🔗 Share this article High-Street Beauty Dupes Might Save Consumers Hundreds. Yet, Do Budget Skincare Items Perform? Rachael Parnell Rachael states with a few lookalikes she "can't tell the difference". After discovering a consumer learned a discounter was selling a fresh skincare range that seemed similar to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited". The shopper hurried to her local store to purchase the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml product. Its streamlined blue container and gold cap of the two creams look remarkably similar. And though Rachael has never tried the high-end cream, she says she's pleased by the product so far. Rachael has been purchasing skincare dupes from high street stores and grocery stores for some time, and she's part of a trend. More than a fourth of UK consumers report they've purchased a skincare or makeup alternative. This increases to nearly half among 18-34 year olds, according to a recently published survey. Dupes are beauty items that imitate bigger name companies and present budget-friendly alternatives to high-end products. They frequently have comparable branding and containers, but occasionally the ingredients can vary significantly. Victoria Woollaston Luxury vs budget: One brand's 50ml face cream costs £240, while Aldi's recent store-brand face cream is £8.49. 'High-Priced Isn't Always Better' Skincare experts say many alternatives to luxury labels are decent quality and aid make skincare cheaper. "I don't think costlier is always superior," states skin specialist a doctor. "Not every low-budget product line is bad - and not every premium beauty item is the finest." "Certain [dupes] are absolutely excellent," notes Scott McGlynn, who runs a podcast about famous people. A lot of of the products inspired by high-end labels "sell out so rapidly, it's just insane," he says. Scott McGlynn Skincare expert Scott McGlynn says certain budget products he has tried are "amazing". Medical expert a doctor thinks alternatives are fine to use for "fundamental products" like moisturisers and face washes. "Dupes will serve a purpose," he explains. "These items will handle the essentials to a reasonable degree." Ketaki Bhate, advises you can save money when seeking simple-formula items like HA, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient. "When you're buying a simple item then you're likely going to be alright in opting for a dupe or something which is fairly affordable because there's very little that can go wrong," she explains. 'Do Not Be Swayed by the Box' Yet the experts also recommend consumers do their research and state that more expensive products are at times worth the additional cost. With high-end beauty products, you're not only covering the brand and promotion - often the elevated price tag also stems from the components and their grade, the concentration of the key component, the technology employed to create the item, and trials into the products' effectiveness, she explains. Facialist Rhian Truman suggests it's important thinking about how some alternatives can be priced so cheaply. In some cases, she believes they might contain filler ingredients that do not provide as many positive effects for the complexion, or the materials might not be as well sourced. "One major uncertainty is 'How is it so cheap?'" she remarks. Expert McGlynn admits sometimes he's purchased beauty products that look similar to a established brand but the product itself has "no resemblance to the premium version". "Do not be convinced by the container," he cautioned. SimpleImages/Getty Images Dr Bhate suggests opting for established brands for products with components like retinol or ascorbic acid. Regarding advanced products or those with ingredients that can aggravate the complexion if they're not made properly, such as retinols or vitamin C, Dr Bhate advises using medical-grade brands. The expert says these probably have been subjected to expensive studies to evaluate how successful they are. Beauty items are required to be tested before they can be marketed in the UK, explains skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth. When the label advertises about the effectiveness of the product, it needs evidence to support it, "but the manufacturer doesn't necessarily have to conduct the trials" and can instead cite evidence done by different brands, she adds. Examine the Ingredients List of the Pack Are there any components that could indicate a item is poor? Components on the label of the container are arranged by quantity. "Potential irritants that you should be wary of… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up