High-Street Beauty Lookalikes Could Save You a Bundle. But Do Economical Beauty Products Really Work?
Rachael Parnell
After discovering one shopper found out a discounter was launching a recent skincare range that appeared comparable to offerings from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".
Rachael dashed to her closest store to pick up the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 of the luxury brand 50ml cream.
The streamlined blue packaging and gold top of each creams look noticeably comparable. While she has not tested the high-end cream, she claims she's impressed by the alternative so far.
She has been buying lookalike products from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for years, and she's in good company.
More than a 25% of UK shoppers report they've bought a beauty or cosmetic alternative. This jumps to nearly half among millennials and Gen Z, based on a recently published study.
Dupes are beauty items that mimic established labels and provide affordable substitutes to luxury products. They frequently have similar names and packaging, but occasionally the components can change substantially.
Victoria Woollaston
'Expensive Isn't Always Better'
Beauty professionals say certain dupes to premium brands are reasonable standard and assist make skincare more affordable.
"I don't think higher-priced is always better," states consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not all low-budget product line is poor - and not all high-end beauty item is the best."
"A number of [dupes] are truly impressive," notes Scott McGlynn, who presents a program about celebrities.
A lot of of the products modeled on high-end labels "sell out so fast, it's just unbelievable," he observes.
Scott McGlynn
Skin specialist Ross Perry thinks dupes are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes.
"Dupes will do the job," he explains. "These items will perform the basics to a reasonable degree."
Another skin doctor, advises you can save money when searching for simple-formula products like HA, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.
"If you're buying a simple product then you're likely going to be alright in using a budget alternative or a product which is fairly inexpensive because there's very little that can cause issues," she adds.
'Don't Be Sold by the Packaging'
However the professionals also suggest consumers investigate and note that higher-priced items are occasionally worthy of the additional cost.
With high-end beauty products, you're not just paying for the name and advertising - often the higher price also is due to the components and their grade, the concentration of the active ingredient, the research utilized to develop the product, and trials into the item's efficacy, the expert notes.
Beauty expert she suggests it's important thinking about how certain dupes can be offered so inexpensively.
Occasionally, she believes they might have filler ingredients that lack as significant positive effects for the skin, or the ingredients might not be as high-quality.
"One big question mark is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.
Podcast host Scott notes on occasion he's purchased beauty products that look comparable to a well-known brand but the actual formula has "no connection to the luxury product".
"Don't be convinced by the container," he cautioned.
SimpleImages/Getty Images
Regarding more complicated items or ones with components that can irritate the skin if they're not made correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C, she recommends selecting medical-grade labels.
The expert says these will likely have been subjected to expensive trials to determine how successful they are.
Beauty items are required to be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, says consultant dermatologist another professional.
When the brand states about the performance of the item, it requires evidence to support it, "but the brand doesn't always have to perform the trials" and can alternatively cite evidence completed by other firms, she adds.
Read the Back of the Pack
Is there any ingredients that could suggest a item is poor?
Components on the back of the bottle are listed by quantity. "The baddies that you want to avoid… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up
