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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer found out a supermarket was selling a new product collection that appeared akin to products from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper dashed to her nearest store to buy the Lacura face cream for a low price for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 of the high-end 50ml cream.

Its sleek blue tube and gold cap of each items look noticeably similar. And though Rachael has not tested the premium cream, she states she's pleased by the alternative so far.

She has been purchasing beauty alternatives from high street stores and supermarkets for some time, and she's in good company.

More than a 25% of UK buyers report they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This jumps to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, as per a recent survey.

Lookalikes are beauty items that mimic well-known brands and offer cost-effective options to luxury items. They frequently have comparable labels and design, but sometimes the formulas can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Beauty specialists say many dupes to premium labels are decent quality and aid make beauty routines less expensive.

"I don't think costlier is necessarily superior," states consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not every low-budget skincare brand is poor - and not all premium beauty item is the top."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely impressive," notes a skincare commentator, who presents a show featuring celebrities.

A lot of of the products based on high-end labels "sell out so quickly, it's just crazy," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert a doctor thinks dupes are suitable to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Dupes will be effective," he comments. "They will handle the essentials to a acceptable level."

A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can cut costs when you're looking for simple-formula items like HA, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be fine in opting for a lookalike or something which is quite inexpensive because there's minimal that can be problematic," she adds.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Container'

However the experts also advise shoppers investigate and note that more expensive products are at times worthy of the premium price.

Regarding premium beauty products, you're not just paying for the name and marketing - at times the elevated price tag also stems from the ingredients and their quality, the potency of the key component, the research used to develop the item, and trials into the item's effectiveness, she notes.

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

Occasionally, she believes they might contain filler ingredients that lack as significant advantages for the complexion, or the components might not be as high-quality.

"One key question mark is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Commentator McGlynn notes in some cases he's purchased skincare items that look similar to a established label but the product itself has "little similarity to the premium version".

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

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Regarding more complicated products or ones with components that can aggravate the skin if they're not created correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, she suggests selecting research-backed brands.

She states these will likely have been through expensive studies to assess how efficacious they are.

Beauty products must be tested before they can be available in the UK, says expert Emma Wedgeworth.

If the label states about the efficacy of the item, it needs evidence to back it up, "however the manufacturer does not always have to do the testing" and can instead reference testing completed by other brands, she says.

Read the Label of the Bottle

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

Components on the back of the tube are ordered by concentration. "The baddies that you want to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up