Supermarket Skincare Alternatives Can Save You a Bundle. Yet, Do Economical Beauty Items Actually Work?

Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer found out Aldi was selling a new product collection that appeared similar to offerings from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

She hurried to her nearest outlet to buy the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml item.

The sleek blue packaging and gold lid of each products look noticeably comparable. Although Rachael has not tested the high-end cream, she states she's pleased by the product so far.

Rachael has been buying skincare dupes from high street stores and supermarkets for years, and she's in good company.

More than a quarter of UK buyers report they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This increases to 44 percent among younger adults, based on a recently published poll.

Lookalikes are beauty items that imitate established brands and offer budget-friendly alternatives to luxury products. These products typically have alike names and packaging, but in some cases the components can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Beauty specialists argue many alternatives to high-end brands are good standard and aid make beauty routines more affordable.

"I don't think more expensive is necessarily superior," comments consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not all affordable product line is bad - and not every luxury beauty item is the top."

"A number of [dupes] are absolutely amazing," notes a podcast host, who presents a podcast about famous people.

A lot of of the products inspired by luxury labels "sell out so quickly, it's just unbelievable," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional thinks alternatives are acceptable to use for "fundamental products" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Alternatives will do the job," he comments. "These items will handle the essentials to a acceptable degree."

A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can save money when you're looking for simple-formula items like HA, niacinamide and squalane.

"When you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be okay in opting for a dupe or something which is quite affordable because there's very little that can cause issues," she adds.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Packaging'

But the specialists also suggest shoppers investigate and state that more expensive items are occasionally worth the extra money.

Regarding high-end skincare, you're not only funding the brand and advertising - often the increased cost also comes from the ingredients and their grade, the potency of the effective element, the science employed to produce the product, and trials into the products' effectiveness, Dr Belmo notes.

Beauty expert Rhian Truman says it's worth questioning how certain dupes can be offered so at a low cost.

In some cases, she states they may contain bulking agents that do not provide as numerous advantages for the skin, or the components might not be as well sourced.

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

Expert McGlynn admits in some cases he's purchased skincare items that appear comparable to a well-known brand but the item has "no connection to the original".

"Do not be fooled by the packaging," he added.

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Regarding potent products or ones with components that can aggravate the skin if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C, the specialist recommends using medical-grade labels.

The expert states these probably have been subjected to comprehensive trials to determine how efficacious they are.

Skincare items need to be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, notes consultant dermatologist another professional.

If the company states about the efficacy of the item, it must have evidence to back it up, "however the brand does not necessarily have to perform the trials" and can alternatively reference studies done by other brands, she says.

Check the Back of the Container

Is there any ingredients that could indicate a item is low-quality?

Components on the list of the tube are listed by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you should be wary of… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up