🔗 Share this article High-Street Beauty Alternatives Could Save Shoppers a Bundle. But Do Affordable Skincare Items Really Work? Rachael Parnell She says with a few alternatives she "cannot distinguish the distinction". After discovering a consumer learned a supermarket was selling a new skincare range that seemed similar to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited". The shopper rushed to her local shop to purchase the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 price tag of the high-end 50ml cream. The streamlined blue tube and gold cap of the two products look noticeably comparable. And though Rachael has never tried the high-end cream, she says she's satisfied by the alternative so far. She has been buying lookalike products from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for some time, and she's not alone. Over a 25% of UK shoppers report they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This increases to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, based on a recent poll. Alternatives are skincare products that mimic bigger name labels and offer affordable alternatives to premium items. They often have alike names and packaging, but occasionally the formulas can vary significantly. Victoria Woollaston High-end vs affordable: One brand's 50ml face cream costs £240, while Aldi's new store-brand face cream is £8.49. 'Expensive Is Not Necessarily Superior' Skincare experts argue many substitutes to high-end labels are reasonable quality and assist make beauty routines more affordable. "It is not true that costlier is necessarily better," says dermatology expert a doctor. "Not all low-budget beauty label is poor - and not all high-end beauty item is the top." "Some [dupes] are truly excellent," adds Scott McGlynn, who hosts a program with famous people. Many of the products based on high-end brands "run out so rapidly, it's just insane," he remarks. Scott McGlynn Podcast host Scott McGlynn states certain affordable products he has tested are "great". Medical expert another professional thinks dupes are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and cleansers. "Alternatives will serve a purpose," he explains. "These items will perform the basics to a satisfactory level." Ketaki Bhate, advises you can cut costs when you're looking for single-ingredient products like HA, niacinamide and squalane. "If you're buying a single-ingredient product then you're probably going to be fine in using a budget alternative or something which is quite affordable because there's not much that can cause issues," she explains. 'Don't Be Influenced by the Box' However the experts also recommend consumers check details and state that higher-priced products are occasionally worth the premium price. Regarding luxury beauty products, you're not just funding the label and promotion - sometimes the higher price tag also comes from the ingredients and their standard, the strength of the key component, the science employed to develop the product, and trials into the products' performance, Dr Belmo explains. Skin therapist Rhian Truman argues it's worth thinking about how certain alternatives can be sold so inexpensively. Sometimes, she says they might have filler ingredients that lack as significant positive effects for the skin, or the ingredients might not be as carefully selected. "One key doubt is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she says. Commentator McGlynn notes in some cases he's bought skincare items that appear comparable to a established label but the product itself has "little similarity to the premium version". "Do not be convinced by the outer appearance," he cautioned. SimpleImages/Getty Images The dermatologist recommends sticking to established labels for products with ingredients like retinol or vitamin C. For potent products or ones with components that can inflame the complexion if they're not made accurately, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate recommends selecting more specialised labels. The expert explains these will likely have been subjected to comprehensive tests to evaluate how successful they are. Skincare products must be assessed before they can be marketed in the UK, explains skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth. When the brand advertises about the effectiveness of the product, it requires research to back it up, "but the brand doesn't necessarily have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively use studies completed by other firms, she adds. Read the Ingredients List of the Bottle Are there any ingredients that could suggest a product is poor? Ingredients on the back of the tube are ordered by amount. "The baddies that you want to look out for… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up