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Rachael Parnell

After discovering a consumer heard a supermarket was selling a fresh skincare range that looked similar to offerings from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

Rachael rushed to her local store to buy the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the high-end 50ml cream.

The smooth blue tube and gold top of the two products look strikingly alike. And though Rachael has never tried the luxury cream, she states she's impressed by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been buying beauty alternatives from popular shops and supermarkets for a long time, and she's part of a trend.

More than a 25% of UK shoppers state they've bought a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This rises to 44% among younger adults, based on a recent study.

Alternatives are beauty items that mimic established brands and offer budget-friendly options to luxury items. They often have comparable labels and design, but sometimes the components can change considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Skincare experts argue some substitutes to premium brands are good standard and help make skincare more affordable.

"It is not true that costlier is always superior," states skin specialist a doctor. "Not every affordable beauty label is bad - and not every high-end skincare product is the best."

"A number of [dupes] are really impressive," notes a skincare commentator, who runs a show featuring famous people.

Numerous of the products inspired by high-end labels "disappear so rapidly, it's just insane," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor thinks alternatives are suitable to use for "fundamental products" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Alternatives will do the job," he explains. "They will perform the essentials to a acceptable level."

Another skin doctor, advises you can spend less when seeking simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"When you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be alright in using a dupe or something which is very affordable because there's minimal that can go wrong," she says.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Packaging'

But the specialists also advise consumers do their research and say that costlier products are at times worthy of the premium price.

Regarding high-end skincare, you're not just funding the name and promotion - sometimes the higher price also is due to the components and their grade, the concentration of the effective element, the science employed to produce the item, and studies into the products' effectiveness, Dr Belmo explains.

Beauty expert another professional says it's important questioning how certain alternatives can be sold so inexpensively.

Occasionally, she states they may include filler ingredients that don't have as numerous benefits for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as carefully selected.

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

Commentator McGlynn admits on occasion he's bought skincare items that appear comparable to a established brand but the product itself has "no resemblance to the luxury product".

"Do not be convinced by the packaging," he cautioned.

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Regarding potent products or ones with ingredients that can irritate the skin if they're not created correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate advises selecting medical-grade labels.

The expert explains these probably have been subjected to costly trials to assess how successful they are.

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

When the company states about the effectiveness of the item, it must have data to back it up, "however the seller doesn't necessarily have to do the testing" and can instead use testing completed by other brands, she says.

Read the Label of the Bottle

Are there any ingredients that could indicate a item is low-quality?

Components on the list of the tube are arranged by concentration. "Potential irritants that you need to look out for… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up