🔗 Share this article High-Street Beauty Dupes Can Save Consumers a Bundle. However, Do Economical Beauty Items Perform? Rachael Parnell She comments with certain lookalikes she "can't tell the variation". Upon hearing Rachael Parnell heard a discounter was launching a fresh beauty line that seemed comparable to offerings from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited". The shopper rushed to her local shop to pick up the supermarket face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the high-end 50ml product. The smooth blue tube and gold cap of both creams look strikingly alike. And though Rachael has not tested the premium cream, she says she's impressed by the alternative so far. Rachael has been purchasing lookalike products from high street stores and grocery stores for a long time, and she's part of a trend. More than a fourth of UK shoppers state they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This increases to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, as per a February study. Dupes are beauty items that copy established brands and provide cost-effective alternatives to high-end items. These products frequently have alike 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 recent store-brand face cream is £8.49. 'Costly Is Not Necessarily Superior' Skincare specialists say certain substitutes to premium brands are good quality and aid make skincare less expensive. "I don't think more expensive is always superior," states skin specialist Sharon Belmo. "Not all affordable skincare brand is bad - and not all premium beauty item is the top." "A number of [dupes] are absolutely amazing," says Scott McGlynn, who presents a program with public figures. Many of the products modeled on high-end labels "run out so fast, it's just crazy," he says. Scott McGlynn Skincare expert Scott McGlynn claims a few budget products he has used are "fantastic". Medical expert another professional believes alternatives are fine to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and cleansers. "Alternatives will be effective," he comments. "They will perform the essentials to a satisfactory level." Another skin doctor, advises you can cut costs when seeking single-ingredient items like HA, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient. "If you're buying a simple product then you're likely going to be alright in using a lookalike or something which is very affordable because there's minimal that can be problematic," she explains. 'Don't Be Influenced by the Container' However the specialists also recommend shoppers check details and state that costlier items are occasionally worth the premium price. Regarding high-end skincare, you're not just funding the label and promotion - sometimes the increased cost also stems from the formula and their quality, the concentration of the effective element, the research used to create the product, and trials into the products' performance, the expert explains. Beauty expert Rhian Truman suggests it's important thinking about how some dupes can be priced so cheaply. In some cases, she states they could include filler ingredients that do not provide as many positive effects for the complexion, or the materials might not be as carefully selected. "The key question mark is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she says. Commentator McGlynn says sometimes he's bought skincare items that appear comparable to a big-name label but the item has "no connection to the original". "Don't be sold by the container," he cautioned. SimpleImages/Getty Images An expert advises opting for more specialised labels for products with components like retinol or vitamin C. Regarding more complicated products or those with ingredients that can aggravate the complexion if they're not made correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, Dr Bhate recommends sticking to medical-grade brands. The expert says these probably have been through comprehensive trials to determine how successful they are. Beauty items are required to be assessed before they can be sold in the UK, explains expert Emma Wedgeworth. When the brand makes claims about the performance of the item, it requires data to support it, "however the brand does not necessarily have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively cite studies conducted by other brands, she says. Examine the Ingredients List of the Bottle Are there any ingredients that could indicate a product is poor? Ingredients on the back of the bottle are ordered by quantity. "Potential irritants that you need to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up