🔗 Share this article High-Street Beauty Dupes Might Save You a Bundle. But Do Economical Skincare Products Actually Work? Rachael Parnell She states with certain alternatives she "can't tell the variation". Upon hearing Rachael Parnell learned Aldi was offering a fresh product collection that seemed similar to products from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited". The shopper rushed to her closest store to purchase the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product. The smooth blue container and gold top of both creams look remarkably similar. And though Rachael has never tried the premium cream, she says she's satisfied by the product so far. She has been using skincare dupes from popular shops and grocery stores for years, and she's part of a trend. Over a quarter of UK shoppers say they've purchased a skincare or makeup lookalike. This rises to nearly half among younger adults, according to a February poll. Lookalikes are beauty items that mimic bigger name labels and offer affordable substitutes to premium products. They often have similar labels and design, but in some cases the ingredients can change considerably. Victoria Woollaston Luxury vs budget: One brand's 50ml face cream is priced at £240, while Aldi's recent store-brand face cream is £8.49. 'Costly Is Not Necessarily Better' Skincare professionals contend some alternatives to premium brands are reasonable standard and help make beauty routines cheaper. "I don't think more expensive is always superior," comments consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not all low-budget product line is bad - and not every premium skincare product is the top." "Some [dupes] are really amazing," notes Scott McGlynn, who hosts a show about famous people. Many of the items inspired by luxury brands "sell out so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he remarks. Scott McGlynn Skincare expert Scott McGlynn claims some affordable items he has tested are "fantastic". Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry thinks alternatives are fine to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and face washes. "These products will serve a purpose," he says. "These items will handle the essentials to a acceptable standard." Another skin doctor, thinks you can save money when seeking single-ingredient items like HA, Vitamin B3 and squalane. "If you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be alright in using a dupe or something which is fairly low cost because there's very little that can cause issues," she says. 'Don't Be Sold by the Box' Yet the professionals also suggest shoppers do their research and note that costlier products are occasionally worth the extra money. With luxury beauty products, you're not just paying for the name and advertising - at times the higher cost also is due to the components and their grade, the strength of the effective element, the science utilized to develop the product, and trials into the products' effectiveness, she explains. Skin therapist another professional suggests it's important thinking about how some alternatives can be priced so cheaply. Occasionally, she believes they might include less effective components that do not provide as many advantages for the skin, or the components might not be as carefully selected. "The major uncertainty is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she asks. Podcast host McGlynn says sometimes he's purchased beauty products that look similar to a established label but the product itself has "no connection to the premium version". "Do not be sold by the outer appearance," he warned. SimpleImages/Getty Images Dr Bhate advises choosing more specialised brands for products with components like retinol or vitamin C. Regarding advanced products or those with components that can irritate the complexion if they're not formulated properly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, she suggests selecting medical-grade brands. She explains these typically have been subjected to comprehensive studies to assess how effective they are. Skincare products need to be tested before they can be marketed in the UK, notes consultant dermatologist another professional. When the company makes claims about the performance of the item, it must have data to verify it, "however the seller does not always have to perform the testing" and can alternatively use evidence conducted by different companies, she says. Examine the Back of the Bottle Is there any ingredients that could suggest a product is poor? Ingredients on the back of the container are arranged by concentration. "The baddies that you want to look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up