🔗 Share this article Supermarket Skincare Lookalikes Might Save Shoppers a Bundle. However, Do Affordable Skincare Products Actually Work? Rachael Parnell She comments with a few alternatives she "fails to see the distinction". When one shopper found out a discounter was launching a fresh product collection that appeared comparable to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited". The shopper dashed to her local shop to purchase the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 of the high-end 50ml item. The sleek blue container and gold top of each creams look strikingly alike. And though she has not used the high-end cream, she claims she's impressed by the dupe so far. Rachael has been buying skincare dupes from high street stores and grocery stores for some time, and she's not alone. More than a 25% of UK shoppers report they've bought a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This rises to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, as per a recent study. Lookalikes are beauty items that imitate established companies and present budget-friendly substitutes to luxury items. These products frequently have similar branding and containers, but sometimes the formulas can change significantly. Victoria Woollaston High-end vs affordable: One brand's 50ml face cream is priced at £240, while the supermarket's new Lacura face cream is £8.49. 'Expensive Isn't Always Superior' Skincare experts contend some alternatives to premium brands are decent standard and help make beauty routines more affordable. "It is not true that costlier is invariably superior," says dermatology expert a doctor. "Not all affordable product line is inferior - and not every luxury beauty item is the finest." "Some [dupes] are absolutely amazing," adds Scott McGlynn, who hosts a show featuring famous people. Many of the products based on luxury brands "disappear so rapidly, it's just crazy," he remarks. Scott McGlynn Skincare expert Scott McGlynn states a few affordable items he has used are "great". Skin specialist a doctor argues dupes are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes. "Alternatives will do the job," he explains. "They will handle the essentials to a acceptable degree." A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can save money when searching for single-ingredient items like HA, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient. "When you're purchasing a simple item then you're probably going to be okay in using a lookalike or a product which is quite inexpensive because there's minimal that can be problematic," she explains. 'Do Not Be Influenced by the Container' However the professionals also suggest buyers do their research and note that higher-priced items are occasionally worth the extra money. With premium beauty products, you're not just funding the name and advertising - at times the elevated cost also is due to the formula and their standard, the strength of the key component, the science utilized to develop the item, and trials into the products' effectiveness, she notes. Beauty expert another professional argues it's important questioning how certain alternatives can be offered so at a low cost. Occasionally, she says they might contain filler ingredients that do not provide as many advantages for the complexion, or the materials might not be as carefully selected. "One key question mark is 'How is it so cheap?'" she remarks. Commentator Scott says on occasion he's purchased beauty products that appear similar to a established label but the product itself has "little similarity to the original". "Don't be sold by the container," he warned. SimpleImages/Getty Images The dermatologist suggests choosing more specialised brands for items with components like retinol or vitamin C. Regarding more complicated items or ones with ingredients that can irritate the skin if they're not made accurately, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, the specialist suggests sticking to research-backed companies. The expert explains these will likely have been through expensive studies to evaluate how efficacious they are. Skincare items are required to be evaluated before they can be available in the UK, notes skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth. If the brand makes claims about the performance of the item, it must have evidence to verify it, "but the seller does not necessarily have to do the testing" and can instead reference studies conducted by different firms, she adds. Read the Ingredients List of the Bottle Is there any components that could suggest a product is low-quality? Ingredients on the label of the bottle are ordered by amount. "The baddies that you want to look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up