High-Street Beauty Lookalikes Could Save Shoppers a Fortune. However, Do Economical Skincare Items Actually Work?
Rachael Parnell
After discovering Rachael Parnell learned a discounter was offering a recent product collection that seemed similar to offerings from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".
She dashed to her nearest outlet to purchase the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml item.
The smooth blue packaging and gold cap of each products look noticeably alike. Although Rachael has never tried the high-end cream, she claims she's impressed by the product so far.
Rachael has been using skincare dupes from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for years, and she's not alone.
Over a 25% of UK consumers report they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This rises to 44% among 18-34 year olds, based on a recently published study.
Lookalikes are beauty items that copy well-known labels and provide affordable options to high-end products. These products frequently have similar names and packaging, but in some cases the components can vary considerably.
Victoria Woollaston
'Expensive Isn't Necessarily Better'
Beauty experts contend many alternatives to luxury labels are decent quality and aid make skincare less expensive.
"In my opinion higher-priced is necessarily better," says consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not every budget skincare brand is poor - and not all luxury beauty item is the top."
"Certain [dupes] are absolutely excellent," notes a podcast host, who hosts a show about celebrities.
A lot of of the products based on high-end labels "sell out so fast, it's just insane," he observes.
Scott McGlynn
Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor thinks alternatives are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and face washes.
"These products will do the job," he says. "These items will do the essentials to a acceptable level."
A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can spend less when seeking simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.
"If you're buying a single-ingredient product then you're probably going to be fine in opting for a budget alternative or something which is fairly affordable because there's minimal that can cause issues," she says.
'Do Not Be Influenced by the Packaging'
Yet the specialists also suggest shoppers check details and say that costlier products are occasionally worthy of the extra money.
Regarding premium beauty products, you're not just paying for the label and marketing - at times the higher price tag also is due to the ingredients and their standard, the concentration of the key component, the science employed to develop the product, and tests into the item's performance, the expert says.
Skin therapist another professional argues it's valuable questioning how some dupes can be sold so inexpensively.
Occasionally, she believes they might have bulking agents that don't have as many positive effects for the complexion, or the components might not be as carefully selected.
"The key uncertainty is 'Why is it so low-priced?'" she remarks.
Commentator Scott notes sometimes he's purchased skincare items that appear similar to a well-known label but the actual formula has "little similarity to the premium version".
"Don't be convinced by the container," he added.
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For potent items or those with components that can inflame the complexion if they're not made correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, the specialist suggests using research-backed companies.
The expert states these typically have been through comprehensive trials to determine how successful they are.
Skincare products are required to be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, explains consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.
When the label states about the effectiveness of the item, it must have research to support it, "however the seller doesn't necessarily have to do the testing" and can instead use testing done by other brands, she clarifies.
Read the Ingredients List of the Container
Is there any ingredients that could suggest a product is poor?
Ingredients on the label of the bottle are arranged by concentration. "Potential irritants that you should be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up
