🔗 Share this article Supermarket Beauty Dupes Could Save Shoppers Hundreds. But Do Budget Beauty Products Actually Work? Rachael Parnell She says with a few alternatives she "cannot distinguish the distinction". When a consumer heard a supermarket was launching a fresh skincare range that seemed comparable to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited". The shopper dashed to her local outlet to purchase the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml product. The smooth blue container and gold lid of both items look remarkably similar. And though she has never tried the high-end cream, she states she's impressed by the alternative so far. Rachael has been buying lookalike products from high street stores and grocery stores for some time, and she's part of a trend. More than a 25% of UK buyers state they've tried a skincare or makeup dupe. This jumps to 44% among younger adults, based on a February study. Alternatives are beauty items that imitate established companies and offer cost-effective options to luxury products. These products typically have comparable labels and design, but occasionally the components can change considerably. Victoria Woollaston Luxury vs budget: Augustinus Bader's 50ml face cream costs £240, while Aldi's new store-brand face cream is £8.49. 'High-Priced Is Not Necessarily Superior' Beauty professionals contend some alternatives to high-end labels are decent standard and aid make beauty routines cheaper. "I don't think higher-priced is necessarily better," states consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not all budget skincare brand is inferior - and not every high-end skincare product is the top." "A number of [dupes] are really excellent," notes a podcast host, who presents a show about famous people. Numerous of the products modeled on high-end labels "sell out so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he remarks. Scott McGlynn Podcast host Scott McGlynn says certain budget items he has used are "amazing". Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor thinks dupes are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and cleansers. "Dupes will serve a purpose," he says. "They will do the fundamentals to a acceptable standard." Another skin doctor, advises you can save money when searching for simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane. "If you're purchasing a simple item then you're likely going to be okay in using a dupe or something which is fairly low cost because there's not much that can go wrong," she explains. 'Don't Be Influenced by the Packaging' But the professionals also advise consumers do their research and say that costlier items are sometimes worthy of the additional cost. With premium skincare, you're not only funding the name and advertising - often the increased cost also comes from the components and their standard, the potency of the active ingredient, the science used to produce the item, and tests into the products' effectiveness, she says. Facialist Rhian Truman argues it's worth thinking about how certain dupes can be sold so at a low cost. Sometimes, she states they might have filler ingredients that lack as significant benefits for the skin, or the components might not be as well sourced. "One major question mark is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she asks. Podcast host McGlynn says on occasion he's bought beauty products that look similar to a well-known label but the item has "no resemblance to the premium version". "Don't be fooled by the outer appearance," he warned. SimpleImages/Getty Images An expert recommends sticking to clinical labels for items with components like vitamin A or ascorbic acid. For more complicated products or those with ingredients that can irritate the complexion if they're not formulated accurately, such as retinoids or vitamin C, Dr Bhate recommends using medical-grade labels. The expert explains these probably have been through costly tests to evaluate how effective they are. Skincare products are required to be tested before they can be available in the UK, explains consultant dermatologist another professional. When the brand states about the efficacy of the item, it needs evidence to verify it, "however the manufacturer doesn't necessarily have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively cite evidence completed by different companies, she adds. Read the Label of the Pack Are there any ingredients that could indicate a item is inferior? Components on the label of the tube are listed by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you should look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up