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Rachael Parnell

After discovering Rachael Parnell learned a discounter was launching a fresh product collection that appeared akin to products from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper dashed to her local outlet to buy the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.

Its smooth blue tube and gold top of both creams look strikingly similar. While Rachael has not tested the luxury cream, she claims she's pleased by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been purchasing lookalike products from popular shops and supermarkets for years, and she's in good company.

More than a quarter of UK shoppers say they've tried a skincare or makeup dupe. This increases to 44% among younger adults, as per a recently published study.

Lookalikes are skincare products that imitate established labels and present affordable options to high-end products. These products typically have alike labels and design, but occasionally the components can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Skincare professionals say some alternatives to premium brands are decent quality and assist make beauty routines less expensive.

"In my opinion more expensive is necessarily superior," says skin specialist Sharon Belmo. "Not all low-budget product line is inferior - and not every high-end skincare product is the top."

"Certain [dupes] are truly amazing," adds a podcast host, who runs a podcast featuring celebrities.

A lot of of the items inspired by high-end brands "sell out so quickly, it's just insane," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional thinks alternatives are fine to use for "fundamental products" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he comments. "They will perform the essentials to a acceptable standard."

A consultant dermatologist, advises you can spend less when searching for single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"When you're buying a simple item then you're probably going to be alright in opting for a dupe or a product which is fairly low cost because there's minimal that can be problematic," she adds.

'Don't Be Sold by the Packaging'

But the specialists also advise consumers investigate and note that costlier products are occasionally worthy of the additional cost.

With high-end beauty products, you're not only funding the label and promotion - often the elevated price also stems from the formula and their grade, the potency of the key component, the research employed to create the item, and studies into the products' effectiveness, the expert says.

Skin therapist another professional argues it's important considering how certain dupes can be priced so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she states they may contain bulking agents that don't have as many advantages for the skin, or the components might not be as carefully selected.

"One big question mark is 'How is it so cheap?'" she says.

Expert McGlynn says in some cases he's purchased skincare items that look comparable to a established label but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the premium version".

"Do not be sold by the packaging," he warned.

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Regarding more complicated items or ones with components that can inflame the skin if they're not formulated accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C, the specialist recommends using research-backed companies.

She explains these will likely have been subjected to costly studies to evaluate how effective they are.

Beauty items must be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, notes skin doctor another professional.

When the label makes claims about the effectiveness of the item, it needs evidence to support it, "however the seller doesn't always have to do the testing" and can alternatively reference testing conducted by other brands, she clarifies.

Check the Back of the Container

Is there any ingredients that could suggest a product is inferior?

Components on the back of the bottle are listed by amount. "Potential irritants that you should avoid… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up