🔗 Share this article

Rachael Parnell

When Rachael Parnell heard a discounter was launching a fresh product collection that appeared akin to offerings from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

The shopper dashed to her closest store to buy the Lacura face cream for a low price for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream.

Its smooth blue tube and gold cap of each creams look noticeably alike. And though Rachael has not used the high-end cream, she says she's satisfied by the product so far.

Rachael has been purchasing skincare dupes from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for a long time, and she's not alone.

More than a fourth of UK consumers say they've purchased a skincare or makeup alternative. This jumps to 44 percent among millennials and Gen Z, according to a February survey.

Dupes are beauty items that copy well-known brands and offer affordable alternatives to high-end products. They typically have similar branding and containers, but sometimes the formulas can change substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Beauty experts say many alternatives to high-end labels are decent quality and aid make skincare more affordable.

"I don't think more expensive is necessarily superior," says skin specialist Sharon Belmo. "Not every affordable skincare brand is poor - and not every high-end skincare product is the finest."

"A number of [dupes] are truly amazing," notes Scott McGlynn, who presents a show with famous people.

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

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist Ross Perry thinks alternatives are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Dupes will do the job," he comments. "They will perform the fundamentals to a reasonable level."

Another skin doctor, thinks you can save money when seeking simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a simple product then you're likely going to be alright in using a budget alternative or something which is quite inexpensive because there's not much that can be problematic," she adds.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Container'

But the experts also advise buyers check details and state that higher-priced items are sometimes worth the premium price.

Regarding premium skincare, you're not only covering the name and promotion - sometimes the elevated price also is due to the formula and their grade, the potency of the active ingredient, the science employed to create the product, and studies into the products' effectiveness, the expert explains.

Beauty expert Rhian Truman says it's worth considering how some dupes can be offered so inexpensively.

Sometimes, she states they could have less effective components that lack as many benefits for the skin, or the materials might not be as well sourced.

"The major doubt is 'How is it so cheap?'" she asks.

Podcast host McGlynn notes sometimes he's purchased beauty products that appear similar to a big-name brand but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the premium version".

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

SimpleImages/Getty Images

For advanced items or those with components that can aggravate the skin if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, she recommends using more specialised labels.

The expert says these typically have been subjected to expensive studies to determine how successful they are.

Skincare products are required to be tested before they can be sold in the UK, notes skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

When the company states about the effectiveness of the item, it must have research to back it up, "however the brand doesn't necessarily have to perform the trials" and can instead use studies conducted by other firms, she clarifies.

Read the Back of the Container

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

Ingredients on the list of the tube are ordered by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to avoid… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up