Grocery Store Skincare Dupes Can Save Consumers a Bundle. Yet, Do Economical Skincare Products Actually Work?
Rachael Parnell
Upon hearing one shopper found out a supermarket was offering a fresh beauty line that looked similar to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".
Rachael dashed to her local store to purchase the store-brand face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.
The sleek blue tube and gold lid of each creams look strikingly comparable. While she has never tried the high-end cream, she claims she's satisfied by the dupe so far.
Rachael has been buying lookalike products from high street stores and grocery stores for some time, and she's in good company.
More than a quarter of UK shoppers report they've tried a skincare or makeup lookalike. This rises to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, as per a February study.
Dupes are skincare products that mimic well-known brands and present budget-friendly substitutes to high-end products. They typically have alike labels and design, but in some cases the formulas can differ significantly.
Victoria Woollaston
'High-Priced Isn't Always Superior'
Skincare experts argue many alternatives to premium brands are good standard and aid make beauty routines less expensive.
"I don't think costlier is necessarily more effective," states skin specialist Sharon Belmo. "Not every affordable product line is bad - and not every luxury skincare product is the finest."
"Some [dupes] are truly excellent," adds a podcast host, who runs a program featuring celebrities.
A lot of of the products modeled on high-end brands "run out so quickly, it's just crazy," he observes.
Scott McGlynn
Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional believes alternatives are fine to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and face washes.
"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he explains. "They will perform the essentials to a satisfactory degree."
Ketaki Bhate, thinks you can save money when seeking single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and squalane.
"When you're purchasing a single-ingredient product then you're likely going to be okay in opting for a budget alternative or something which is fairly low cost because there's very little that can be problematic," she says.
'Don't Be Sold by the Container'
Yet the professionals also recommend shoppers check details and state that higher-priced products are occasionally worth the extra money.
With luxury skincare, you're not just covering the brand and marketing - often the higher price also stems from the ingredients and their grade, the concentration of the active ingredient, the research employed to develop the item, and trials into the item's performance, she says.
Facialist Rhian Truman says it's important considering how some dupes can be priced so cheaply.
Occasionally, she says they could contain filler ingredients that do not provide as numerous positive effects for the skin, or the components might not be as high-quality.
"The major uncertainty is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she says.
Podcast host McGlynn notes on occasion he's purchased skincare items that appear similar to a established label but the product itself has "no resemblance to the luxury product".
"Do not be sold by the container," he warned.
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Regarding more complicated items or those with ingredients that can inflame the complexion if they're not made properly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate recommends using medical-grade companies.
She says these will likely have been through comprehensive tests to assess how efficacious they are.
Beauty items must be assessed before they can be available in the UK, says expert Emma Wedgeworth.
When the label makes claims about the performance of the item, it needs data to verify it, "however the manufacturer does not always have to perform the trials" and can instead cite evidence done by other brands, she adds.
Check the Back of the Container
Are there any ingredients that could indicate a item is inferior?
Ingredients on the back of the bottle are listed by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up
