🔗 Share this article Grocery Store Beauty Alternatives Can Save You a Bundle. Yet, Do Budget Beauty Items Really Work? Rachael Parnell Rachael comments with a few dupes she "can't tell the difference". After discovering a consumer found out a supermarket was offering a fresh product collection that appeared comparable to items from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited". She dashed to her local outlet to buy the Lacura face cream for a low price for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream. The smooth blue tube and gold top of each products look noticeably alike. And though Rachael has not used the luxury cream, she says she's impressed by the dupe so far. She has been purchasing beauty alternatives from high street stores and grocery stores for years, and she's not alone. More than a quarter of UK consumers report they've bought a beauty or cosmetic alternative. This jumps to 44% among 18-34 year olds, as per a recent poll. Lookalikes are beauty items that mimic well-known brands and provide cost-effective substitutes to luxury items. They typically have comparable labels and design, but sometimes the formulas can differ substantially. Victoria Woollaston High-end vs affordable: One brand's 50ml face cream costs £240, while the supermarket's recent store-brand face cream is £8.49. 'High-Priced Isn't Always Better' Skincare specialists argue some substitutes to premium labels are reasonable standard and help make skincare less expensive. "It is not true that more expensive is necessarily more effective," comments consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not every low-budget beauty label is inferior - and not all luxury skincare product is the finest." "A number of [dupes] are absolutely amazing," notes a skincare commentator, who presents a podcast about celebrities. A lot of of the items inspired by luxury brands "run out so fast, it's just unbelievable," he observes. Scott McGlynn Podcast host Scott McGlynn claims a few budget products he has tried are "great". Skin specialist Ross Perry argues dupes are suitable to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and cleansers. "Dupes will be effective," he explains. "These items will handle the essentials to a reasonable standard." A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can spend less when searching for simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient. "When you're buying a single-ingredient product then you're likely going to be fine in opting for a dupe or something which is very low cost because there's minimal that can go wrong," she explains. 'Do Not Be Swayed by the Packaging' Yet the specialists also suggest consumers do their research and note that more expensive products are sometimes worth the extra money. Regarding premium beauty products, you're not only covering the name and advertising - sometimes the increased price also stems from the ingredients and their standard, the potency of the active ingredient, the technology employed to develop the item, and tests into the item's efficacy, she explains. Skin therapist another professional argues it's valuable thinking about how some alternatives can be offered so inexpensively. In some cases, she believes they may include filler ingredients that lack as significant advantages for the complexion, or the materials might not be as high-quality. "The key question mark is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she asks. Podcast host McGlynn says sometimes he's bought beauty products that look similar to a well-known brand but the actual formula has "little similarity to the original". "Don't be convinced by the container," he warned. SimpleImages/Getty Images Dr Bhate suggests choosing clinical brands for items with ingredients like vitamin A or vitamin C. Regarding more complicated items or ones with ingredients that can inflame the skin if they're not created properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, the specialist recommends using medical-grade labels. The expert says these typically have been through comprehensive tests to determine how effective they are. Skincare items need to be assessed before they can be available in the UK, notes skin doctor another professional. If the brand makes claims about the effectiveness of the item, it needs evidence to support it, "but the brand does not necessarily have to perform the testing" and can instead use evidence completed by different companies, she adds. Check the Label of the Container Are there any ingredients that could suggest a item is inferior? Components on the back of the container are listed by amount. "Potential irritants that you should look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up