Rachael Parnell
Upon hearing a consumer heard Aldi was selling a recent product collection that appeared akin to offerings from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".
Rachael hurried to her nearest outlet to buy the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 cost of the high-end 50ml item.
Its sleek blue tube and gold cap of both items look strikingly comparable. Although Rachael has not tested the premium cream, she says she's satisfied by the alternative so far.
She has been purchasing skincare dupes from high street stores and grocery stores for a long time, and she's not alone.
More than a fourth of UK buyers state they've bought a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This increases to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, as per a February study.
Dupes are skincare products that imitate established companies and provide budget-friendly alternatives to premium products. They often have alike branding and containers, but sometimes the components can differ significantly.
Victoria Woollaston
Skincare specialists contend some dupes to luxury brands are reasonable quality and aid make skincare more affordable.
"I don't think costlier is always more effective," comments consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not every affordable product line is bad - and not every luxury beauty item is the top."
"Some [dupes] are absolutely amazing," says Scott McGlynn, who runs a show about celebrities.
Many of the products inspired by high-end labels "run out so fast, it's just crazy," he remarks.
Scott McGlynn
Medical expert Ross Perry believes alternatives are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and face washes.
"Dupes will be effective," he comments. "They will do the fundamentals to a reasonable standard."
Another skin doctor, thinks you can spend less when you're looking for simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and squalane.
"When you're purchasing a simple product then you're probably going to be okay in opting for a lookalike or a product which is very affordable because there's minimal that can go wrong," she adds.
Yet the specialists also suggest shoppers do their research and note that higher-priced products are occasionally worth the premium price.
With high-end skincare, you're not only funding the label and promotion - often the elevated cost also stems from the ingredients and their quality, the concentration of the key component, the science employed to produce the item, and studies into the item's effectiveness, the expert notes.
Skin therapist another professional suggests it's important thinking about how certain alternatives can be sold so inexpensively.
In some cases, she states they could have filler ingredients that lack as many advantages for the skin, or the materials might not be as high-quality.
"One major doubt is 'How is it so cheap?'" she asks.
Commentator Scott admits on occasion he's purchased beauty products that appear similar to a big-name label but the product itself has "no connection to the premium version".
"Do not be convinced by the container," he cautioned.
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For more complicated products or those with components that can aggravate the complexion if they're not formulated accurately, such as retinoids or vitamin C, Dr Bhate suggests sticking to research-backed labels.
The expert says these typically have been subjected to costly tests to evaluate how efficacious they are.
Skincare products need to be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, says skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.
If the brand states about the effectiveness of the item, it needs evidence to verify it, "but the seller does not necessarily have to do the testing" and can instead cite evidence done by other firms, she adds.
Are there any components that could signal a item is low-quality?
Components on the list of the tube are listed by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you should look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up
A passionate textile artist and community organizer who loves inspiring others through creative sewing projects.
