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Rachael Parnell

After discovering one shopper found out a discounter was launching a recent product collection that appeared comparable to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

Rachael hurried to her closest store to purchase the store-brand face cream for a low price for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml product.

The sleek blue container and gold top of the two creams look noticeably alike. While Rachael has not used the high-end cream, she states she's pleased by the product so far.

Rachael has been using lookalike products from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for some time, and she's part of a trend.

More than a fourth of UK consumers report they've tried a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This increases to 44% among 18-34 year olds, as per a recently published survey.

Alternatives are skincare products that copy well-known companies and provide affordable options to high-end products. They frequently have similar labels and design, but sometimes the components can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Beauty professionals contend some substitutes to high-end labels are good quality and aid make beauty routines less expensive.

"I don't think costlier is invariably better," states skin specialist Sharon Belmo. "Not every budget product line is poor - and not all high-end beauty item is the top."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely impressive," says a skincare commentator, who presents a show featuring public figures.

A lot of of the products modeled on luxury brands "run out so fast, it's just insane," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor argues alternatives are acceptable to use for "fundamental products" like moisturisers and face washes.

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

A consultant dermatologist, suggests you can spend less when searching for single-ingredient products like HA, niacinamide and squalane.

"When you're buying a simple product then you're likely going to be alright in opting for a dupe or something which is quite inexpensive because there's not much that can go wrong," she adds.

'Do Not Be Influenced by the Packaging'

But the professionals also advise buyers do their research and state that more expensive items are sometimes worth the premium price.

Regarding luxury beauty products, you're not only funding the name and marketing - often the increased price also comes from the ingredients and their quality, the concentration of the active ingredient, the science utilized to develop the product, and studies into the products' efficacy, Dr Belmo explains.

Skin therapist another professional suggests it's important questioning how certain alternatives can be sold so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she states they might have bulking agents that lack as many benefits for the complexion, or the components might not be as well sourced.

"One key uncertainty is 'Why is it so low-priced?'" she says.

Podcast host McGlynn says sometimes he's bought skincare items that look comparable to a big-name brand but the actual formula has "no connection to the premium version".

"Do not be convinced by the packaging," he cautioned.

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Regarding advanced products or ones with components that can inflame the skin if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate suggests using research-backed brands.

She explains these typically have been through expensive tests to evaluate how efficacious they are.

Beauty products need to be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, notes skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

When the company makes claims about the effectiveness of the item, it must have evidence to verify it, "however the seller doesn't always have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively use testing completed by different brands, she adds.

Read the Ingredients List of the Pack

Is there any ingredients that could suggest a product is low-quality?

Ingredients on the label of the tube are listed by quantity. "Potential irritants that you need to avoid… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up