Grocery Store Skincare Dupes Could Save You a Bundle. However, Do Budget Skincare Products Actually Work?

Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing one shopper heard a discounter was offering a new product collection that seemed comparable to offerings from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

Rachael rushed to her local shop to buy the store-brand face cream for a low price for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream.

The sleek blue packaging and gold lid of the two creams look remarkably similar. And though she has not used the high-end cream, she claims she's satisfied by the alternative so far.

She has been using lookalike products from high street stores and supermarkets for years, and she's in good company.

More than a quarter of UK buyers say they've bought a skincare or makeup alternative. This rises to nearly half among millennials and Gen Z, as per a recent poll.

Alternatives are skincare products that copy well-known companies and provide cost-effective options to high-end items. These products frequently have similar labels and design, but in some cases the ingredients can change substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Is Not Necessarily Better'

Skincare experts say certain dupes to high-end brands are decent quality and assist make beauty routines more affordable.

"It is not true that costlier is invariably superior," says dermatology expert one expert. "Not every budget skincare brand is poor - and not all high-end skincare product is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are really impressive," notes Scott McGlynn, who hosts a program featuring public figures.

A lot of of the items inspired by high-end labels "run out so fast, it's just unbelievable," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor thinks dupes are fine to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes.

"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he explains. "They will do the essentials to a reasonable level."

Another skin doctor, thinks you can spend less when searching for simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're buying a simple item then you're likely going to be alright in using a budget alternative or a product which is quite affordable because there's not much that can cause issues," she explains.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Packaging'

However the specialists also advise shoppers check details and note that more expensive products are occasionally worth the extra money.

With high-end skincare, you're not only paying for the label and advertising - often the higher price tag also stems from the ingredients and their grade, the concentration of the effective element, the science used to develop the item, and studies into the products' effectiveness, she notes.

Skin therapist she suggests it's valuable thinking about how some alternatives can be sold so cheaply.

In some cases, she says they may include less effective components that don't have as numerous positive effects for the skin, or the components might not be as carefully selected.

"The major question mark is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she remarks.

Commentator Scott says sometimes he's purchased beauty products that look similar to a well-known brand but the product itself has "no resemblance to the original".

"Do not be sold by the outer appearance," he added.

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For more complicated items or those with ingredients that can inflame the complexion if they're not formulated accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, the specialist advises using medical-grade companies.

She states these will likely have been subjected to costly trials to assess how effective they are.

Skincare products must be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, explains expert Emma Wedgeworth.

If the company states about the effectiveness of the item, it needs evidence to support it, "but the brand doesn't always have to conduct the testing" and can instead cite studies conducted by other companies, she says.

Read the Back of the Pack

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

Components on the list of the container are listed by concentration. "Potential irritants that you need to avoid… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up