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Rachael Parnell

When one shopper learned a discounter was launching a new skincare range that looked similar to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

She dashed to her local shop to purchase the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 cost of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.

The streamlined blue packaging and gold lid of both items look remarkably similar. And though Rachael has not tested the premium cream, she claims she's pleased by the dupe so far.

She has been using lookalike products from popular shops and supermarkets for years, and she's not alone.

Over a 25% of UK consumers report they've purchased a skincare or makeup alternative. This rises to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, according to a recent poll.

Dupes are skincare products that imitate established brands and present budget-friendly substitutes to premium products. They often have comparable branding and containers, but sometimes the formulas can change considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Always Superior'

Beauty professionals argue certain substitutes to high-end brands are reasonable quality and aid make beauty routines cheaper.

"In my opinion higher-priced is always better," states dermatology expert one expert. "Not all budget beauty label is inferior - and not all high-end skincare product is the finest."

"A number of [dupes] are really amazing," notes Scott McGlynn, who hosts a podcast featuring famous people.

Numerous of the products based on luxury brands "disappear so fast, it's just unbelievable," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional argues dupes are fine to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Alternatives will do the job," he comments. "These items will handle the basics to a reasonable degree."

A consultant dermatologist, advises you can save money when you're looking for single-ingredient items like HA, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be fine in using a dupe or something which is fairly inexpensive because there's minimal that can be problematic," she explains.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Container'

Yet the experts also recommend shoppers do their research and note that more expensive products are at times worth the premium price.

With luxury skincare, you're not only covering the brand and advertising - sometimes the higher cost also stems from the components and their quality, the strength of the effective element, the science utilized to develop the product, and studies into the products' effectiveness, she says.

Skin therapist Rhian Truman says it's worth considering how certain alternatives can be sold so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she says they may have bulking agents that do not provide as significant benefits for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as carefully selected.

"One major question mark is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she asks.

Commentator Scott admits on occasion he's bought beauty products that look comparable to a established brand but the actual formula has "no connection to the luxury product".

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

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Regarding potent products or those with components that can irritate the skin if they're not formulated accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C, she suggests selecting more specialised labels.

She states these probably have been through costly tests to assess how successful they are.

Beauty products need to be evaluated before they can be available in the UK, explains consultant dermatologist another professional.

When the label states about the effectiveness of the item, it requires data to back it up, "however the brand doesn't necessarily have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively reference studies completed by other brands, she adds.

Check the Ingredients List of the Container

Is there any ingredients that could suggest a item 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, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up