🔗 Share this article High-Street Skincare Lookalikes Could Save Consumers a Bundle. But Do Budget Beauty Items Perform? Rachael Parnell Rachael states with some alternatives she "fails to see the difference". After discovering one shopper found out Aldi was selling a recent skincare range that appeared akin to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited". The shopper hurried to her local shop to buy the supermarket face cream for a low price for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml product. Its sleek blue packaging and gold top of the two products look strikingly comparable. While Rachael has never tried the premium cream, she states she's impressed by the alternative so far. Rachael has been using beauty alternatives from high street stores and supermarkets for some time, and she's in good company. Over a fourth of UK buyers state they've bought a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This jumps to nearly half among younger adults, based on a recent study. Dupes are skincare products that imitate well-known labels and offer cost-effective substitutes to high-end products. These products often have alike names and packaging, but sometimes the formulas can change considerably. Victoria Woollaston Luxury vs budget: Augustinus Bader's 50ml face cream is priced at £240, while the supermarket's recent Lacura face cream is £8.49. 'Costly Isn't Necessarily Better' Beauty experts argue some substitutes to premium brands are reasonable standard and aid make beauty routines cheaper. "In my opinion more expensive is necessarily better," states skin specialist a doctor. "Not all budget product line is poor - and not every luxury skincare product is the best." "Some [dupes] are really amazing," notes a skincare commentator, who hosts a show featuring famous people. Many of the items inspired by luxury brands "sell out so quickly, it's just crazy," he says. Scott McGlynn Skincare expert Scott McGlynn claims certain budget items he has tested are "fantastic". Medical expert a doctor believes alternatives are acceptable to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and cleansers. "Dupes will be effective," he comments. "They will do the fundamentals to a acceptable standard." A consultant dermatologist, advises you can save money when searching for simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient. "When you're purchasing a simple product then you're probably going to be fine in using a budget alternative or something which is quite low cost because there's minimal that can cause issues," she explains. 'Don't Be Influenced by the Container' But the professionals also suggest shoppers investigate and say that costlier products are sometimes worthy of the extra money. Regarding premium beauty products, you're not just paying for the name and marketing - at times the increased price tag also comes from the components and their grade, the strength of the active ingredient, the technology utilized to produce the item, and tests into the item's effectiveness, she notes. Skin therapist she says it's valuable questioning how some dupes can be priced so at a low cost. Sometimes, she believes they might contain bulking agents that don't have as numerous positive effects for the skin, or the components might not be as carefully selected. "One key uncertainty is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she remarks. Podcast host Scott admits in some cases he's purchased skincare items that appear similar to a established brand but the item has "no connection to the original". "Do not be fooled by the packaging," he cautioned. SimpleImages/Getty Images The dermatologist suggests opting for more specialised labels for items with components like retinol or vitamin C. Regarding more complicated products or those with ingredients that can inflame the skin if they're not created properly, such as retinols or vitamin C, she suggests using research-backed companies. She explains these typically have been subjected to costly studies to determine how efficacious they are. Skincare products must be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, notes skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth. When the company states about the performance of the product, it must have evidence to verify it, "but the manufacturer doesn't always have to conduct the trials" and can instead use studies completed by different firms, she clarifies. Examine the Label of the Container Are there any components that could signal a item is low-quality? Ingredients on the back of the bottle are ordered by quantity. "The baddies that you need to look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up