Grocery Store Skincare Alternatives Could Save Consumers a Bundle. However, Do Budget Beauty Items Actually Work?

Rachael Parnell

After discovering one shopper found out Aldi was selling a fresh product collection that seemed akin to products from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper dashed to her nearest outlet to pick up the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.

The sleek blue packaging and gold cap of both products look remarkably comparable. While Rachael has not used the premium cream, she says she's impressed by the product so far.

Rachael has been buying beauty alternatives from high street stores and supermarkets for a long time, and she's not alone.

More than a fourth of UK buyers state they've bought a skincare or makeup dupe. This rises to nearly half among 18-34 year olds, according to a recent study.

Lookalikes are skincare products that copy well-known labels and present cost-effective alternatives to luxury items. These products typically have similar names and packaging, but in some cases the formulas can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Is Not Necessarily Better'

Skincare professionals say certain alternatives to high-end labels are decent quality and aid make skincare less expensive.

"In my opinion more expensive is necessarily superior," comments skin specialist a doctor. "Not all affordable beauty label is poor - and not all luxury skincare product is the finest."

"Certain [dupes] are absolutely excellent," says a skincare commentator, who hosts a program with public figures.

Many of the products inspired by high-end brands "disappear so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry argues dupes are suitable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Alternatives will be effective," he comments. "These items will do the basics to a reasonable level."

A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can save money when seeking single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"If you're buying a simple product then you're likely going to be alright in opting for a budget alternative or a product which is very affordable because there's minimal that can be problematic," she adds.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Box'

Yet the professionals also recommend shoppers do their research and state that higher-priced items are at times worthy of the additional cost.

With high-end beauty products, you're not only paying for the label and promotion - often the increased price also stems from the components and their standard, the strength of the effective element, the technology employed to develop the item, and studies into the products' effectiveness, Dr Belmo notes.

Skin therapist Rhian Truman argues it's worth thinking about how certain alternatives can be sold so cheaply.

Sometimes, she says they may include less effective components that do not provide as numerous advantages for the complexion, or the components might not be as carefully selected.

"One major question mark is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she says.

Expert Scott notes sometimes he's bought beauty products that look similar to a well-known label but the actual formula has "little similarity to the premium version".

"Don't be convinced by the packaging," he added.

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Regarding more complicated products or those with components that can aggravate the skin if they're not created accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate recommends selecting medical-grade companies.

The expert says these probably have been subjected to expensive tests to determine how efficacious they are.

Beauty items must be tested before they can be available in the UK, explains skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

When the company states about the effectiveness of the product, it needs data to back it up, "but the brand doesn't always have to perform the trials" and can alternatively reference evidence done by other firms, she says.

Read the Back of the Bottle

Are there any ingredients that could signal a item is inferior?

Components on the label of the container are listed by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to be wary of… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up