🔗 Share this article

Rachael Parnell

When Rachael Parnell found out Aldi was selling a new beauty line that seemed akin to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

Rachael rushed to her closest outlet to purchase the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml product.

Its sleek blue packaging and gold top of each creams look strikingly alike. While Rachael has not tested the luxury cream, she states she's impressed by the dupe so far.

Rachael has been using skincare dupes from high street stores and supermarkets for a long time, and she's not alone.

Over a 25% of UK consumers say they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This jumps to 44% among younger adults, as per a February poll.

Dupes are skincare products that copy well-known labels and present budget-friendly alternatives to high-end items. They typically have comparable branding and containers, but occasionally the ingredients can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Beauty experts argue many alternatives to premium brands are reasonable quality and aid make beauty routines more affordable.

"It is not true that more expensive is invariably better," comments consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not every affordable product line is bad - and not every luxury skincare product is the finest."

"A number of [dupes] are really amazing," adds a podcast host, who hosts a podcast featuring public figures.

Many of the products inspired by high-end labels "run out so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert another professional argues alternatives are fine to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Alternatives will do the job," he comments. "These items will perform the fundamentals to a acceptable degree."

Another skin doctor, thinks you can save money when seeking single-ingredient items like HA, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a simple item then you're likely going to be alright in opting for a dupe or a product which is fairly inexpensive because there's not much that can go wrong," she says.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Container'

But the professionals also advise shoppers investigate and state that more expensive items are sometimes worthy of the additional cost.

Regarding high-end skincare, you're not just funding the name and promotion - sometimes the increased price also stems from the formula and their standard, the potency of the key component, the technology used to create the product, and studies into the products' efficacy, Dr Belmo notes.

Skin therapist Rhian Truman says it's valuable questioning how some dupes can be priced so inexpensively.

Occasionally, she believes they might have filler ingredients that do not provide as significant benefits for the complexion, or the components might not be as high-quality.

"The key uncertainty is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she asks.

Expert McGlynn admits on occasion he's bought skincare items that appear similar to a established brand but the product itself has "no resemblance to the original".

"Don't be sold by the container," he cautioned.

SimpleImages/Getty Images

For potent items or ones with components that can aggravate the complexion if they're not made correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, the specialist recommends sticking to more specialised brands.

The expert explains these will likely have been subjected to comprehensive studies to determine how successful they are.

Skincare items need to be evaluated before they can be available in the UK, notes expert another professional.

When the brand states about the efficacy of the item, it requires research to support it, "but the seller doesn't always have to conduct the testing" and can instead use evidence conducted by other companies, she adds.

Examine the Back of the Container

Are there any components that could suggest a product is low-quality?

Ingredients on the back of the tube are listed by concentration. "Potential irritants that you want to be wary of… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up