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Rachael Parnell

When one shopper heard a discounter was selling a recent product collection that seemed similar to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

Rachael dashed to her local store to buy the Lacura face cream for a low price for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the high-end 50ml item.

The streamlined blue tube and gold top of both items look strikingly similar. And though she has not used the high-end cream, she says she's pleased by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been using lookalike products from popular shops and supermarkets for some time, and she's in good company.

Over a quarter of UK shoppers report they've bought a skincare or makeup alternative. This rises to 44 percent among younger adults, according to a February survey.

Alternatives are skincare products that copy well-known companies and provide cost-effective options to luxury items. They often have similar labels and design, but occasionally the ingredients can differ substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Necessarily Better'

Skincare experts contend some alternatives to luxury brands are reasonable standard and aid make beauty routines more affordable.

"It is not true that costlier is necessarily better," states consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not every budget skincare brand is inferior - and not all luxury skincare product is the top."

"A number of [dupes] are absolutely excellent," says a podcast host, who presents a program with public figures.

A lot of of the products modeled on luxury labels "disappear so quickly, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry argues alternatives are suitable to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and cleansers.

"These products will do the job," he comments. "These items will do the fundamentals to a reasonable degree."

A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can spend less when you're looking for single-ingredient products like HA, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be fine in using a dupe or something which is quite affordable because there's very little that can be problematic," she says.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Box'

However the specialists also advise buyers investigate and state that more expensive products are at times worth the extra money.

With high-end skincare, you're not just funding the label and marketing - sometimes the increased price tag also stems from the components and their quality, the concentration of the key component, the science used to develop the item, and trials into the item's efficacy, Dr Belmo notes.

Skin therapist she suggests it's worth questioning how certain dupes can be offered so cheaply.

Sometimes, she believes they may contain less effective components that lack as numerous advantages for the skin, or the components might not be as high-quality.

"One big doubt is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she says.

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

"Don't be sold by the packaging," he added.

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Regarding potent products or ones with ingredients that can irritate the complexion if they're not created correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, Dr Bhate suggests sticking to more specialised labels.

The expert says these probably have been subjected to comprehensive tests to determine how efficacious they are.

Skincare products must be assessed before they can be sold in the UK, notes consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

When the company advertises about the performance of the product, it requires evidence to verify it, "however the seller doesn't necessarily have to perform the testing" and can alternatively cite studies done by different companies, she adds.

Check the Back of the Bottle

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

Ingredients on the list of the tube are ordered by quantity. "Potential irritants that you need to look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up