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Rachael Parnell

After discovering a consumer heard a supermarket was launching a recent beauty line that seemed similar to items from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

She rushed to her closest outlet to pick up the supermarket face cream for a low price for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 price tag of the luxury brand 50ml item.

Its smooth blue packaging and gold top of the two creams look noticeably similar. And though she has not tested the high-end cream, she says she's impressed by the product so far.

Rachael has been buying skincare dupes from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for a long time, and she's not alone.

More than a fourth of UK shoppers report they've bought a beauty or cosmetic alternative. This increases to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, according to a February study.

Lookalikes are beauty items that imitate bigger name companies and present budget-friendly alternatives to premium products. They often have comparable labels and design, but in some cases the formulas can differ substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Always Superior'

Beauty specialists say some substitutes to luxury brands are good standard and assist make skincare less expensive.

"It is not true that costlier is invariably superior," states skin specialist a doctor. "Not every budget skincare brand is bad - and not every luxury beauty item is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are really excellent," notes a podcast host, who runs a podcast about celebrities.

A lot of of the items inspired by high-end brands "run out so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert Ross Perry thinks dupes are fine to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Dupes will be effective," he says. "They will handle the basics to a satisfactory level."

Another skin doctor, advises you can save money when you're looking for simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're purchasing a simple item then you're likely going to be fine in using a lookalike or a product which is fairly affordable because there's very little that can be problematic," she explains.

'Do Not Be Influenced by the Packaging'

Yet the experts also recommend shoppers do their research and note that costlier items are sometimes worth the extra money.

Regarding premium skincare, you're not only paying for the label and marketing - often the increased cost also is due to the components and their grade, the strength of the active ingredient, the research employed to produce the item, and trials into the products' efficacy, Dr Belmo explains.

Beauty expert Rhian Truman argues it's important considering how certain alternatives can be sold so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she believes they might have filler ingredients that don't have as many positive effects for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as high-quality.

"One big uncertainty is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she says.

Commentator Scott admits on occasion he's purchased skincare items that look comparable to a big-name brand but the actual formula has "no connection to the premium version".

"Do not be fooled by the outer appearance," he added.

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Regarding potent products or ones with ingredients that can aggravate the complexion if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, she advises using medical-grade companies.

The expert says these probably have been through costly tests to evaluate how efficacious they are.

Beauty products must be assessed before they can be sold in the UK, explains consultant dermatologist another professional.

When the label advertises about the performance of the product, it requires data to verify it, "but the seller doesn't always have to perform the trials" and can alternatively use studies done by different companies, she says.

Examine the Back of the Container

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

Components on the list of the bottle are arranged by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you should look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up