🔗 Share this article Supermarket Skincare Dupes Can Save Consumers Hundreds. But Do Budget Skincare Products Perform? Rachael Parnell Rachael says with certain dupes she "cannot distinguish the variation". When a consumer learned a discounter was launching a fresh beauty line that looked akin to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited". The shopper rushed to her closest outlet to purchase the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product. The smooth blue packaging and gold top of each items look strikingly similar. And though Rachael has not used the luxury cream, she says she's pleased by the product so far. Rachael has been using skincare dupes from high street stores and grocery stores for a long time, and she's not alone. More than a fourth of UK shoppers report they've tried a skincare or makeup lookalike. This increases to 44% among younger adults, based on a recently published study. Lookalikes are skincare products that copy bigger name labels and present affordable substitutes to luxury items. These products frequently have alike branding and containers, but occasionally the ingredients can differ substantially. Victoria Woollaston Luxury vs budget: Augustinus Bader's 50ml face cream costs £240, while Aldi's recent store-brand face cream is £8.49. 'High-Priced Isn't Always Better' Beauty professionals contend certain substitutes to premium labels are good quality and aid make skincare more affordable. "In my opinion higher-priced is invariably better," comments consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not all budget beauty label is poor - and not all high-end skincare product is the top." "A number of [dupes] are truly excellent," notes Scott McGlynn, who hosts a show featuring famous people. A lot of of the items inspired by luxury brands "disappear so quickly, it's just insane," he observes. Scott McGlynn Podcast host Scott McGlynn says some budget products he has tried are "great". Medical expert Ross Perry thinks dupes are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and face washes. "These products will do the job," he explains. "They will do the basics to a acceptable degree." Ketaki Bhate, advises you can cut costs when searching for single-ingredient items like HA, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient. "If you're buying a single-ingredient product then you're likely going to be fine in using a dupe or a product which is fairly inexpensive because there's not much that can go wrong," she says. 'Don't Be Swayed by the Container' Yet the professionals also suggest shoppers investigate and say that higher-priced products are occasionally worth the extra money. Regarding premium beauty products, you're not just funding the label and promotion - at times the higher price tag also stems from the formula and their standard, the strength of the effective element, the science utilized to create the product, and tests into the item's performance, the expert explains. Beauty expert she argues it's important questioning how certain alternatives can be offered so at a low cost. Sometimes, she says they may contain filler ingredients that lack as significant benefits for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as well sourced. "One major doubt is 'Why is it so low-priced?'" she asks. Podcast host Scott admits sometimes he's purchased skincare items that look comparable to a well-known brand but the product itself has "no connection to the luxury product". "Do not be convinced by the packaging," he added. SimpleImages/Getty Images An expert recommends sticking to established brands for items with ingredients like vitamin A or ascorbic acid. For potent items or ones with ingredients that can irritate the skin if they're not made accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, she suggests using research-backed companies. The expert states these probably have been subjected to costly trials to assess how efficacious they are. Skincare items need to be evaluated before they can be available in the UK, says skin doctor another professional. When the company states about the performance of the item, it must have research to verify it, "however the seller does not necessarily have to conduct the testing" and can instead reference studies done by other companies, she adds. Check the Back of the Container Is there any components that could indicate a item is inferior? Components on the back of the container are ordered by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up