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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell heard a supermarket was selling a recent beauty line that looked similar to products from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

The shopper rushed to her local outlet to buy the store-brand face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 price tag of the high-end 50ml product.

The sleek blue packaging and gold cap of each items look noticeably comparable. And though Rachael has not used the high-end cream, she claims she's pleased by the product so far.

Rachael has been buying beauty alternatives from popular shops and supermarkets for years, and she's in good company.

Over a 25% of UK buyers report they've tried a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This jumps to 44 percent among younger adults, as per a recently published survey.

Lookalikes are beauty items that mimic bigger name companies and provide affordable substitutes to premium products. They often have alike labels and design, but sometimes the components can vary substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Necessarily Better'

Skincare specialists argue some alternatives to premium brands are good quality and help make beauty routines more affordable.

"It is not true that more expensive is necessarily superior," says skin specialist one expert. "Not all affordable skincare brand is poor - and not every high-end skincare product is the best."

"A number of [dupes] are truly amazing," says Scott McGlynn, who hosts a show about public figures.

Numerous of the products inspired by high-end labels "run out so quickly, it's just insane," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional thinks alternatives are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Dupes will serve a purpose," he comments. "These items will do the basics to a reasonable degree."

A consultant dermatologist, advises you can save money when seeking simple-formula items like HA, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a simple product then you're probably going to be alright in using a budget alternative or something which is quite inexpensive because there's minimal that can be problematic," she says.

'Do Not Be Influenced by the Box'

But the experts also advise buyers do their research and state that higher-priced products are at times worthy of the premium price.

With high-end skincare, you're not just paying for the name and advertising - at times the higher price also comes from the formula and their standard, the concentration of the effective element, the research employed to develop the item, and trials into the item's effectiveness, the expert says.

Facialist another professional suggests it's worth questioning how certain alternatives can be sold so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she states they could contain filler ingredients that lack as numerous advantages for the skin, or the materials might not be as well sourced.

"One big doubt is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she remarks.

Commentator McGlynn notes on occasion he's purchased beauty products that appear comparable to a established label but the item has "little similarity to the luxury product".

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

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Regarding more complicated items or ones with components that can aggravate the skin if they're not made correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, the specialist advises selecting medical-grade labels.

The expert explains these typically have been through costly tests to assess how efficacious they are.

Beauty products must be tested before they can be sold in the UK, explains consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

If the company states about the effectiveness of the item, it must have research to support it, "but the seller does not always have to perform the testing" and can alternatively reference evidence conducted by different companies, she adds.

Check the Label of the Pack

Is there any components that could indicate a item is poor?

Ingredients on the label of the container are listed by quantity. "Potential irritants that you need to look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up