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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer heard a supermarket was selling a new beauty line that appeared comparable to items from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

Rachael dashed to her local shop to buy the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml item.

Its sleek blue tube and gold lid of the two products look strikingly comparable. While Rachael has never tried the premium cream, she states she's satisfied by the product so far.

She has been buying beauty alternatives from popular shops and supermarkets for a long time, and she's part of a trend.

Over a 25% of UK buyers state they've bought a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This rises to 44% among 18-34 year olds, as per a February poll.

Lookalikes are beauty items that copy well-known labels and offer affordable alternatives to luxury products. They frequently have comparable labels and design, but in some cases the formulas can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Is Not Always Superior'

Skincare experts say some alternatives to high-end labels are decent standard and help make skincare more affordable.

"In my opinion costlier is invariably more effective," comments consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not every low-budget skincare brand is poor - and not every luxury skincare product is the best."

"Certain [dupes] are really excellent," says Scott McGlynn, who presents a program with public figures.

Many of the items inspired by high-end labels "disappear so quickly, it's just insane," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry believes alternatives are acceptable to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and face washes.

"Alternatives will do the job," he explains. "These items will perform the basics to a satisfactory level."

Another skin doctor, advises you can spend less when seeking single-ingredient products like HA, niacinamide and squalane.

"When you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be alright in opting for a budget alternative or a product which is very inexpensive because there's minimal that can go wrong," she says.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Container'

Yet the experts also suggest shoppers do their research and state that more expensive products are occasionally worth the additional cost.

Regarding high-end skincare, you're not just covering the name and advertising - often the higher price also comes from the ingredients and their quality, the strength of the active ingredient, the research used to produce the product, and tests into the item's performance, she says.

Skin therapist she says it's valuable thinking about how certain dupes can be offered so at a low cost.

In some cases, she says they might contain less effective components that don't have as many positive effects for the complexion, or the components might not be as carefully selected.

"The big doubt is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Commentator McGlynn notes in some cases he's bought beauty products that appear similar to a well-known brand but the item has "no resemblance to the luxury product".

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

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Regarding more complicated items or those with components that can inflame the skin if they're not created accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C, she recommends using research-backed brands.

She states these probably have been subjected to comprehensive studies to determine how successful they are.

Skincare products are required to be tested before they can be sold in the UK, says consultant dermatologist another professional.

When the company states about the efficacy of the product, it requires research to verify it, "however the seller doesn't necessarily have to do the testing" and can instead reference testing conducted by different companies, she adds.

Check the Back of the Bottle

Are there any components that could signal a item is poor?

Components on the list of the bottle are ordered by concentration. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up