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Rachael Parnell

When Rachael Parnell heard a discounter was offering a new skincare range that looked comparable to products from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

Rachael rushed to her local outlet to pick up the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream.

The smooth blue container and gold lid of both items look noticeably similar. And though Rachael has never tried the high-end cream, she claims she's pleased by the product so far.

Rachael has been purchasing beauty alternatives from high street stores and supermarkets for years, and she's in good company.

Over a fourth of UK buyers report they've bought a skincare or makeup dupe. This rises to 44% among younger adults, as per a recent study.

Lookalikes are skincare products that mimic bigger name companies and provide budget-friendly substitutes to high-end items. They typically have similar branding and containers, but in some cases the ingredients can vary substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Necessarily Better'

Beauty experts say many dupes to luxury brands are good quality and help make beauty routines more affordable.

"I don't think more expensive is invariably more effective," states consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not every affordable beauty label is inferior - and not all premium beauty item is the top."

"A number of [dupes] are truly amazing," notes a podcast host, who runs a show about celebrities.

Numerous of the items modeled on luxury brands "sell out so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist another professional believes dupes are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Dupes will do the job," he comments. "They will handle the essentials to a reasonable level."

A consultant dermatologist, advises you can save money when you're looking for simple-formula products like HA, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're purchasing a simple product then you're likely going to be okay in opting for a lookalike or something which is fairly inexpensive because there's minimal that can go wrong," she explains.

'Do Not Be Influenced by the Packaging'

However the professionals also suggest consumers check details and say that higher-priced items are sometimes worthy of the premium price.

With premium skincare, you're not only paying for the brand and advertising - often the elevated cost also stems from the components and their quality, the potency of the key component, the technology used to create the item, and tests into the products' performance, Dr Belmo explains.

Facialist Rhian Truman says it's valuable questioning how some alternatives can be priced so cheaply.

Sometimes, she says they could have bulking agents that do not provide as significant advantages for the complexion, or the components might not be as high-quality.

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

Commentator Scott says on occasion he's bought beauty products that appear comparable to a established label but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the luxury product".

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

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For advanced items or those with components that can aggravate the complexion if they're not made properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, Dr Bhate suggests using research-backed labels.

The expert states these probably have been through comprehensive trials to assess how effective they are.

Skincare products must be assessed before they can be available in the UK, says skin doctor another professional.

When the company states about the performance of the item, it requires research to support it, "however the seller doesn't always have to perform the testing" and can alternatively reference evidence done by different firms, she clarifies.

Examine the Back of the Container

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

Ingredients on the back of the tube are listed by amount. "Potential irritants that you should be wary of… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up