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Rachael Parnell

When a consumer heard a discounter was launching a new beauty line that appeared akin to items from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper dashed to her local store to pick up the Lacura face cream for a low price for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 cost of the high-end 50ml cream.

The streamlined blue tube and gold lid of each creams look noticeably alike. Although Rachael has never tried the luxury cream, she claims she's impressed by the alternative so far.

She has been purchasing lookalike products from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for a long time, and she's not alone.

More than a 25% of UK consumers report they've purchased a skincare or makeup dupe. This increases to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, according to a recent study.

Alternatives are skincare products that mimic established brands and offer budget-friendly alternatives to premium products. These products frequently have comparable branding and containers, but in some cases the components can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Necessarily Better'

Skincare specialists contend certain substitutes to high-end labels are decent standard and assist make beauty routines more affordable.

"It is not true that costlier is necessarily superior," states consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not every low-budget skincare brand is poor - and not every high-end beauty item is the top."

"Certain [dupes] are really excellent," says a podcast host, who hosts a program with public figures.

Many of the products based on luxury brands "run out so rapidly, it's just insane," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert a doctor argues dupes are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes.

"Dupes will serve a purpose," he says. "These items will perform the basics to a acceptable level."

Another skin doctor, thinks you can spend less when you're looking for simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"When you're buying a simple product then you're likely going to be fine in opting for a budget alternative or a product which is very affordable because there's minimal that can cause issues," she adds.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Packaging'

Yet the professionals also advise buyers investigate and say that higher-priced products are at times worthy of the additional cost.

With luxury beauty products, you're not only funding the label and marketing - at times the increased price tag also comes from the components and their quality, the potency of the key component, the science employed to produce the product, and trials into the item's efficacy, she notes.

Skin therapist she argues it's valuable considering how certain dupes can be offered so at a low cost.

In some cases, she says they could have bulking agents that lack as significant benefits for the complexion, or the components might not be as carefully selected.

"One major doubt is 'How is it so cheap?'" she remarks.

Commentator McGlynn admits in some cases he's bought beauty products that appear similar to a well-known brand but the product itself has "little similarity to the luxury product".

"Do not be convinced by the container," he added.

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For advanced products or those with components that can aggravate the skin if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate recommends using research-backed brands.

She explains these will likely have been subjected to expensive studies to assess how efficacious they are.

Skincare items are required to be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, says skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

When the company makes claims about the effectiveness of the item, it needs evidence to support it, "however the manufacturer doesn't always have to perform the trials" and can alternatively use studies done by different companies, she clarifies.

Examine the Back of the Container

Is there any ingredients that could indicate a item is low-quality?

Ingredients on the back of the tube are arranged by quantity. "Potential irritants that you want to avoid… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up