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Rachael Parnell

After discovering Rachael Parnell found out a supermarket was selling a fresh skincare range that appeared comparable to items from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper hurried to her local outlet to buy the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 of the high-end 50ml item.

The smooth blue tube and gold lid of each creams look strikingly alike. And though Rachael has not used the luxury cream, she says she's satisfied by the product so far.

Rachael has been buying beauty alternatives from popular shops and grocery stores for years, and she's part of a trend.

More than a 25% of UK consumers report they've purchased a skincare or makeup dupe. This jumps to 44% among 18-34 year olds, as per a recent survey.

Alternatives are beauty items that imitate established labels and offer affordable alternatives to luxury items. These products frequently have alike labels and design, but in some cases the ingredients can vary substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Always Better'

Skincare experts contend some dupes to premium brands are good standard and aid make skincare more affordable.

"I don't think higher-priced is invariably more effective," says consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not all affordable skincare brand is inferior - and not all high-end beauty item is the finest."

"A number of [dupes] are absolutely amazing," adds a skincare commentator, who hosts a podcast featuring public figures.

Many of the products inspired by high-end brands "run out so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist Ross Perry argues alternatives are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes.

"These products will do the job," he explains. "These items will perform the essentials to a acceptable level."

Ketaki Bhate, suggests you can save money when seeking single-ingredient products like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a simple item then you're probably going to be okay in using a lookalike or a product which is quite inexpensive because there's not much that can be problematic," she explains.

'Do Not Be Influenced by the Box'

Yet the specialists also recommend buyers do their research and state that more expensive items are occasionally worth the additional cost.

Regarding luxury beauty products, you're not just funding the brand and advertising - sometimes the higher price tag also is due to the ingredients and their standard, the strength of the key component, the research used to create the item, and trials into the item's efficacy, Dr Belmo notes.

Facialist she suggests it's worth thinking about how certain alternatives can be priced so at a low cost.

In some cases, she believes they may include filler ingredients that do not provide as many advantages for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as well sourced.

"One major question mark is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she remarks.

Commentator Scott admits on occasion he's bought skincare items that look comparable to a established brand but the item has "no resemblance to the premium version".

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

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Regarding potent items or ones with components that can aggravate the skin if they're not formulated properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, she advises selecting research-backed labels.

She explains these typically have been subjected to costly tests to assess how effective they are.

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

If the label advertises about the performance of the product, it must have research to verify it, "but the manufacturer does not necessarily have to perform the testing" and can instead cite evidence completed by other firms, she says.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Bottle

Are there any ingredients that could suggest a product is inferior?

Components on the back of the container are ordered by quantity. "Potential irritants that you need to look out for… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up