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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer learned a supermarket was launching a fresh product collection that looked comparable to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

She dashed to her local shop to buy the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml item.

The streamlined blue container and gold top of both creams look strikingly alike. Although she has never tried the premium cream, she says she's satisfied by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been buying beauty alternatives from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for some time, and she's not alone.

More than a 25% of UK shoppers say they've bought a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This increases to nearly half among 18-34 year olds, as per a February study.

Dupes are skincare products that imitate well-known companies and offer budget-friendly alternatives to luxury items. They often have alike branding and containers, but sometimes the formulas can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Is Not Always Superior'

Beauty experts argue many dupes to luxury brands are decent standard and aid make skincare less expensive.

"I don't think more expensive is always better," says dermatology expert Sharon Belmo. "Not all affordable beauty label is inferior - and not every premium skincare product is the finest."

"Certain [dupes] are really amazing," notes a podcast host, who runs a show about public figures.

A lot of of the items inspired by luxury labels "run out so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist Ross Perry argues alternatives are fine to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Dupes will serve a purpose," he comments. "They will handle the fundamentals to a acceptable degree."

A consultant dermatologist, suggests you can cut costs when searching for single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're buying a simple item then you're probably going to be okay in opting for a dupe or something which is quite inexpensive because there's not much that can be problematic," she adds.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Packaging'

But the professionals also suggest buyers investigate and state that higher-priced products are occasionally worth the premium price.

Regarding high-end beauty products, you're not only funding the name and advertising - at times the increased price tag also stems from the formula and their quality, the concentration of the active ingredient, the technology used to produce the product, and studies into the products' effectiveness, she explains.

Beauty expert Rhian Truman suggests it's important considering how some dupes can be offered so cheaply.

Occasionally, she states they might contain bulking agents that don't have as significant benefits for the skin, or the components might not be as high-quality.

"The major uncertainty is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she says.

Podcast host Scott says in some cases he's purchased skincare items that look comparable to a big-name brand but the actual formula has "no connection to the original".

"Do not be sold by the container," he cautioned.

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For advanced items or those with components that can irritate the skin if they're not formulated properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, she advises selecting medical-grade labels.

She explains these will likely have been subjected to comprehensive trials to evaluate how effective they are.

Beauty items must be evaluated before they can be available in the UK, notes skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

When the label states about the performance of the item, it requires research to back it up, "however the brand does not necessarily have to perform the testing" and can alternatively use evidence conducted by different companies, she says.

Check the Label of the Pack

Is there any components that could suggest a item is poor?

Components on the label of the bottle are ordered by quantity. "The baddies that you want to avoid… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up