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Rachael Parnell

After discovering Rachael Parnell found out a supermarket was offering a recent product collection that looked similar to products from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

Rachael hurried to her nearest outlet to pick up the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the luxury brand 50ml product.

The smooth blue tube and gold cap of each items look remarkably comparable. While Rachael has never tried the luxury cream, she says she's impressed by the product so far.

She has been purchasing skincare dupes from popular shops and grocery stores for some time, and she's not alone.

Over a quarter of UK shoppers state they've bought a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This increases to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, according to a February study.

Alternatives are beauty items that mimic well-known labels and offer affordable alternatives to premium products. They typically have alike labels and design, but sometimes the ingredients can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Always Superior'

Beauty specialists say some substitutes to high-end labels are decent standard and assist make skincare more affordable.

"I don't think higher-priced is invariably more effective," states dermatology expert one expert. "Not every low-budget skincare brand is bad - and not all luxury skincare product is the top."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely excellent," adds Scott McGlynn, who runs a show with famous people.

Many of the items modeled on high-end brands "sell out so rapidly, it's just crazy," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional believes alternatives are acceptable to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and face washes.

"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he explains. "They will do the essentials to a satisfactory degree."

Another skin doctor, suggests you can cut costs when searching for single-ingredient products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a simple item then you're likely going to be okay in using a budget alternative or a product which is fairly low cost because there's very little that can be problematic," she explains.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Container'

But the specialists also advise buyers check details and note that higher-priced products are occasionally worthy of the extra money.

With high-end beauty products, you're not only paying for the brand and promotion - sometimes the elevated price also is due to the ingredients and their grade, the strength of the key component, the technology used to produce the product, and studies into the products' performance, Dr Belmo notes.

Beauty expert another professional says it's important considering how certain dupes can be priced so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she believes they might contain bulking agents that don't have as significant advantages for the complexion, or the components might not be as carefully selected.

"One major uncertainty is 'Why is it so low-priced?'" she asks.

Expert Scott admits in some cases he's bought skincare items that look similar to a big-name label but the item has "no resemblance to the luxury product".

"Don't be fooled by the packaging," he warned.

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For potent products or ones with ingredients that can aggravate the complexion if they're not made correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, she suggests sticking to more specialised brands.

She states these typically have been subjected to expensive trials to evaluate how successful they are.

Beauty items need to be tested before they can be available in the UK, notes consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

If the company states about the effectiveness of the item, it needs research to verify it, "however the brand doesn't always have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively use testing conducted by other firms, she clarifies.

Check the Label of the Pack

Is there any components that could suggest a product is poor?

Components on the label of the tube are ordered by concentration. "Potential irritants that you need to look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up