Supermarket Beauty Alternatives Might Save Consumers Hundreds. Yet, Do Economical Skincare Items Really Work?

Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer found out a supermarket was launching a new beauty line that seemed similar to items from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

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

Its sleek blue tube and gold lid of the two creams look noticeably similar. Although she has not tested the premium cream, she says she's satisfied by the product so far.

She has been purchasing skincare dupes from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for years, and she's part of a trend.

Over a 25% of UK buyers say they've purchased a skincare or makeup lookalike. This jumps to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, based on a recent poll.

Alternatives are beauty items that mimic established companies and provide cost-effective options to premium items. These products typically have similar names and packaging, but occasionally the components can change considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Always Better'

Skincare professionals say some alternatives to luxury brands are good standard and help make beauty routines cheaper.

"In my opinion higher-priced is necessarily better," says consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not all affordable product line is inferior - and not all high-end skincare product is the finest."

"Certain [dupes] are truly excellent," says a skincare commentator, who presents a podcast about public figures.

Many of the products inspired by high-end labels "disappear so quickly, it's just crazy," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert another professional argues dupes are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he explains. "They will perform the fundamentals to a satisfactory level."

Ketaki Bhate, thinks you can save money when searching for simple-formula items like HA, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're buying a simple product then you're likely going to be okay in opting for a budget alternative or something which is very affordable because there's not much that can go wrong," she says.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Box'

Yet the experts also advise consumers check details and state that costlier items are at times worth the extra money.

Regarding luxury skincare, you're not only paying for the name and marketing - often the increased price tag also is due to the formula and their standard, the potency of the active ingredient, the research employed to develop the product, and tests into the item's effectiveness, Dr Belmo says.

Facialist Rhian Truman says it's valuable considering how certain alternatives can be priced so cheaply.

Sometimes, she says they could contain bulking agents that don't have as many positive effects for the complexion, or the components might not be as carefully selected.

"One big doubt is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she remarks.

Expert Scott admits in some cases he's purchased skincare items that appear comparable to a established label but the product itself has "no connection to the premium version".

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

SimpleImages/Getty Images

Regarding advanced products or ones with components that can irritate the skin if they're not created properly, such as retinols or vitamin C, Dr Bhate recommends using medical-grade brands.

She says these probably have been subjected to comprehensive tests to determine how successful they are.

Skincare items need to be tested before they can be available in the UK, says skin doctor another professional.

When the label advertises about the performance of the item, it must have evidence to verify it, "but the seller does not always have to perform the trials" and can alternatively cite evidence done by other companies, she adds.

Examine the Back of the Container

Are there any ingredients that could suggest a product is poor?

Ingredients on the label of the bottle are arranged by quantity. "Potential irritants that you should avoid… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up