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Rachael Parnell

After discovering Rachael Parnell heard a supermarket was offering a recent beauty line that looked akin to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

Rachael dashed to her local store to buy the supermarket face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 cost of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream.

The sleek blue container and gold lid of the two products look remarkably comparable. Although she has not used the premium cream, she states she's impressed by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been buying lookalike products from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for years, and she's not alone.

Over a 25% of UK shoppers state they've tried a skincare or makeup lookalike. This rises to 44 percent among younger adults, as per a recently published study.

Dupes are beauty items that mimic bigger name companies and present budget-friendly substitutes to premium items. They frequently have similar labels and design, but in some cases the ingredients can change significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Beauty experts argue certain alternatives to luxury brands are reasonable quality and help make beauty routines more affordable.

"In my opinion more expensive is invariably better," says dermatology expert one expert. "Not all low-budget beauty label is inferior - and not every luxury beauty item is the best."

"A number of [dupes] are really impressive," notes a podcast host, who runs a show featuring public figures.

A lot of of the items inspired by high-end brands "run out so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert Ross Perry believes dupes are fine to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and face washes.

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

Ketaki Bhate, suggests you can cut costs when searching for single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be fine in opting for a dupe or something which is very inexpensive because there's not much that can cause issues," she adds.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Packaging'

However the experts also suggest shoppers do their research and say that more expensive items are at times worth the premium price.

With luxury beauty products, you're not only covering the brand and marketing - often the elevated cost also comes from the ingredients and their quality, the concentration of the effective element, the research utilized to develop the product, and tests into the item's performance, Dr Belmo explains.

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

Occasionally, she says they might have bulking agents that don't have as many positive effects for the complexion, or the components might not be as carefully selected.

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

Commentator Scott notes in some cases he's bought skincare items that appear similar to a well-known brand but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the luxury product".

"Do not be convinced by the packaging," he warned.

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Regarding potent items or ones with components that can inflame the complexion if they're not made properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, she suggests sticking to research-backed brands.

She explains these probably have been subjected to comprehensive studies to assess how effective they are.

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

If the label advertises about the effectiveness of the item, it must have evidence to verify it, "but the manufacturer doesn't necessarily have to do the trials" and can alternatively cite evidence completed by other firms, she adds.

Read the Back of the Bottle

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

Components on the label of the container are arranged by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to avoid… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up