🔗 Share this article

Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell found out Aldi was offering a fresh skincare range that seemed comparable to offerings from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

She dashed to her closest shop to purchase the supermarket face cream for a low price for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the luxury brand 50ml product.

Its smooth blue tube and gold cap of the two products look remarkably alike. And though Rachael has never tried the premium cream, she states she's satisfied by the alternative so far.

She has been purchasing lookalike products from high street stores and supermarkets for years, and she's not alone.

Over a quarter of UK buyers report they've tried a skincare or makeup alternative. This jumps to 44% among younger adults, based on a February poll.

Alternatives are beauty items that imitate well-known labels and present affordable alternatives to premium products. These products typically have comparable branding and containers, but in some cases the components can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Is Not Necessarily Better'

Beauty experts argue many alternatives to premium labels are good quality and aid make beauty routines more affordable.

"In my opinion costlier is invariably superior," comments consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not every budget beauty label is poor - and not every high-end skincare product is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely impressive," adds a skincare commentator, who hosts a program about celebrities.

Numerous of the products based on luxury brands "sell out so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert another professional believes dupes are fine to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes.

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

Ketaki Bhate, advises you can spend less when seeking simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be okay in opting for a budget alternative or a product which is quite inexpensive because there's very little that can cause issues," she explains.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Packaging'

However the experts also suggest shoppers check details and state that more expensive items are at times worthy of the premium price.

With premium beauty products, you're not just covering the name and promotion - sometimes the increased price tag also comes from the components and their quality, the potency of the key component, the technology utilized to create the item, and trials into the item's performance, she notes.

Skin therapist she argues it's valuable thinking about how some alternatives can be offered so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she states they might include bulking agents that do not provide as many benefits for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as well sourced.

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

Podcast host Scott notes on occasion he's bought skincare items that look similar to a established brand but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the original".

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

SimpleImages/Getty Images

Regarding more complicated products or those with components that can aggravate the complexion if they're not created accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, the specialist recommends sticking to more specialised companies.

She says these probably have been subjected to expensive studies to assess how effective they are.

Skincare items are required to be assessed before they can be sold in the UK, notes expert another professional.

If the label makes claims about the efficacy of the item, it requires data to verify it, "however the manufacturer doesn't necessarily have to perform the testing" and can alternatively cite studies done by different brands, she adds.

Check the Label of the Bottle

Is there any ingredients that could indicate a item is poor?

Components on the back of the container are ordered by concentration. "Potential irritants that you want to avoid… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up