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Rachael Parnell

After discovering one shopper learned a supermarket was selling a recent beauty line that seemed akin to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper hurried to her closest shop to buy the store-brand face cream for a low price for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the luxury brand 50ml product.

The smooth blue tube and gold top of each creams look noticeably alike. And though Rachael has not used the luxury cream, she states she's satisfied by the dupe so far.

She has been buying lookalike products from popular shops and grocery stores for years, and she's part of a trend.

Over a 25% of UK buyers state they've tried a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This increases to 44 percent among younger adults, as per a recently published poll.

Dupes are beauty items that imitate bigger name companies and provide cost-effective alternatives to luxury items. They frequently have similar branding and containers, but sometimes the formulas can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Beauty experts say certain alternatives to luxury labels are decent quality and help make skincare more affordable.

"In my opinion more expensive is necessarily more effective," states consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not every affordable product line is bad - and not every high-end beauty item is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are really impressive," says Scott McGlynn, who hosts a show about celebrities.

A lot of of the products inspired by luxury brands "run out so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor believes alternatives are suitable to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he explains. "They will do the basics to a satisfactory level."

Another skin doctor, thinks you can cut costs when seeking simple-formula items like HA, niacinamide and squalane.

"When you're purchasing a simple item then you're probably going to be alright in using a lookalike or a product which is very affordable because there's minimal that can cause issues," she says.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Box'

But the specialists also recommend shoppers check details and say that higher-priced products are at times worthy of the extra money.

With high-end beauty products, you're not just funding the brand and advertising - at times the increased price also comes from the ingredients and their standard, the strength of the active ingredient, the science employed to produce the product, and tests into the products' efficacy, Dr Belmo explains.

Facialist she argues it's important questioning how certain dupes can be offered so cheaply.

In some cases, she states they might contain filler ingredients that lack as significant benefits for the complexion, or the materials might not be as carefully selected.

"One major uncertainty is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she remarks.

Podcast host McGlynn notes sometimes he's bought beauty products that appear similar to a well-known label but the item has "no resemblance to the premium version".

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

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Regarding more complicated items or ones with ingredients that can irritate the skin if they're not created properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, the specialist advises sticking to medical-grade companies.

She states these typically have been subjected to comprehensive trials to determine how effective they are.

Skincare items must be evaluated before they can be available in the UK, notes expert another professional.

When the company makes claims about the performance of the product, it must have research to verify it, "however the seller does not always have to perform the trials" and can instead use studies completed by other brands, she clarifies.

Examine the Label of the Bottle

Are there any ingredients that could signal a product is poor?

Ingredients on the list of the bottle are ordered by quantity. "Potential irritants that you need to look out for… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up