🔗 Share this article Supermarket Skincare Lookalikes Could Save Consumers Hundreds. But Do Economical Skincare Items Really Work? Rachael Parnell Rachael states with certain alternatives she "can't tell the distinction". When one shopper heard a supermarket was launching a recent beauty line that seemed comparable to products from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited". Rachael rushed to her nearest outlet to purchase the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product. The smooth blue container and gold top of both items look noticeably similar. Although Rachael has not used the high-end cream, she claims she's pleased by the product so far. Rachael has been purchasing beauty alternatives from high street stores and supermarkets for years, and she's in good company. More than a 25% of UK consumers say they've tried a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This increases to nearly half among 18-34 year olds, based on a recent survey. Lookalikes are beauty items that imitate established labels and offer affordable substitutes to premium products. They often have comparable names and packaging, but sometimes the components can change considerably. Victoria Woollaston Luxury vs budget: Augustinus Bader's 50ml face cream costs £240, while the supermarket's recent store-brand face cream is £8.49. 'Expensive Isn't Always Better' Beauty experts contend some substitutes to premium labels are reasonable standard and aid make skincare less expensive. "I don't think more expensive is invariably superior," comments dermatology expert Sharon Belmo. "Not all low-budget beauty label is inferior - and not all premium beauty item is the top." "Certain [dupes] are truly amazing," says a skincare commentator, who runs a program about public figures. Numerous of the products based on high-end brands "sell out so rapidly, it's just crazy," he remarks. Scott McGlynn Podcast host Scott McGlynn says some budget items he has tried are "great". Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional thinks dupes are fine to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and face washes. "Dupes will be effective," he explains. "These items will handle the essentials to a satisfactory standard." Another skin doctor, thinks you can cut costs when you're looking for simple-formula items like HA, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient. "When you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be okay in opting for a dupe or a product which is very low cost because there's not much that can go wrong," she says. 'Do Not Be Sold by the Container' However the professionals also suggest consumers do their research and say that costlier items are occasionally worth the extra money. Regarding high-end beauty products, you're not just funding the label and marketing - sometimes the higher cost also stems from the ingredients and their quality, the concentration of the key component, the technology employed to produce the item, and tests into the item's efficacy, Dr Belmo says. Beauty expert she says it's worth thinking about how some alternatives can be priced so at a low cost. Sometimes, she states they might include filler ingredients that lack as significant advantages for the skin, or the ingredients might not be as carefully selected. "One major question mark is 'Why is it so low-priced?'" she asks. Expert McGlynn says on occasion he's bought beauty products that look similar to a established label but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the luxury product". "Do not be sold by the packaging," he added. SimpleImages/Getty Images An expert suggests sticking to clinical labels for products with ingredients like retinol or vitamin C. Regarding more complicated products or ones with ingredients that can aggravate the complexion if they're not formulated accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C, she advises using research-backed labels. The expert explains these probably have been through expensive tests to assess how successful they are. Beauty products need to be tested before they can be marketed in the UK, explains expert another professional. When the company states about the effectiveness of the item, it requires research to verify it, "but the brand doesn't always have to perform the testing" and can alternatively use studies completed by other firms, she says. Examine the Label of the Pack Are there any ingredients that could suggest a item is poor? Components on the back of the bottle are listed by concentration. "The baddies that you should be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up