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Rachael Parnell

After discovering Rachael Parnell learned a discounter was offering a fresh beauty line that looked akin to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

She hurried to her local store to buy the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 price tag of the high-end 50ml cream.

Its smooth blue container and gold top of each products look remarkably alike. And though she has not tested the premium cream, she states she's impressed by the dupe so far.

She has been using lookalike products from high street stores and supermarkets for a long time, and she's not alone.

Over a fourth of UK buyers state they've tried a skincare or makeup dupe. This rises to 44% among younger adults, according to a recent survey.

Lookalikes are skincare products that copy established brands and offer affordable substitutes to high-end items. These products frequently have similar names and packaging, but occasionally the components can differ substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Beauty specialists say many dupes to high-end brands are reasonable quality and aid make beauty routines less expensive.

"It is not true that more expensive is invariably superior," states consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not every low-budget skincare brand is poor - and not every high-end skincare product is the best."

"A number of [dupes] are absolutely excellent," adds a podcast host, who runs a podcast with famous people.

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

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional thinks dupes are suitable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he says. "These items will handle the fundamentals to a acceptable degree."

A consultant dermatologist, suggests you can cut costs when you're looking for simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a simple item then you're probably going to be okay in opting for a dupe or something which is very low cost because there's not much that can be problematic," she explains.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Container'

However the experts also advise buyers investigate and note that more expensive products are at times worthy of the additional cost.

Regarding premium beauty products, you're not only funding the brand and promotion - at times the higher price also is due to the components and their quality, the strength of the key component, the science used to produce the item, and trials into the item's efficacy, the expert notes.

Facialist she says it's important considering how certain alternatives can be sold so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she believes they may contain bulking agents that don't have as numerous advantages for the complexion, or the components might not be as carefully selected.

"One major doubt is 'Why is it so low-priced?'" she says.

Podcast host McGlynn notes on occasion he's purchased skincare items that appear comparable to a well-known label but the item has "little similarity to the premium version".

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

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Regarding advanced products or those with components that can inflame the skin if they're not created properly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, the specialist suggests using more specialised brands.

She explains these probably have been subjected to expensive trials to assess how efficacious they are.

Beauty items must be tested before they can be available in the UK, notes skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

If the label states about the effectiveness of the item, it requires research to verify it, "but the manufacturer doesn't always have to perform the testing" and can instead use evidence conducted by other brands, she clarifies.

Examine the Back of the Bottle

Is there any ingredients that could signal a item is inferior?

Ingredients on the list of the bottle are arranged by concentration. "The baddies that you want to look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up