High-Street Skincare Lookalikes Can Save You Hundreds. However, Do Budget Skincare Products Actually Work?
Rachael Parnell
After discovering a consumer learned a discounter was launching a recent beauty line that appeared comparable to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".
Rachael rushed to her closest store to pick up the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the Augustinus Bader 50ml item.
Its sleek blue container and gold lid of each products look noticeably comparable. While she has not used the high-end cream, she states she's impressed by the alternative so far.
Rachael has been using beauty alternatives from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for a long time, and she's in good company.
Over a 25% of UK consumers say they've purchased a skincare or makeup dupe. This increases to nearly half among 18-34 year olds, as per a recently published poll.
Dupes are skincare products that copy well-known labels and present affordable options to luxury products. They often have alike labels and design, but occasionally the formulas can vary substantially.
Victoria Woollaston
'Costly Is Not Always Better'
Skincare experts argue certain substitutes to high-end labels are decent quality and assist make skincare more affordable.
"I don't think more expensive is always superior," says skin specialist a doctor. "Not every budget product line is poor - and not every premium skincare product is the best."
"Certain [dupes] are really impressive," adds a skincare commentator, who hosts a program with famous people.
A lot of of the items modeled on luxury brands "disappear so rapidly, it's just crazy," he says.
Scott McGlynn
Skin specialist a doctor thinks alternatives are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes.
"Alternatives will be effective," he explains. "These items will perform the basics to a reasonable degree."
A consultant dermatologist, suggests you can spend less when searching for simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.
"When you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be alright in using a budget alternative or something which is fairly affordable because there's not much that can go wrong," she explains.
'Do Not Be Swayed by the Box'
Yet the specialists also suggest buyers check details and say that more expensive items are occasionally worth the extra money.
With luxury beauty products, you're not just funding the label and marketing - often the increased cost also comes from the components and their standard, the concentration of the key component, the research used to produce the product, and trials into the item's efficacy, she notes.
Beauty expert another professional argues it's worth questioning how certain dupes can be sold so inexpensively.
Sometimes, she states they may include filler ingredients that don't have as many benefits for the skin, or the components might not be as high-quality.
"One key uncertainty is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she asks.
Podcast host Scott says sometimes he's bought beauty products that look similar to a well-known brand but the product itself has "no resemblance to the original".
"Do not be convinced by the packaging," he cautioned.
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Regarding potent products or those with components that can inflame the skin if they're not made correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, she suggests selecting medical-grade companies.
She explains these will likely have been subjected to expensive tests to determine how efficacious they are.
Skincare items must be tested before they can be available in the UK, says expert another professional.
If the brand advertises about the efficacy of the item, it needs research to back it up, "however the brand does not necessarily have to perform the trials" and can instead reference studies conducted by other brands, she adds.
Read the Ingredients List of the Pack
Are there any components that could suggest a product is inferior?
Components on the label of the bottle are ordered by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to be wary of… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up
