🔗 Share this article

Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer found out a discounter was offering a fresh product collection that seemed akin to offerings from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

She dashed to her closest shop to buy the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.

Its smooth blue packaging and gold cap of each products look strikingly alike. And though Rachael has never tried the high-end cream, she says she's pleased by the product so far.

She has been using lookalike products from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for years, and she's not alone.

More than a quarter of UK buyers report they've bought a skincare or makeup dupe. This rises to 44% among 18-34 year olds, according to a February survey.

Dupes are beauty items that imitate bigger name companies and provide budget-friendly options to luxury products. These products typically have alike labels and design, but sometimes the components can differ substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Skincare specialists contend some alternatives to luxury labels are reasonable standard and help make beauty routines more affordable.

"It is not true that higher-priced is always more effective," states consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not all low-budget product line is bad - and not all premium beauty item is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are truly excellent," adds a skincare commentator, who runs a program with famous people.

Many of the items based on luxury brands "sell out so rapidly, it's just crazy," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist a doctor believes dupes are acceptable to use for "fundamental products" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Alternatives will be effective," he comments. "These items will do the fundamentals to a reasonable degree."

Ketaki Bhate, suggests you can save money when seeking simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're purchasing a simple item then you're likely going to be alright in opting for a dupe or something which is quite affordable because there's not much that can be problematic," she says.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Box'

Yet the specialists also suggest buyers check details and say that costlier items are sometimes worth the premium price.

With premium skincare, you're not just funding the label and promotion - at times the increased cost also comes from the formula and their grade, the potency of the key component, the technology utilized to produce the item, and tests into the item's efficacy, she says.

Skin therapist Rhian Truman suggests it's valuable questioning how certain alternatives can be sold so cheaply.

Occasionally, she states they could contain less effective components that don't have as significant positive effects for the complexion, or the components might not be as well sourced.

"One key doubt is 'How is it so cheap?'" she remarks.

Expert Scott admits sometimes he's purchased skincare items that look similar to a big-name brand but the item has "little similarity to the original".

"Do not be sold by the packaging," he added.

SimpleImages/Getty Images

For more complicated items or those with ingredients that can irritate the skin if they're not created properly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, she recommends selecting more specialised brands.

The expert says these will likely have been subjected to expensive studies to evaluate how successful they are.

Skincare products are required to be tested before they can be sold in the UK, notes skin doctor another professional.

When the brand makes claims about the effectiveness of the product, it requires data to support it, "but the manufacturer does not always have to perform the trials" and can instead use evidence done by different firms, she says.

Check the Back of the Container

Is there any components that could signal a item is inferior?

Ingredients on the list of the tube are listed by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you should avoid… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up