High-Street Beauty Lookalikes Can Save You a Bundle. But Do Economical Beauty Items Really Work?

Rachael Parnell

After discovering Rachael Parnell found out Aldi was launching a fresh skincare range that seemed similar to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper rushed to her closest shop to pick up the store-brand face cream for a low price for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream.

Its smooth blue container and gold lid of both products look strikingly similar. And though Rachael has never tried the luxury cream, she says she's impressed by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been using skincare dupes from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for some time, and she's in good company.

Over a quarter of UK shoppers say they've tried a skincare or makeup alternative. This jumps to nearly half among millennials and Gen Z, based on a February poll.

Alternatives are beauty items that copy established companies and provide cost-effective options to luxury products. They frequently have alike branding and containers, but in some cases the formulas can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Beauty professionals argue certain substitutes to luxury brands are decent standard and assist make skincare less expensive.

"I don't think more expensive is always more effective," says skin specialist Sharon Belmo. "Not all affordable beauty label is poor - and not all high-end beauty item is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are truly impressive," says a podcast host, who hosts a show about celebrities.

Many of the items modeled on luxury labels "sell out so rapidly, it's just insane," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert a doctor thinks alternatives are suitable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"These products will serve a purpose," he comments. "They will perform the essentials to a acceptable level."

Another skin doctor, thinks you can spend less when searching for single-ingredient products like HA, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're purchasing a simple item then you're likely going to be fine in opting for a budget alternative or something which is very inexpensive because there's not much that can cause issues," she says.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Container'

Yet the experts also advise shoppers do their research and note that costlier items are at times worth the additional cost.

Regarding high-end beauty products, you're not only covering the name and advertising - at times the higher cost also stems from the formula and their standard, the concentration of the active ingredient, the science used to develop the item, and tests into the item's effectiveness, Dr Belmo says.

Skin therapist she argues it's worth thinking about how certain dupes can be offered so cheaply.

Sometimes, she says they could have bulking agents that lack as numerous benefits for the complexion, or the materials might not be as high-quality.

"One major uncertainty is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she remarks.

Podcast host McGlynn says sometimes he's bought beauty products that appear comparable to a established label but the actual formula has "no connection to the premium version".

"Do not be convinced by the packaging," he cautioned.

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Regarding more complicated items or those with ingredients that can aggravate the skin if they're not created properly, such as retinols or vitamin C, the specialist advises selecting more specialised labels.

She explains these will likely have been subjected to expensive tests to assess how successful they are.

Beauty products need to be tested before they can be available in the UK, says expert Emma Wedgeworth.

If the label states about the performance of the item, it needs research to support it, "but the seller doesn't necessarily have to perform the trials" and can alternatively cite studies done by different brands, she clarifies.

Examine the Label of the Container

Are there any components that could indicate a item is poor?

Components on the back of the bottle are arranged by amount. "Potential irritants that you need to avoid… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up