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Rachael Parnell

When one shopper heard a discounter was launching a fresh product collection that seemed akin to offerings from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

The shopper hurried to her local outlet to buy the supermarket face cream for a low price for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 cost of the Augustinus Bader 50ml item.

The sleek blue container and gold lid of both creams look strikingly similar. And though she has never tried the high-end cream, she states she's pleased by the dupe so far.

She has been using skincare dupes from popular shops and supermarkets for some time, and she's in good company.

Over a 25% of UK buyers state they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic alternative. This rises to 44% among younger adults, as per a recent survey.

Lookalikes are beauty items that copy well-known labels and present budget-friendly alternatives to luxury items. These products typically have similar names and packaging, but in some cases the formulas can change considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Necessarily Better'

Skincare experts argue certain dupes to high-end labels are reasonable standard and assist make skincare less expensive.

"I don't think higher-priced is always better," states dermatology expert a doctor. "Not every affordable product line is inferior - and not every luxury skincare product is the best."

"Certain [dupes] are absolutely impressive," adds Scott McGlynn, who presents a program about public figures.

Many of the items modeled on high-end brands "run out so rapidly, it's just crazy," he says.

Scott McGlynn

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

"These products will do the job," he explains. "They will do the basics to a reasonable level."

A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can save money when you're looking for simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

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

'Don't Be Influenced by the Packaging'

Yet the professionals also suggest consumers do their research and note that costlier products are at times worthy of the additional cost.

Regarding high-end skincare, you're not just paying for the name and advertising - often the elevated price tag also is due to the formula and their standard, the potency of the active ingredient, the research utilized to create the item, and trials into the item's effectiveness, Dr Belmo explains.

Skin therapist she suggests it's valuable considering how certain alternatives can be sold so cheaply.

Occasionally, she states they may have bulking agents that don't have as many advantages for the complexion, or the materials might not be as high-quality.

"The major uncertainty is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Commentator Scott says on occasion he's purchased beauty products that look comparable to a well-known label but the product itself has "no resemblance to the original".

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

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For advanced products or ones with ingredients that can aggravate the complexion if they're not made accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, the specialist suggests using more specialised labels.

She states these typically have been subjected to expensive tests to evaluate how efficacious they are.

Beauty products need to be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, explains consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

If the company advertises about the efficacy of the product, it requires data to support it, "but the manufacturer does not necessarily have to conduct the trials" and can instead use evidence conducted by other firms, she adds.

Read the Label of the Container

Is there any components that could indicate a product is poor?

Ingredients on the back of the tube are ordered by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up