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Rachael Parnell

When one shopper heard a supermarket was selling a fresh product collection that seemed similar to offerings from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

Rachael dashed to her nearest shop to buy the store-brand face cream for a low price for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 price tag of the high-end 50ml product.

Its smooth blue packaging and gold cap of each creams look noticeably similar. And though Rachael has not tested the high-end cream, she claims she's pleased by the alternative so far.

She has been buying lookalike products from popular shops and supermarkets for some time, and she's not alone.

More than a 25% of UK consumers say they've bought a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This rises to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, as per a recently published survey.

Alternatives are skincare products that copy well-known companies and provide affordable substitutes to high-end products. They often have similar branding and containers, but in some cases the formulas can change significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Skincare professionals argue certain dupes to luxury labels are good quality and aid make skincare cheaper.

"I don't think more expensive is always superior," comments consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not all low-budget product line is bad - and not every premium skincare product is the finest."

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

Numerous of the products inspired by high-end brands "sell out so quickly, it's just unbelievable," he says.

Scott McGlynn

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

"Alternatives will do the job," he says. "These items will do the basics to a reasonable level."

Another skin doctor, advises you can save money when searching for single-ingredient items like HA, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a simple product then you're probably going to be fine in using a dupe or something which is very low cost because there's not much that can cause issues," she adds.

'Do Not Be Influenced by the Box'

Yet the experts also advise consumers check details and note that costlier items are occasionally worthy of the extra money.

With luxury skincare, you're not just funding the label and promotion - often the higher cost also stems from the ingredients and their standard, the concentration of the key component, the science utilized to produce the item, and studies into the products' efficacy, the expert says.

Facialist she suggests it's valuable thinking about how certain dupes can be priced so at a low cost.

In some cases, she says they may contain filler ingredients that lack as many benefits for the skin, or the components might not be as high-quality.

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

Commentator Scott admits on occasion he's bought skincare items that look similar to a big-name brand but the item has "no connection to the premium version".

"Don't be convinced by the outer appearance," he added.

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Regarding potent items or those with components that can aggravate the skin if they're not made properly, such as retinols or vitamin C, the specialist suggests sticking to more specialised brands.

She explains these probably have been subjected to expensive tests to assess how successful they are.

Skincare products must be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, says expert Emma Wedgeworth.

When the label makes claims about the effectiveness of the item, it requires research to verify it, "however the brand doesn't always have to conduct the testing" and can instead reference studies done by different firms, she adds.

Examine the Back of the Pack

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

Components on the back of the container are listed by amount. "Potential irritants that you want to look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up