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Rachael Parnell

When Rachael Parnell learned a discounter was selling a new product collection that looked akin to items from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper dashed to her closest outlet to purchase the supermarket face cream for a low price for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 of the high-end 50ml item.

The sleek blue packaging and gold lid of both creams look noticeably comparable. And though Rachael has not tested the luxury cream, she says she's satisfied by the alternative so far.

She has been using skincare dupes from popular shops and grocery stores for some time, and she's not alone.

Over a fourth of UK buyers say they've tried a skincare or makeup alternative. This jumps to 44% among younger adults, as per a recently published study.

Lookalikes are skincare products that copy bigger name labels and present cost-effective substitutes to luxury items. These products frequently have similar labels and design, but sometimes the formulas can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Beauty specialists contend many dupes to luxury labels are reasonable quality and aid make skincare less expensive.

"In my opinion higher-priced is invariably superior," comments dermatology expert one expert. "Not every affordable skincare brand is inferior - and not all premium beauty item is the top."

"Certain [dupes] are really impressive," adds Scott McGlynn, who runs a program about celebrities.

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

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert a doctor argues dupes are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Alternatives will be effective," he comments. "They will perform the essentials to a acceptable standard."

Ketaki Bhate, advises you can save money when you're looking for single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a single-ingredient product then you're probably going to be okay in opting for a budget alternative or something which is very inexpensive because there's minimal that can be problematic," she says.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Container'

Yet the specialists also advise buyers check details and note that higher-priced items are sometimes worthy of the premium price.

Regarding premium skincare, you're not just funding the label and advertising - sometimes the higher price also stems from the components and their standard, the concentration of the key component, the technology utilized to produce the product, and trials into the products' performance, the expert notes.

Facialist another professional says it's important considering how certain alternatives can be sold so cheaply.

Occasionally, she says they could contain less effective components that lack as many advantages for the complexion, or the materials might not be as carefully selected.

"The big doubt is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she remarks.

Expert Scott notes in some cases he's purchased beauty products that appear similar to a big-name label but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the luxury product".

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

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For advanced products or those with ingredients that can irritate the complexion if they're not made correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, the specialist suggests sticking to more specialised brands.

She states these will likely have been subjected to comprehensive trials to determine how successful they are.

Skincare products must be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, explains skin doctor another professional.

If the label advertises about the effectiveness of the item, it needs research to support it, "however the seller doesn't necessarily have to conduct the testing" and can instead cite testing completed by different brands, she adds.

Check the Back of the Bottle

Is there any components that could indicate a item is low-quality?

Components on the list of the container are ordered by amount. "Potential irritants that you should avoid… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up