Where are the dupes for a $182 fan-favorite skincare product?
UC expert speaks with Business Insider about patent expiration, product development
The University of Cincinnati's Kelly Dobos spoke with Business Insider about the expiration of the patent for SkinCeuticals' $182 C E Ferulic vitamin C serum and the prospect of other brands making "dupes," or comparable products at a lower price.
"It's been such a popular and efficacious product, it's pretty clear that brands are going to try to duplicate that," Dobos, a cosmetic chemist and adjunct instructor in UC's Cosmetic Science Program in the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy, told Business Insider.
While the patent is expired, Dobos explained there's no guarantee other companies will get the exact formulation right at a lower price point, especially since it's likely the patent did not tell the full story of the serum's formulation and manufacturing.
On a larger scale, Dobos said dupe culture may not be the best thing for consumers or the industry, as time spent trying to copy competitors takes away from trials and development of new, innovative products.
"I do think the kind of dupe culture that we're in is hindering innovation in a way because it's taking time and resources away from it," she said. "True, disruptive innovation takes time."
Read the Business Insider article, also published on MSN.
Featured photo at top of a woman washing her face. Photo/Extreme Photographer/iStock.
Related Stories
CCM welcomes Sekyung Jang as Assistant Professor of Music Therapy
June 12, 2026
UC College-Conservatory of Music Dean Pete Jutras has announced the appointment of Sekyung Jang, PhD, as CCM's new Assistant Professor of Music Therapy. Her faculty appointment officially begins on Aug. 15, 2026, and Jang will work with college leadership to develop a new program in Music Therapy at CCM in partnership with UC's College of Medicine and the Osher Center for Integrative Health. Jang is an educator, scholar and music therapist passionate about fostering a culture of learning in which students feel safe to explore new ideas, make mistakes, and freely and respectfully receive and give feedback. Jang’s teaching is characterized by a balanced combination of lectures, experiential learning opportunities, and discussion-based instruction that helps students integrate theory and practice.
Taking a second look at surgery eligibility for patients with lung cancer who smoke
June 11, 2026
Researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine have found that patients who continue to smoke ahead of lung cancer surgery have a higher risk of pulmonary complications, but their short-term mortality rate is similar to patients who were able to stop smoking before surgery.. Their findings were published recently in the Journal of. American College of Surgeons
Pocket-sized population threat
June 10, 2026
The Financial Times took a deep dive into why populations around the world continue to be on the decline. The publication cited new University of Cincinnati research as part of the investigation that looks at the fall of fertility in the digital era.