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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer learned a discounter was launching a fresh product collection that seemed similar to items from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

Rachael dashed to her nearest shop to buy the store-brand face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the high-end 50ml item.

The streamlined blue tube and gold cap of each products look strikingly alike. And though Rachael has not used the luxury cream, she states she's pleased by the dupe so far.

She has been purchasing skincare dupes from high street stores and grocery stores for some time, and she's in good company.

Over a 25% of UK buyers state they've bought a skincare or makeup alternative. This rises to nearly half among 18-34 year olds, as per a February study.

Dupes are beauty items that imitate well-known labels and present budget-friendly options to luxury items. These products often have comparable labels and design, but occasionally the ingredients can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Necessarily Better'

Skincare professionals say some dupes to luxury brands are good quality and assist make beauty routines cheaper.

"In my opinion costlier is invariably superior," comments skin specialist Sharon Belmo. "Not every low-budget skincare brand is poor - and not every high-end skincare product is the best."

"Certain [dupes] are really excellent," adds a skincare commentator, who runs a program featuring public figures.

A lot of of the items inspired by high-end brands "run out so quickly, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor believes dupes are fine to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Dupes will do the job," he explains. "They will perform the fundamentals to a satisfactory level."

A consultant dermatologist, suggests you can cut costs when searching for simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

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

'Do Not Be Influenced by the Box'

But the experts also advise shoppers investigate and state that higher-priced products are occasionally worthy of the premium price.

Regarding high-end skincare, you're not only funding the brand and advertising - sometimes the increased price also comes from the components and their standard, the concentration of the effective element, the research used to develop the item, and trials into the products' efficacy, Dr Belmo says.

Beauty expert she says it's valuable thinking about how certain alternatives can be priced so cheaply.

In some cases, she says they could contain filler ingredients that do not provide as significant positive effects for the complexion, or the materials might not be as carefully selected.

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

Commentator Scott admits in some cases he's purchased beauty products that look similar to a well-known label but the product itself has "no resemblance to the luxury product".

"Do not be convinced by the outer appearance," he cautioned.

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Regarding more complicated items or those with components that can inflame the skin if they're not made correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C, Dr Bhate suggests using more specialised brands.

She explains these typically have been through comprehensive studies to determine how effective they are.

Beauty products must be assessed before they can be marketed in the UK, notes consultant dermatologist another professional.

If the company states about the efficacy of the product, it requires evidence to support it, "but the seller does not necessarily have to conduct the testing" and can instead reference studies completed by different brands, she clarifies.

Read the Back of the Bottle

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

Components on the label of the tube are listed by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up