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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing one shopper found out a supermarket was selling a new product collection that appeared comparable to offerings from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

She hurried to her local outlet to buy the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 price tag of the high-end 50ml item.

Its sleek blue tube and gold cap of both products look strikingly comparable. Although she has not tested the high-end cream, she says she's satisfied by the product so far.

Rachael has been purchasing skincare dupes from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for a long time, and she's part of a trend.

Over a fourth of UK buyers state they've tried a skincare or makeup alternative. This jumps to 44 percent among younger adults, as per a recent poll.

Dupes are skincare products that imitate bigger name labels and offer cost-effective alternatives to luxury items. They often have similar labels and design, but occasionally the ingredients can change substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Is Not Always Better'

Skincare experts contend certain alternatives to high-end brands are good quality and assist make beauty routines cheaper.

"I don't think higher-priced is always superior," states dermatology expert a doctor. "Not all low-budget beauty label is poor - and not all premium skincare product is the finest."

"Certain [dupes] are really impressive," says Scott McGlynn, who presents a show with famous people.

Many of the products inspired by high-end brands "disappear so quickly, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert a doctor believes alternatives are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Alternatives will do the job," he explains. "They will handle the basics to a reasonable level."

Another skin doctor, advises you can save money when you're looking for simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"When you're buying a single-ingredient product then you're probably going to be alright in opting for a dupe or something which is very inexpensive because there's very little that can be problematic," she explains.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Packaging'

But the professionals also suggest shoppers investigate and note that costlier products are at times worth the premium price.

Regarding premium skincare, you're not only paying for the name and promotion - sometimes the increased price also comes from the ingredients and their grade, the potency of the active ingredient, the technology employed to create the item, and trials into the item's performance, the expert explains.

Beauty expert Rhian Truman says it's important thinking about how some alternatives can be offered so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she says they could contain bulking agents that do not provide as significant advantages for the skin, or the materials might not be as well sourced.

"One key uncertainty is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she says.

Podcast host Scott notes on occasion he's bought beauty products that look comparable to a established brand but the product itself has "no connection to the premium version".

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

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Regarding more complicated items or those with components that can aggravate the complexion if they're not formulated properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, the specialist advises sticking to research-backed companies.

The expert states these probably have been subjected to comprehensive trials to determine how successful they are.

Beauty products must be assessed before they can be sold in the UK, says skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

If the company advertises about the effectiveness of the item, it needs evidence to verify it, "however the manufacturer doesn't always have to do the trials" and can alternatively use testing done by other firms, she clarifies.

Read the Label of the Bottle

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

Components on the label of the container are arranged by concentration. "Potential irritants that you should be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up