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Rachael Parnell

After discovering Rachael Parnell found out a supermarket was offering a new product collection that appeared comparable to items from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

Rachael hurried to her local outlet to purchase the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.

The streamlined blue container and gold top of each products look noticeably similar. And though she has not used the luxury cream, she claims she's impressed by the product so far.

She has been purchasing lookalike products from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for a long time, and she's in good company.

More than a quarter of UK buyers report they've purchased a skincare or makeup dupe. This jumps to nearly half among millennials and Gen Z, as per a February study.

Alternatives are skincare products that mimic bigger name labels and provide affordable alternatives to luxury products. They often have similar names and packaging, but sometimes the ingredients can differ considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Always Superior'

Beauty specialists contend some substitutes to luxury brands are good quality and aid make beauty routines more affordable.

"It is not true that more expensive is always better," says consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not all low-budget product line is inferior - and not all high-end beauty item is the finest."

"A number of [dupes] are absolutely excellent," says a skincare commentator, who presents a show with famous people.

Numerous of the items based on high-end labels "disappear so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry believes dupes are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and face washes.

"Dupes will do the job," he explains. "They will handle the fundamentals to a satisfactory standard."

A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can spend less when searching for single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"When you're purchasing a single-ingredient product then you're likely going to be fine in using a lookalike or something which is quite inexpensive because there's minimal that can be problematic," she says.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Container'

However the specialists also recommend buyers investigate and note that more expensive items are at times worth the additional cost.

With premium skincare, you're not only funding the name and marketing - often the increased price tag also stems from the formula and their standard, the potency of the effective element, the technology utilized to produce the item, and studies into the item's effectiveness, she says.

Facialist another professional suggests it's worth questioning how some alternatives can be priced so inexpensively.

Sometimes, she states they could contain bulking agents that lack as significant positive effects for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as carefully selected.

"The key doubt is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Podcast host McGlynn notes sometimes he's purchased beauty products that appear comparable to a established brand but the product itself has "no resemblance to the original".

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

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Regarding potent products or those with ingredients that can aggravate the complexion if they're not created correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate advises selecting research-backed brands.

She explains these will likely have been subjected to expensive trials to evaluate how efficacious they are.

Skincare items must be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, notes expert another professional.

When the company advertises about the efficacy of the item, it must have research to support it, "however the seller does not necessarily have to perform the trials" and can alternatively use evidence completed by different companies, she says.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Container

Are there any components that could suggest a item is inferior?

Components on the list of the container are ordered by quantity. "The baddies that you should look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up