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Rachael Parnell

After discovering a consumer heard a discounter was launching a fresh product collection that appeared comparable to offerings from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

Rachael rushed to her nearest shop to buy the store-brand face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the high-end 50ml item.

The smooth blue tube and gold cap of the two products look noticeably alike. Although Rachael has not tested the premium cream, she claims she's satisfied by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been buying skincare dupes from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for some time, and she's in good company.

Over a quarter of UK buyers say they've bought a skincare or makeup dupe. This jumps to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, according to a February poll.

Lookalikes are beauty items that mimic established brands and present cost-effective substitutes to high-end items. These products frequently have comparable branding and containers, but sometimes the formulas can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Always Superior'

Beauty specialists argue certain alternatives to high-end labels are good standard and help make skincare more affordable.

"In my opinion costlier is invariably better," comments dermatology expert Sharon Belmo. "Not every budget product line is poor - and not every premium skincare product is the best."

"Certain [dupes] are absolutely amazing," adds a skincare commentator, who presents a program about famous people.

Numerous of the products based on high-end brands "disappear so rapidly, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert another professional believes dupes are fine to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes.

"These products will do the job," he comments. "These items will do the fundamentals to a satisfactory level."

Ketaki Bhate, thinks you can spend less when searching for simple-formula items like HA, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a simple item then you're probably going to be okay in opting for a dupe or a product which is fairly affordable because there's minimal that can go wrong," she explains.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Container'

But the professionals also advise consumers investigate and say that more expensive products are sometimes worth the extra money.

Regarding high-end skincare, you're not just paying for the name and advertising - often the higher price tag also is due to the ingredients and their quality, the potency of the key component, the research employed to produce the item, and studies into the item's efficacy, the expert explains.

Facialist another professional says it's valuable thinking about how certain alternatives can be offered so cheaply.

Occasionally, she says they might contain bulking agents that lack as many advantages for the skin, or the materials might not be as well sourced.

"The major doubt is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she says.

Podcast host McGlynn admits on occasion he's bought skincare items that appear comparable to a established brand but the item has "no resemblance to the premium version".

"Don't be fooled by the outer appearance," he added.

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For advanced products or those with components that can inflame the complexion if they're not made correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate advises selecting medical-grade brands.

The expert explains these typically have been through comprehensive trials to determine how effective they are.

Skincare items need to be tested before they can be available in the UK, explains skin doctor another professional.

When the label advertises about the efficacy of the product, it must have evidence to back it up, "but the brand doesn't always have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively cite testing completed by other brands, she adds.

Read the Ingredients List of the Container

Is there any ingredients that could signal a item is low-quality?

Ingredients on the back of the tube are arranged by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to look out for… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up