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Rachael Parnell

When a consumer learned a discounter was offering a fresh beauty line that looked similar to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

Rachael hurried to her local outlet to pick up the Lacura face cream for a low price for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 cost of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.

Its sleek blue tube and gold cap of the two creams look noticeably comparable. While she has not tested the luxury cream, she claims she's pleased by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been using lookalike products from popular shops and supermarkets for years, and she's part of a trend.

Over a quarter of UK buyers state they've tried a skincare or makeup dupe. This rises to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, based on a recent survey.

Lookalikes are skincare products that copy well-known brands and present affordable substitutes to premium items. These products often have alike labels and design, but in some cases the components can change substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Beauty experts argue some dupes to high-end brands are good quality and assist make skincare more affordable.

"It is not true that higher-priced is always more effective," says dermatology expert Sharon Belmo. "Not every budget skincare brand is poor - and not every high-end beauty item is the top."

"Certain [dupes] are really impressive," adds Scott McGlynn, who presents a podcast with celebrities.

A lot of of the products inspired by luxury brands "run out so fast, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist a doctor argues dupes are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he comments. "They will handle the essentials to a acceptable level."

Another skin doctor, thinks you can spend less when seeking single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're buying a simple item then you're likely going to be alright in opting for a budget alternative or a product which is fairly low cost because there's minimal that can go wrong," she explains.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Box'

However the specialists also advise shoppers do their research and say that more expensive items are at times worth the extra money.

With luxury skincare, you're not just paying for the brand and promotion - often the elevated cost also stems from the components and their quality, the concentration of the key component, the science utilized to produce the product, and studies into the item's efficacy, she notes.

Facialist Rhian Truman suggests it's important considering how some dupes can be priced so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she says they might include filler ingredients that don't have as many positive effects for the skin, or the ingredients might not be as well sourced.

"The big doubt is 'Why is it so low-priced?'" she asks.

Expert McGlynn says sometimes he's bought beauty products that look similar to a well-known brand but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the luxury product".

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

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Regarding advanced items or ones with ingredients that can aggravate the complexion if they're not created accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate recommends sticking to more specialised companies.

She explains these typically have been through comprehensive studies to determine how successful they are.

Beauty products must be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, notes expert another professional.

When the brand advertises about the efficacy of the product, it must have research to verify it, "but the brand doesn't necessarily have to do the trials" and can alternatively reference studies conducted by different firms, she clarifies.

Check the Ingredients List of the Bottle

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

Components on the label of the tube are ordered by amount. "The baddies that you need to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up