believes dupes are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Alternatives will do the job," he explains. "They will handle the basics to a satisfactory standard."

Another skin doctor, thinks you can cut costs when searching for simple-formula products like HA, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"When you're purchasing a single-ingredient product then you're probably going to be alright in opting for a dupe or a product which is fairly inexpensive because there's not much that can cause issues," she explains.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Packaging'

However the professionals also advise consumers do their research and note that more expensive products are sometimes worth the extra money.

With high-end beauty products, you're not just paying for the name and advertising - often the higher price tag also stems from the components and their grade, the strength of the effective element, the technology employed to create the product, and studies into the item's efficacy, the expert notes.

Skin therapist she suggests it's worth considering how certain alternatives can be priced so inexpensively.

Sometimes, she says they might include bulking agents that don't have as numerous benefits for the skin, or the materials might not be as high-quality.

"One big question mark is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she remarks.

Podcast host Scott notes sometimes he's bought skincare items that look comparable to a well-known brand but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the luxury product".

"Do not be convinced by the outer appearance," he warned.

SimpleImages/Getty Images

For potent items or ones with components that can inflame the complexion if they're not formulated properly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate recommends sticking to medical-grade companies.

The expert states these typically have been subjected to comprehensive tests to evaluate how successful they are.

Skincare products need to be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, explains expert Emma Wedgeworth.

If the company advertises about the performance of the item, it needs data to back it up, "but the seller doesn't necessarily have to conduct the trials" and can instead cite studies conducted by other firms, she clarifies.

Check the Ingredients List of the Pack

Are there any ingredients that could suggest a product is low-quality?

Components on the list of the bottle are listed by concentration. "Ingredients to avoid that you should avoid… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up