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Rachael Parnell

After discovering Rachael Parnell found out a discounter was launching a recent product collection that seemed comparable to items from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

She rushed to her local outlet to buy the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml product.

The streamlined blue packaging and gold lid of each products look remarkably similar. Although Rachael has not tested the high-end cream, she says she's impressed by the product so far.

Rachael has been buying skincare dupes from popular shops and supermarkets for some time, and she's part of a trend.

More than a fourth of UK shoppers report they've tried a skincare or makeup lookalike. This rises to 44% among younger adults, based on a recent survey.

Dupes are beauty items that imitate established companies and provide affordable substitutes to premium products. They frequently have similar labels and design, but in some cases the formulas can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Skincare specialists say certain alternatives to premium brands are good quality and assist make beauty routines more affordable.

"It is not true that higher-priced is always superior," says consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not every low-budget skincare brand is inferior - and not every high-end skincare product is the best."

"A number of [dupes] are truly impressive," adds a skincare commentator, who runs a podcast about celebrities.

Many of the items modeled on luxury labels "disappear so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert Ross Perry believes alternatives are suitable to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and face washes.

"Dupes will be effective," he explains. "These items will do the basics to a satisfactory level."

Another skin doctor, advises you can cut costs when searching for simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're buying a simple product then you're likely going to be fine in opting for a budget alternative or something which is quite low cost because there's minimal that can cause issues," she says.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Packaging'

However the specialists also recommend buyers check details and note that higher-priced products are occasionally worth the premium price.

Regarding luxury beauty products, you're not just paying for the name and marketing - at times the elevated cost also is due to the formula and their standard, the concentration of the active ingredient, the science employed to create the item, and studies into the products' performance, the expert says.

Beauty expert she says it's important thinking about how some dupes can be priced so at a low cost.

In some cases, she states they could include filler ingredients that lack as numerous advantages for the complexion, or the materials might not be as well sourced.

"One key doubt is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she asks.

Commentator Scott notes on occasion he's purchased beauty products that appear comparable to a established brand but the product itself has "little similarity to the premium version".

"Do not be sold by the outer appearance," he warned.

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Regarding potent items or those with ingredients that can irritate the skin if they're not created properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, the specialist recommends sticking to more specialised companies.

The expert explains these probably have been through expensive tests to assess how effective they are.

Beauty products are required to be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, says consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

When the label states about the effectiveness of the item, it needs evidence to support it, "however the brand does not necessarily have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively cite studies conducted by other firms, she says.

Read the Back of the Bottle

Are there any ingredients that could suggest a product is low-quality?

Components on the list of the container are arranged by amount. "Potential irritants that you need to look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up