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Rachael Parnell

When one shopper found out a discounter was launching a new beauty line that appeared comparable to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

She rushed to her closest shop to purchase the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the high-end 50ml cream.

The sleek blue tube and gold top of each items look strikingly comparable. While Rachael has not used the high-end cream, she says she's impressed by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been buying skincare dupes from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for some time, and she's in good company.

More than a fourth of UK buyers state they've bought a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This rises to 44 percent among younger adults, according to a February poll.

Lookalikes are skincare products that copy established companies and provide affordable alternatives to premium products. These products often have alike branding and containers, but in some cases the components can change substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Beauty professionals contend some alternatives to luxury labels are reasonable quality and assist make skincare less expensive.

"In my opinion more expensive is invariably superior," says consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not all low-budget skincare brand is poor - and not every high-end beauty item is the top."

"Certain [dupes] are really amazing," notes a skincare commentator, who runs a podcast featuring celebrities.

A lot of of the items modeled on high-end brands "run out so quickly, it's just insane," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert another professional believes dupes are fine to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and face washes.

"These products will serve a purpose," he comments. "They will handle the essentials to a reasonable level."

A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can spend less when you're looking for simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a single-ingredient product then you're likely going to be alright in using a budget alternative or something which is very affordable because there's very little that can be problematic," she adds.

'Don't Be Sold by the Container'

However the professionals also suggest shoppers investigate and say that costlier items are occasionally worth the premium price.

Regarding premium skincare, you're not just funding the label and advertising - at times the elevated price tag also comes from the formula and their quality, the strength of the active ingredient, the research utilized to develop the item, and tests into the products' performance, Dr Belmo notes.

Skin therapist Rhian Truman argues it's worth considering how certain dupes can be priced so cheaply.

Occasionally, she says they may include bulking agents that don't have as significant advantages for the complexion, or the materials might not be as high-quality.

"The big uncertainty is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she remarks.

Podcast host McGlynn says sometimes he's bought beauty products that appear comparable to a big-name brand but the product itself has "little similarity to the original".

"Don't be sold by the container," he added.

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For potent items or ones with ingredients that can aggravate the complexion if they're not created accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate suggests selecting research-backed companies.

She explains these typically have been through costly studies to determine how successful they are.

Skincare items need to be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, explains expert another professional.

If the brand advertises about the efficacy of the product, it needs research to support it, "however the manufacturer doesn't necessarily have to conduct the testing" and can instead cite evidence completed by other firms, she clarifies.

Examine the Label of the Pack

Are there any components that could suggest a product is inferior?

Components on the back of the container are ordered by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you should look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up