🔗 Share this article

Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer heard a discounter was selling a new product collection that looked comparable to offerings from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

Rachael dashed to her closest shop to buy the store-brand face cream for a low price for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.

The streamlined blue tube and gold lid of each products look remarkably similar. And though she has never tried the high-end cream, she says she's impressed by the product so far.

She has been purchasing beauty alternatives from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for a long time, and she's in good company.

More than a fourth of UK buyers say they've bought a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This rises to nearly half among millennials and Gen Z, as per a recently published study.

Dupes are skincare products that mimic well-known labels and offer cost-effective substitutes to premium items. These products typically have similar names and packaging, but in some cases the formulas can change considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Is Not Always Superior'

Beauty experts contend certain substitutes to premium labels are reasonable standard and aid make skincare more affordable.

"I don't think costlier is always more effective," says dermatology expert a doctor. "Not all low-budget beauty label is poor - and not every premium skincare product is the best."

"Some [dupes] are really excellent," notes Scott McGlynn, who hosts a show about celebrities.

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

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor believes dupes are acceptable to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and cleansers.

"These products will do the job," he explains. "They will perform the fundamentals to a acceptable standard."

Ketaki Bhate, thinks you can cut costs when you're looking for single-ingredient products like HA, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a simple item then you're probably going to be alright in opting for a dupe or a product which is very low cost because there's not much that can go wrong," she explains.

'Don't Be Sold by the Box'

But the experts also advise consumers check details and say that more expensive products are at times worth the extra money.

With premium beauty products, you're not just covering the brand and promotion - at times the elevated cost also comes from the formula and their quality, the concentration of the key component, the research used to develop the product, and tests into the products' performance, Dr Belmo says.

Skin therapist she suggests it's important questioning how certain dupes can be offered so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she says they may contain filler ingredients that do not provide as numerous positive effects for the complexion, or the components might not be as carefully selected.

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

Expert McGlynn says in some cases he's purchased skincare items that appear similar to a big-name label but the actual formula has "little similarity to the original".

"Do not be fooled by the packaging," he warned.

SimpleImages/Getty Images

For advanced products or those with ingredients that can irritate the skin if they're not formulated properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, she suggests using more specialised companies.

She states these typically have been subjected to comprehensive studies to evaluate how effective they are.

Skincare items need to be tested before they can be sold in the UK, explains consultant dermatologist another professional.

When the label advertises about the effectiveness of the item, it requires evidence to verify it, "but the manufacturer doesn't always have to perform the testing" and can instead use studies conducted by other companies, she says.

Read the Ingredients List of the Bottle

Is there any components that could indicate a product is low-quality?

Components on the list of the container are arranged by concentration. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to avoid… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up