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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer learned a supermarket was selling a new skincare range that appeared comparable to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

She dashed to her closest store to buy the supermarket face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 cost of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.

The sleek blue tube and gold top of both items look remarkably alike. Although Rachael has never tried the high-end cream, she states she's impressed by the product so far.

Rachael has been purchasing lookalike products from popular shops and grocery stores for a long time, and she's part of a trend.

More than a quarter of UK shoppers report they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This jumps to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, based on a recently published survey.

Lookalikes are beauty items that mimic bigger name labels and present budget-friendly options to luxury items. These products often have alike names and packaging, but occasionally the components can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Always Better'

Skincare specialists say some dupes to high-end brands are good standard and aid make skincare more affordable.

"In my opinion more expensive is necessarily superior," comments consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not all low-budget product line is bad - and not every high-end beauty item is the best."

"A number of [dupes] are truly excellent," adds Scott McGlynn, who hosts a program featuring famous people.

A lot of of the products modeled on high-end labels "sell out so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor argues dupes are fine to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and face washes.

"Dupes will do the job," he says. "They will perform the fundamentals to a satisfactory standard."

A consultant dermatologist, suggests you can cut costs when seeking simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a simple product then you're probably going to be fine in opting for a budget alternative or something which is fairly inexpensive because there's not much that can cause issues," she explains.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Packaging'

However the experts also suggest shoppers check details and note that higher-priced products are at times worthy of the additional cost.

With luxury skincare, you're not just covering the label and marketing - at times the elevated price tag also stems from the formula and their grade, the concentration of the effective element, the technology employed to develop the item, and studies into the products' performance, she says.

Facialist another professional argues it's valuable questioning how some alternatives can be offered so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she believes they may include less effective components that do not provide as significant positive effects for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as carefully selected.

"The major uncertainty is 'How is it so cheap?'" she says.

Expert McGlynn says on occasion he's bought skincare items that appear comparable to a established brand but the actual formula has "no connection to the premium version".

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

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Regarding more complicated items or those with components that can aggravate the complexion if they're not created correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C, she recommends sticking to more specialised labels.

She explains these typically have been through costly trials to evaluate how efficacious they are.

Beauty items need to be assessed before they can be marketed in the UK, explains consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

If the company makes claims about the effectiveness of the item, it must have research to verify it, "but the manufacturer does not necessarily have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively cite studies completed by other brands, she clarifies.

Check the Ingredients List of the Container

Are there any ingredients that could suggest a product is inferior?

Components on the back of the bottle are ordered by concentration. "Potential irritants that you want to look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up