High-Street Skincare Lookalikes Can Save You Hundreds. However, Do Affordable Skincare Products Really Work?
Rachael Parnell
Upon hearing Rachael Parnell heard a discounter was launching a recent skincare range that appeared akin to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".
The shopper hurried to her closest outlet to buy the Lacura face cream for a low price for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the high-end 50ml cream.
The streamlined blue container and gold cap of both products look remarkably alike. While Rachael has never tried the high-end cream, she says she's pleased by the alternative so far.
She has been buying lookalike products from popular shops and supermarkets for years, and she's not alone.
More than a 25% of UK shoppers report they've bought a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This increases to 44 percent among millennials and Gen Z, as per a February poll.
Lookalikes are beauty items that copy established labels and provide budget-friendly options to high-end products. They typically have similar labels and design, but sometimes the ingredients can vary significantly.
Victoria Woollaston
'Expensive Isn't Always Better'
Skincare specialists contend some dupes to luxury brands are reasonable quality and aid make beauty routines less expensive.
"It is not true that costlier is invariably superior," comments dermatology expert Sharon Belmo. "Not every budget skincare brand is bad - and not all luxury skincare product is the top."
"Some [dupes] are truly amazing," says Scott McGlynn, who presents a program with celebrities.
A lot of of the products modeled on high-end brands "sell out so quickly, it's just crazy," he remarks.
Scott McGlynn
Medical expert another professional argues alternatives are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and face washes.
"Alternatives will do the job," he explains. "They will perform the essentials to a satisfactory standard."
A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can spend less when you're looking for simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.
"When you're buying a simple product then you're likely going to be fine in using a lookalike or a product which is very affordable because there's not much that can be problematic," she says.
'Do Not Be Sold by the Packaging'
But the professionals also suggest consumers investigate and say that higher-priced items are occasionally worthy of the extra money.
Regarding premium skincare, you're not just paying for the name and marketing - sometimes the increased price also comes from the ingredients and their quality, the concentration of the effective element, the research used to develop the product, and trials into the item's efficacy, she notes.
Facialist she argues it's worth questioning how some alternatives can be sold so cheaply.
Sometimes, she states they could contain bulking agents that don't have as numerous benefits for the skin, or the components might not be as well sourced.
"One big question mark is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she remarks.
Podcast host McGlynn admits in some cases he's purchased beauty products that look comparable to a well-known label but the item has "little similarity to the original".
"Do not be convinced by the outer appearance," he added.
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Regarding more complicated items or ones with components that can inflame the skin if they're not made accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, she suggests sticking to medical-grade labels.
She states these typically have been subjected to costly tests to determine how successful they are.
Skincare items must be tested before they can be marketed in the UK, explains skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.
If the label advertises about the performance of the product, it requires evidence to back it up, "but the seller does not always have to do the testing" and can alternatively use evidence conducted by other firms, she clarifies.
Check the Label of the Bottle
Is there any ingredients that could signal a product is inferior?
Components on the label of the container are ordered by concentration. "Potential irritants that you should be wary of… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up
