Supermarket Beauty Alternatives Can Save Consumers a Fortune. But Do Affordable Skincare Items Really Work?

Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell found out a discounter was offering a recent skincare range that looked akin to products from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

She rushed to her closest outlet to purchase the supermarket face cream for a low price for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.

The smooth blue container and gold top of each products look noticeably comparable. While Rachael has never tried the premium cream, she states she's pleased by the product so far.

She has been using lookalike products from popular shops and grocery stores for years, and she's in good company.

Over a 25% of UK buyers state they've purchased a skincare or makeup dupe. This rises to nearly half among 18-34 year olds, based on a recently published study.

Lookalikes are beauty items that copy established companies and present affordable substitutes to premium items. These products often have alike names and packaging, but in some cases the formulas can change substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Always Superior'

Skincare professionals argue many substitutes to luxury brands are decent quality and aid make skincare more affordable.

"I don't think costlier is invariably more effective," comments consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not all budget product line is bad - and not all luxury beauty item is the top."

"Certain [dupes] are truly amazing," adds Scott McGlynn, who runs a podcast about celebrities.

Numerous of the items inspired by high-end brands "sell out so fast, it's just crazy," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert a doctor believes dupes are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Dupes will be effective," he explains. "They will perform the fundamentals to a reasonable degree."

Another skin doctor, thinks you can cut costs when searching for simple-formula products like HA, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"When you're purchasing a simple product then you're likely going to be fine in using a lookalike or a product which is quite affordable because there's minimal that can be problematic," she explains.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Container'

Yet the specialists also advise consumers investigate and note that higher-priced products are sometimes worthy of the premium price.

Regarding high-end skincare, you're not just funding the brand and promotion - often the higher price also stems from the components and their standard, the concentration of the effective element, the research utilized to develop the product, and trials into the products' effectiveness, Dr Belmo explains.

Facialist Rhian Truman suggests it's important considering how certain dupes can be sold so cheaply.

Sometimes, she states they could have less effective components that don't have as many advantages for the skin, or the materials might not be as carefully selected.

"The key doubt is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she says.

Expert Scott admits sometimes he's purchased beauty products that appear comparable to a established brand but the actual formula has "no connection to the original".

"Don't be convinced by the packaging," he warned.

SimpleImages/Getty Images

For more complicated items or those with ingredients that can aggravate the complexion if they're not created properly, such as retinols or vitamin C, the specialist suggests selecting medical-grade brands.

The expert states these typically have been through expensive tests to determine how effective they are.

Beauty items need to be assessed before they can be available in the UK, notes expert Emma Wedgeworth.

When the brand makes claims about the efficacy of the item, it requires data to back it up, "but the brand does not always have to perform the trials" and can instead use evidence conducted by different firms, she clarifies.

Examine the Label of the Pack

Are there any ingredients that could indicate a product is inferior?

Ingredients on the back of the container are listed by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to be wary of… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up