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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell learned a supermarket was selling a new product collection that looked similar to items from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

She hurried to her closest outlet to pick up the supermarket face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the high-end 50ml item.

The sleek blue container and gold cap of both products look noticeably alike. Although she has never tried the luxury cream, she says she's satisfied by the product so far.

She has been using lookalike products from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for a long time, and she's in good company.

More than a fourth of UK buyers report they've bought a skincare or makeup dupe. This rises to nearly half among 18-34 year olds, as per a recent poll.

Alternatives are skincare products that copy established brands and offer budget-friendly options to high-end products. These products typically have alike names and packaging, but sometimes the ingredients can change considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Necessarily Better'

Beauty specialists argue some substitutes to premium brands are good standard and help make beauty routines more affordable.

"In my opinion costlier is always superior," says consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not every affordable skincare brand is poor - and not all luxury skincare product is the finest."

"Certain [dupes] are truly amazing," notes Scott McGlynn, who runs a podcast featuring famous people.

Many of the products inspired by high-end labels "run out so fast, it's just crazy," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry argues alternatives are fine to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and face washes.

"These products will be effective," he explains. "They will perform the fundamentals to a acceptable level."

A consultant dermatologist, suggests you can save money when seeking single-ingredient products like HA, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a single-ingredient product then you're likely going to be okay in using a lookalike or a product which is very low cost because there's very little that can be problematic," she adds.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Packaging'

But the experts also advise consumers investigate and note that costlier items are at times worth the premium price.

With high-end skincare, you're not just covering the name and marketing - often the increased cost also is due to the formula and their grade, the concentration of the effective element, the science employed to create the product, and trials into the products' performance, she says.

Facialist another professional suggests it's worth considering how some alternatives can be offered so inexpensively.

Occasionally, she states they could include less effective components that do not provide as many benefits for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as carefully selected.

"One major question mark is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she asks.

Expert Scott notes on occasion he's bought skincare items that look similar to a well-known label but the item has "no connection to the luxury product".

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

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Regarding advanced products or those with ingredients that can inflame the skin if they're not made properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, Dr Bhate recommends sticking to more specialised labels.

The expert explains these probably have been through comprehensive studies to assess how efficacious they are.

Skincare products must be assessed before they can be sold in the UK, says skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

If the label advertises about the efficacy of the product, it needs research to back it up, "but the manufacturer does not necessarily have to do the testing" and can instead reference evidence completed by other firms, she adds.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Container

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

Ingredients on the list of the tube are listed by quantity. "The baddies that you need to avoid… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up