There’s a new buzzword flooding skincare social media and drugstore aisles: DUPE. Short for “duplicate,” it’s being tossed around like confetti—applied to everything from Vitamin C serums to peptide creams to microbiome moisturizers.
Let’s get one thing straight:
- We respect whatever a person can afford in today's market — But let's not pretend there isn't a difference between respecting affordability and promoting false equivalency..
- $5 knockoff with no testing, no traceability, and no science is not a “dupe.”
It’s cheap. - It’s dangerous and doing your skin a disservice.
- We’re not tone-deaf to the reality that luxury skincare isn’t accessible for everyone. At Gleem, we believe everyone deserves safe, effective products—regardless of budget. We run sales as often as possible, we have .5oz at a fraction of our 1.oz cost and we offer Shop-pay to break down larger purchases with no-interest payments.
- Calling a $5 serum a “dupe” for a science-backed formula erases the integrity, intention, and safety behind it.
1. Formulation Is a Craft—Not a Copy-Paste Job
When people compare Gleem Beauty’s meticulously researched formulas—rooted in healing, bioavailability, and sensitive skin science—to "bargain" products, they’re not just missing the point. They’re insulting it.
At Gleem, every product takes months (sometimes years) to perfect.
From encapsulated Vitamin C beads that release an extra boost of hydration gently into the skin…To every aloe-based science backed formula, (with enough customer testimonials to be considered "proven" to calm even post-chemo skin...And APPROVED by a world known breast cancer organisation; who has vetted each ingredient and tested our products themselves!)....To our pre + postbiotic blends that support your microbiome without triggering inflammation...
None of this is random.
None of this is cheap.
And none of this is replicable at a $5.75 price point.
2. “Affordable” vs. “Cheap”—Know the Difference
Let’s talk semantics.
We keep seeing influencers describe $-7R33 and 5 downunder (use your imagination) skincare as the “affordable version” of brands like Gleem. But let’s be clear:
🔬 Affordable means accessible, yet still grounded in integrity.
⚠ Cheap means corners were cut: ingredient quality, safety testing, formulation efficacy, and even preservation.
You wouldn’t call a knockoff airbag “affordable.”
You’d call it dangerous.
So why let your skin be the test subject?
3. The Word “Dupe” Erases the Work Behind Quality Skincare
Our founder, Marlene Wallach, didn’t create Gleem as a vanity project. After enduring years of breast cancer treatment, her skin could tolerate nothing except aloe vera. That personal healing journey is what inspires every Gleem Beauty formula. It’s why we spend extra for clean preservatives, biocompatible actives, and textures that feel like spa-grade luxury—but are safe enough to help the most compromised skin.
Calling that a “dupe” of a store-brand serum?
It’s not just inaccurate.
It’s disrespectful.
4. Respect Your Skin, it Isn’t "Just Skin". It’s a System.
Gleem doesn’t just hydrate or brighten. Our products are multifunctional tools designed to:
✅ Aids in reinforcement of your skin barrier
✅ Helps feed your microbiome
✅ Supports the prevention of future inflammation
✅ Assists delivering long-term skin transformation
We get it, if a $5 product is all you can afford and ultimately you're satisfied; more power to you. But these influencers who are often sponsored by these brands, make it seem like true results doesn't requires formulation intelligence, clean chemistry, and patience. Shame on them.
✨ Final Word: Don't Disrespect Your Skin, It Deserves More Than you may realise.
If you want real change—not just a fleeting glow—trust the brands that treat formulation like a science, not a trend. Gleem is for women at every stage in life, we are rooted in healing. Fueled by data. And tested by the most discerning skin types: survivors, mothers, sisters. Women who’ve been through it.