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Rachael Parnell

When Rachael Parnell found out a supermarket was selling a fresh product collection that seemed akin to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

She rushed to her nearest shop to purchase the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the luxury brand 50ml item.

Its sleek blue packaging and gold cap of the two items look remarkably alike. Although she has not tested the high-end cream, she claims she's satisfied by the dupe so far.

Rachael has been purchasing skincare dupes from popular shops and grocery stores for some time, and she's in good company.

More than a 25% of UK shoppers state they've purchased a skincare or makeup lookalike. This rises to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, according to a February poll.

Lookalikes are beauty items that copy established labels and present cost-effective alternatives to high-end items. They often have alike names and packaging, but in some cases the ingredients can change substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Always Better'

Skincare experts say many dupes to luxury labels are decent quality and aid make beauty routines more affordable.

"It is not true that costlier is invariably superior," says skin specialist a doctor. "Not all low-budget product line is bad - and not every luxury beauty item is the top."

"Some [dupes] are really amazing," says Scott McGlynn, who presents a program about famous people.

Many of the products inspired by high-end labels "disappear so fast, it's just unbelievable," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist another professional believes alternatives are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Alternatives will be effective," he says. "These items will perform the basics to a satisfactory standard."

A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can cut costs when seeking single-ingredient products like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a simple item then you're likely going to be okay in using a budget alternative or something which is very inexpensive because there's not much that can go wrong," she explains.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Box'

However the specialists also advise buyers investigate and note that higher-priced products are at times worthy of the premium price.

With premium beauty products, you're not just funding the brand and marketing - often the elevated price also is due to the ingredients and their standard, the concentration of the key component, the research utilized to produce the item, and studies into the products' effectiveness, the expert explains.

Skin therapist she says it's important considering how certain alternatives can be sold so inexpensively.

In some cases, she believes they might have less effective components that lack as numerous benefits for the complexion, or the components might not be as well sourced.

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

Commentator McGlynn notes in some cases he's bought beauty products that look similar to a well-known label but the item has "no resemblance to the premium version".

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

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Regarding more complicated products or ones with ingredients that can inflame the skin if they're not made correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate advises using more specialised brands.

The expert says these probably have been through expensive studies to assess how efficacious they are.

Beauty items need to be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, notes skin doctor another professional.

If the brand states about the effectiveness of the product, it requires data to verify it, "however the seller does not always have to do the trials" and can alternatively cite testing completed by other firms, she clarifies.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Pack

Are there any ingredients that could indicate a item is inferior?

Components on the list of the bottle are arranged by concentration. "Potential irritants that you should be wary of… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up