🔗 Share this article Supermarket Beauty Lookalikes Might Save You Hundreds. But Do Budget Beauty Items Actually Work? Rachael Parnell She says with certain dupes she "fails to see the variation". After discovering one shopper found out a discounter was selling a recent skincare range that appeared akin to offerings from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited". The shopper hurried to her nearest outlet to purchase the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 price tag of the luxury brand 50ml product. The streamlined blue tube and gold cap of the two items look strikingly alike. While Rachael has never tried the luxury cream, she claims she's impressed by the alternative so far. She has been purchasing lookalike products from popular shops and grocery stores for a long time, and she's part of a trend. More than a fourth of UK consumers say they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic alternative. This jumps to 44% among younger adults, based on a recent poll. Lookalikes are beauty items that mimic established brands and present cost-effective options to high-end products. These products often have alike labels and design, but in some cases the components can vary significantly. Victoria Woollaston High-end vs affordable: One brand's 50ml face cream costs £240, while the supermarket's recent Lacura face cream is £8.49. 'Expensive Is Not Always Superior' Beauty experts say some substitutes to luxury labels are reasonable quality and help make beauty routines less expensive. "It is not true that higher-priced is necessarily more effective," comments dermatology expert one expert. "Not every affordable product line is poor - and not all premium beauty item is the best." "Some [dupes] are truly excellent," says Scott McGlynn, who runs a show with famous people. A lot of of the items modeled on luxury brands "run out so rapidly, it's just crazy," he observes. Scott McGlynn Podcast host Scott McGlynn claims certain affordable products he has tried are "amazing". Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry argues dupes are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and face washes. "Dupes will do the job," he says. "They will do the fundamentals to a acceptable standard." Ketaki Bhate, suggests you can spend less when seeking simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and squalane. "When you're buying a simple product then you're probably going to be alright in opting for a budget alternative or a product which is very affordable because there's minimal that can go wrong," she explains. 'Don't Be Swayed by the Container' Yet the experts also suggest consumers check details and say that more expensive items are occasionally worth the additional cost. Regarding high-end skincare, you're not just funding the brand and marketing - often the increased price tag also stems from the formula and their quality, the potency of the effective element, the science used to create the item, and studies into the item's effectiveness, she explains. Beauty expert she suggests it's valuable thinking about how some dupes can be sold so cheaply. In some cases, she says they could include filler ingredients that don't have as many benefits for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as high-quality. "One big uncertainty is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she remarks. Commentator McGlynn says in some cases he's bought beauty products that look comparable to a well-known brand but the actual formula has "no connection to the luxury product". "Do not be fooled by the outer appearance," he cautioned. SimpleImages/Getty Images Dr Bhate advises sticking to established labels for items with components like vitamin A or vitamin C. Regarding more complicated products or those with ingredients that can inflame the skin if they're not made properly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate recommends selecting more specialised companies. She says these probably have been through comprehensive studies to evaluate how effective they are. Beauty items must be assessed before they can be available in the UK, explains expert Emma Wedgeworth. If the label states about the performance of the product, it must have data to verify it, "but the brand doesn't necessarily have to do the trials" and can alternatively use studies conducted by different companies, she clarifies. Examine the Back of the Pack Are there any components that could suggest a item is poor? Ingredients on the list of the container are listed by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up