Rachael Parnell
After discovering one shopper found out a discounter was selling a recent product collection that appeared akin to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".
The shopper hurried to her nearest outlet to pick up the Lacura face cream for a low price for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 cost of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.
The streamlined blue tube and gold cap of both creams look remarkably alike. While she has never tried the luxury cream, she claims she's satisfied by the dupe so far.
Rachael has been buying skincare dupes from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for some time, and she's not alone.
More than a quarter of UK shoppers report they've tried a skincare or makeup alternative. This increases to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, based on a recently published survey.
Alternatives are skincare products that copy well-known companies and offer affordable options to premium products. These products frequently have similar names and packaging, but occasionally the components can vary considerably.
Victoria Woollaston
'Costly Is Not Always Superior'
Beauty specialists say certain alternatives to high-end labels are reasonable standard and assist make skincare less expensive.
"In my opinion costlier is necessarily better," comments consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not every affordable product line is inferior - and not all high-end beauty item is the best."
"Certain [dupes] are really impressive," says Scott McGlynn, who runs a show featuring famous people.
Many of the items based on luxury brands "disappear so quickly, it's just unbelievable," he observes.
Scott McGlynn
Skin specialist Ross Perry thinks alternatives are fine to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and cleansers.
"These products will serve a purpose," he says. "These items will handle the basics to a reasonable standard."
Another skin doctor, thinks you can spend less when you're looking for simple-formula items like HA, niacinamide and squalane.
"If you're buying a simple item then you're probably going to be alright in using a dupe or something which is fairly affordable because there's not much that can be problematic," she says.
'Don't Be Influenced by the Container'
However the professionals also suggest shoppers check details and state that costlier items are occasionally worth the premium price.
Regarding high-end skincare, you're not just funding the brand and promotion - often the increased price also stems from the formula and their grade, the potency of the key component, the technology utilized to develop the item, and trials into the item's effectiveness, Dr Belmo notes.
Facialist Rhian Truman argues it's worth considering how certain alternatives can be offered so at a low cost.
Sometimes, she says they may have filler ingredients that lack as many advantages for the complexion, or the materials might not be as well sourced.
"One big uncertainty is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she remarks.
Podcast host McGlynn notes in some cases he's bought beauty products that look similar to a well-known label but the product itself has "little similarity to the luxury product".
"Don't be fooled by the packaging," he cautioned.
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For advanced products or ones with components that can irritate the complexion if they're not made correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C, the specialist suggests selecting medical-grade companies.
She states these typically have been subjected to expensive tests to evaluate how effective they are.
Beauty products need to be assessed before they can be sold in the UK, notes expert Emma Wedgeworth.
If the label makes claims about the efficacy of the item, it must have evidence to back it up, "however the seller doesn't always have to conduct the trials" and can instead use studies completed by other brands, she says.
Check the Back of the Container
Is there any components that could indicate a item is poor?
Components on the back of the tube are ordered by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up
