High-Street Skincare Lookalikes Could Save Shoppers a Bundle. But Do Budget Skincare Products Really Work?
Rachael Parnell
Upon hearing a consumer learned Aldi was launching a new skincare range that seemed comparable to offerings from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".
The shopper hurried to her nearest store to pick up the store-brand face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml item.
The sleek blue packaging and gold lid of both items look noticeably alike. While Rachael has not used the luxury cream, she claims she's pleased by the dupe so far.
Rachael has been using beauty alternatives from high street stores and supermarkets for some time, and she's in good company.
More than a fourth of UK consumers report they've tried a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This rises to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, based on a recent survey.
Dupes are skincare products that mimic well-known companies and present cost-effective options to high-end products. These products typically have comparable branding and containers, but occasionally the formulas can change considerably.
Victoria Woollaston
'Expensive Isn't Always Better'
Skincare professionals argue some dupes to high-end labels are decent quality and help make skincare cheaper.
"In my opinion higher-priced is necessarily superior," comments consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not every budget product line is poor - and not all high-end beauty item is the finest."
"A number of [dupes] are really excellent," notes a skincare commentator, who runs a program featuring famous people.
Many of the products modeled on luxury brands "sell out so quickly, it's just insane," he observes.
Scott McGlynn
Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry believes alternatives are fine to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.
"Alternatives will be effective," he comments. "These items will do the essentials to a reasonable level."
A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can spend less when seeking simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.
"When you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be alright in opting for a budget alternative or something which is fairly inexpensive because there's very little that can cause issues," she says.
'Do Not Be Influenced by the Box'
But the specialists also recommend shoppers investigate and say that costlier items are at times worthy of the extra money.
With luxury skincare, you're not just paying for the brand and promotion - sometimes the elevated price tag also stems from the formula and their standard, the potency of the key component, the research utilized to create the item, and studies into the products' performance, the expert says.
Facialist another professional argues it's worth considering how some alternatives can be offered so at a low cost.
In some cases, she states they might have filler ingredients that do not provide as significant positive effects for the skin, or the ingredients might not be as well sourced.
"The big uncertainty is 'How is it so cheap?'" she says.
Expert Scott notes on occasion he's bought skincare items that appear comparable to a big-name brand but the item has "no resemblance to the original".
"Do not be sold by the packaging," he cautioned.
SimpleImages/Getty Images
For more complicated items or ones with components that can irritate the skin if they're not created correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, the specialist advises selecting more specialised labels.
The expert states these typically have been through expensive studies to evaluate how effective they are.
Skincare products are required to be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, explains skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.
When the brand makes claims about the efficacy of the item, it must have research to back it up, "but the manufacturer does not always have to conduct the testing" and can instead cite evidence conducted by different companies, she clarifies.
Read the Back of the Pack
Is there any ingredients that could signal a item is poor?
Components on the list of the bottle are listed by concentration. "Potential irritants that you need to avoid… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up
