🔗 Share this article Grocery Store Skincare Alternatives Can Save Consumers a Bundle. However, Do Budget Skincare Products Actually Work? Rachael Parnell Rachael says with a few alternatives she "fails to see the distinction". Upon hearing a consumer heard a supermarket was launching a fresh skincare range that looked akin to items from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited". Rachael dashed to her closest outlet to buy the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 of the luxury brand 50ml cream. The smooth blue packaging and gold cap of each products look noticeably comparable. While Rachael has never tried the high-end cream, she claims she's satisfied by the alternative so far. Rachael has been using lookalike products from high street stores and supermarkets for a long time, and she's part of a trend. Over a quarter of UK consumers say they've tried a skincare or makeup alternative. This jumps to 44% among 18-34 year olds, based on a February poll. Alternatives are skincare products that imitate well-known labels and present cost-effective alternatives to premium products. They often have similar names and packaging, but occasionally the ingredients can change considerably. Victoria Woollaston High-end vs affordable: One brand's 50ml face cream is priced at £240, while the supermarket's new store-brand face cream is £8.49. 'High-Priced Isn't Necessarily Superior' Beauty specialists argue some alternatives to high-end labels are decent standard and help make skincare more affordable. "In my opinion costlier is always superior," states consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not every affordable product line is inferior - and not all premium beauty item is the top." "Certain [dupes] are absolutely amazing," says a skincare commentator, who hosts a program about celebrities. A lot of of the items based on luxury brands "run out so fast, it's just insane," he remarks. Scott McGlynn Skincare expert Scott McGlynn states some budget items he has tested are "amazing". Medical expert Ross Perry thinks dupes are suitable to use for "fundamental products" like moisturisers and face washes. "Alternatives will serve a purpose," he explains. "These items will do the basics to a reasonable degree." Ketaki Bhate, advises you can cut costs when seeking simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient. "When you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be okay in opting for a dupe or something which is fairly affordable because there's very little that can cause issues," she says. 'Don't Be Sold by the Container' But the experts also recommend consumers investigate and note that higher-priced products are occasionally worth the additional cost. With premium beauty products, you're not just covering the brand and advertising - sometimes the higher price also stems from the components and their quality, the concentration of the key component, the research used to develop the item, and studies into the products' effectiveness, she says. Beauty expert Rhian Truman argues it's worth questioning how certain dupes can be priced so inexpensively. Occasionally, she says they might contain filler ingredients that do not provide as significant advantages for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as carefully selected. "The big question mark is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she says. Podcast host Scott notes in some cases he's bought skincare items that look comparable to a big-name brand but the item has "no connection to the original". "Don't be fooled by the outer appearance," he cautioned. SimpleImages/Getty Images An expert suggests sticking to clinical labels for items with ingredients like vitamin A or vitamin C. For potent items or ones with components that can irritate the complexion if they're not formulated accurately, such as retinoids or vitamin C, she advises using more specialised brands. She explains these probably have been through costly tests to determine how effective they are. Beauty products need to be assessed before they can be marketed in the UK, says skin doctor another professional. When the brand makes claims about the performance of the item, it needs research to back it up, "however the manufacturer does not necessarily have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively cite evidence done by different brands, she clarifies. Check the Back of the Bottle Is there any components that could signal a item is poor? Components on the list of the bottle 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