🔗 Share this article

Rachael Parnell

When a consumer learned Aldi was offering a fresh skincare range that looked akin to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper dashed to her closest shop to pick up the Lacura face cream for a low price for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml item.

Its smooth blue container and gold lid of both products look noticeably comparable. Although she has not tested the premium cream, she claims she's pleased by the alternative so far.

She has been purchasing skincare dupes from high street stores and supermarkets for some time, and she's part of a trend.

Over a fourth of UK shoppers say they've bought a skincare or makeup lookalike. This jumps to nearly half among younger adults, according to a recently published poll.

Dupes are beauty items that mimic established labels and offer budget-friendly options to high-end products. They often have alike branding and containers, but occasionally the formulas can differ substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Always Better'

Beauty specialists say some substitutes to high-end brands are reasonable quality and aid make skincare more affordable.

"It is not true that more expensive is always superior," comments consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not every low-budget skincare brand is bad - and not all luxury skincare product is the top."

"A number of [dupes] are absolutely excellent," notes a podcast host, who runs a podcast featuring public figures.

Numerous of the products inspired by luxury labels "disappear so quickly, it's just unbelievable," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert Ross Perry argues alternatives are fine to use for "fundamental products" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Alternatives will be effective," he comments. "These items will handle the essentials to a satisfactory degree."

A consultant dermatologist, advises you can save money when seeking simple-formula products like HA, niacinamide and squalane.

"When you're buying a simple product then you're likely going to be alright in using a budget alternative or something which is very affordable because there's very little that can cause issues," she says.

'Don't Be Sold by the Packaging'

But the professionals also advise consumers investigate and say that costlier products are at times worth the additional cost.

Regarding premium beauty products, you're not just paying for the label and marketing - sometimes the elevated price tag also comes from the formula and their quality, the strength of the effective element, the science employed to create the product, and studies into the products' efficacy, Dr Belmo notes.

Skin therapist she argues it's important questioning how some alternatives can be priced so cheaply.

In some cases, she believes they may contain filler ingredients that lack as many benefits for the complexion, or the materials might not be as high-quality.

"The key question mark is 'How is it so cheap?'" she asks.

Commentator Scott admits on occasion he's bought skincare items that look comparable to a well-known label but the item has "little similarity to the original".

"Do not be sold by the container," he warned.

SimpleImages/Getty Images

Regarding advanced products or those with ingredients that can aggravate the skin if they're not formulated properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, Dr Bhate recommends selecting more specialised brands.

She says these typically have been subjected to costly studies to assess how efficacious they are.

Beauty products need to be tested before they can be available in the UK, explains skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

If the brand makes claims about the efficacy of the item, it must have research to support it, "but the brand does not always have to perform the trials" and can alternatively reference testing completed by different companies, she clarifies.

Read the Label of the Container

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

Components on the back of the container are listed by quantity. "The baddies that you should look out for… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up