🔗 Share this article Supermarket Skincare Alternatives Might Save You a Bundle. Yet, Do Economical Beauty Items Perform? Rachael Parnell She says with a few lookalikes she "can't tell the distinction". After discovering Rachael Parnell learned a supermarket was selling a new product collection that appeared akin to offerings from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited". The shopper hurried to her closest outlet to purchase the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml item. Its sleek blue container and gold cap of each creams look strikingly comparable. And though Rachael has not used the luxury cream, she claims she's pleased by the alternative so far. She has been buying skincare dupes from popular shops and grocery stores for years, and she's in good company. Over a fourth of UK shoppers report they've tried a skincare or makeup alternative. This rises to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, as per a recently published study. Lookalikes are skincare products that imitate established companies and present affordable alternatives to luxury products. These products frequently have similar labels and design, but in some cases the components can vary significantly. Victoria Woollaston Luxury vs budget: One brand's 50ml face cream is priced at £240, while Aldi's new Lacura face cream is £8.49. 'Expensive Isn't Always Better' Beauty experts say certain alternatives to high-end brands are decent quality and aid make beauty routines less expensive. "It is not true that more expensive is invariably better," comments dermatology expert a doctor. "Not every affordable beauty label is poor - and not all high-end beauty item is the best." "A number of [dupes] are truly impressive," notes a skincare commentator, who presents a podcast about public figures. Many of the items inspired by luxury labels "sell out so quickly, it's just unbelievable," he remarks. Scott McGlynn Podcast host Scott McGlynn states some budget items he has tested are "great". Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor thinks dupes are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and cleansers. "Dupes will be effective," he comments. "They will do the basics to a satisfactory degree." Ketaki Bhate, thinks you can spend less when searching for single-ingredient products like HA, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient. "When you're buying a simple item then you're probably going to be alright in using a budget alternative or something which is quite inexpensive because there's minimal that can be problematic," she explains. 'Do Not Be Sold by the Container' But the professionals also suggest consumers investigate and note that costlier items are occasionally worthy of the extra money. With high-end beauty products, you're not just funding the label and marketing - at times the elevated cost also is due to the ingredients and their quality, the potency of the active ingredient, the science employed to produce the product, and tests into the products' effectiveness, the expert notes. Facialist she argues it's valuable considering how some alternatives can be priced so inexpensively. Occasionally, she states they may contain bulking agents that don't have as many benefits for the skin, or the ingredients might not be as carefully selected. "The major uncertainty is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she says. Podcast host McGlynn admits sometimes he's purchased beauty products that look comparable to a well-known brand but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the luxury product". "Do not be fooled by the outer appearance," he cautioned. SimpleImages/Getty Images The dermatologist suggests sticking to established labels for items with ingredients like retinol or vitamin C. For potent items or those with ingredients that can inflame the complexion if they're not made correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, she suggests using medical-grade labels. The expert says these probably have been subjected to costly trials to assess how successful they are. Skincare products are required to be tested before they can be marketed in the UK, notes consultant dermatologist another professional. If the company states about the effectiveness of the product, it requires data to support it, "however the brand does not always have to perform the trials" and can alternatively use studies done by other companies, she adds. Check the Ingredients List of the Pack Are there any components that could suggest a item is low-quality? Ingredients on the list of the tube are arranged by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you should be wary of… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up