The beast in the beauty segment

BENGALURU:  If you have been hooked to Instagram reels where many beauty bloggers are suggesting dupes to high-end luxury brands, then you are not alone. If you are getting your favourite lip colour or fragrance at an affordable price, what’s the harm? Well...doctors say it might not be the best thing you would be putting on your skin. 

Dr Jyothi Bandi, a cosmetologist, says dupes are all over the field of medicine. “Cosmetics dupes are rampant because there is no proper regulation, system, or process. Clients and customers are easily influenced by somebody promoting something and purchasing them without checking the content. There are long-term or short-term side effects or complications associated with such products,” says Bandi, adding that some of the products could even lead to skin cancer eventually. 

One of the biggest problems that experts like Chaitanya K, an aesthetician find, is the lack of safety testing. “Not only do these dupes contain low-quality ingredients, but they might also have a different composition as well. This could lead to adverse reactions and we are also not sure if they contain any carcinogenic or harmful substances which might lead to major skin problems down the road,” she adds.

The other aspect that Chaitanya points out is that most of the time these cosmetics or skincare lines do not provide the same level of performance and buyers lose faith in the ingredient. “For example, a retinol that someone picks up from a new brand might not work, so they feel that the real retinol also does not work,” she explains. 

Shanu Suresh, an actor who has to use makeup for her work on most days, has seen the effect first-hand. “If something is premium, I want the quality to speak for itself. But sometimes in movies, the team would not have packed a premium brand product so I have to go with what is available. And you can clearly see the difference. In front of the camera, the makeup has to set well but it can come across patchy,” says Suresh.

Even though many experts have always been vocal about their concern about dupe cosmetics, why is it still popular with people? Geeta Rao, co-founder of a makeup academy, says it all comes down to accessibility. “We do use dupes. We have an academy where we teach students, and everyone can’t afford to buy premium brands. It’s also how you mix the products to get the same effect. It does work and looks the same. But of course, the application would be better if it’s a premium brand,” says Rao.