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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell found out a discounter was offering a new beauty line that seemed similar to products from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

Rachael rushed to her local store to purchase the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml cream.

Its smooth blue container and gold lid of each creams look noticeably comparable. Although she has not used the high-end cream, she claims she's pleased by the alternative so far.

She has been purchasing beauty alternatives from popular shops and grocery stores for years, and she's not alone.

More than a fourth of UK consumers report they've tried a skincare or makeup alternative. This jumps to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, according to a recently published poll.

Dupes are beauty items that imitate well-known labels and provide budget-friendly alternatives to high-end items. These products frequently have similar labels and design, but occasionally the formulas can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Always Better'

Skincare specialists contend some alternatives to luxury brands are good standard and help make beauty routines cheaper.

"I don't think higher-priced is necessarily superior," states consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not every affordable beauty label is poor - and not every high-end beauty item is the finest."

"Certain [dupes] are absolutely excellent," notes a podcast host, who hosts a program featuring public figures.

Numerous of the products based on high-end labels "run out so fast, it's just unbelievable," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert another professional thinks alternatives are fine to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he explains. "These items will perform the essentials to a acceptable level."

Ketaki Bhate, advises you can cut costs when searching for simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"When you're purchasing a simple item then you're likely going to be fine in opting for a lookalike or a product which is quite low cost because there's not much that can be problematic," she explains.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Container'

But the professionals also recommend consumers do their research and state that more expensive items are sometimes worthy of the additional cost.

Regarding premium skincare, you're not just funding the label and advertising - often the higher price tag also is due to the components and their grade, the concentration of the key component, the research utilized to create the item, and tests into the products' efficacy, she notes.

Skin therapist Rhian Truman suggests it's worth questioning how certain alternatives can be priced so at a low cost.

In some cases, she believes they could have filler ingredients that do not provide as numerous advantages for the complexion, or the materials might not be as well sourced.

"One big doubt is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she says.

Commentator McGlynn admits on occasion he's bought beauty products that look comparable to a big-name brand but the actual formula has "no connection to the original".

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

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For advanced products or those with components that can aggravate the complexion if they're not made properly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, she recommends selecting research-backed brands.

She says these probably have been through costly studies to determine how effective they are.

Skincare products must be evaluated before they can be available in the UK, says skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

When the company states about the effectiveness of the product, it must have evidence to support it, "however the manufacturer doesn't always have to perform the testing" and can instead cite evidence conducted by other firms, she says.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Bottle

Are there any components that could indicate a product is inferior?

Ingredients on the back of the bottle are listed by quantity. "Potential irritants that you need to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up