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Rachael Parnell

After discovering a consumer learned a supermarket was selling a new product collection that appeared similar to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

The shopper dashed to her local shop to pick up the store-brand face cream for a low price for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the luxury brand 50ml item.

Its sleek blue container and gold cap of the two creams look remarkably alike. And though she has not tested the high-end cream, she claims she's satisfied by the product so far.

Rachael has been buying skincare dupes from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for some time, and she's not alone.

Over a 25% of UK shoppers state they've bought a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This increases to nearly half among 18-34 year olds, according to a February survey.

Lookalikes are skincare products that mimic well-known brands and present affordable options to premium products. They often have alike labels and design, but in some cases the ingredients can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Always Better'

Beauty specialists argue some substitutes to luxury labels are reasonable standard and aid make beauty routines cheaper.

"I don't think higher-priced is necessarily better," comments dermatology expert one expert. "Not all affordable product line is bad - and not all high-end skincare product is the top."

"Certain [dupes] are really excellent," notes Scott McGlynn, who runs a show about celebrities.

Numerous of the items modeled on luxury brands "sell out so quickly, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert Ross Perry thinks alternatives are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"These products will be effective," he says. "These items will handle the basics to a satisfactory degree."

A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can cut costs when you're looking for simple-formula products like HA, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're buying a simple product then you're probably going to be fine in using a lookalike or something which is quite low cost because there's very little that can cause issues," she explains.

'Do Not Be Influenced by the Box'

But the professionals also advise consumers do their research and state that higher-priced items are occasionally worth the extra money.

Regarding premium skincare, you're not just funding the name and marketing - sometimes the increased price also comes from the components and their grade, the strength of the key component, the science utilized to produce the product, and trials into the products' performance, the expert notes.

Facialist she argues it's valuable considering how some alternatives can be sold so cheaply.

In some cases, she says they could have bulking agents that don't have as significant advantages for the skin, or the ingredients might not be as carefully selected.

"One key question mark is 'Why is it so low-priced?'" she asks.

Expert Scott admits sometimes he's purchased beauty products that look comparable to a well-known brand but the product itself has "no connection to the luxury product".

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

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Regarding potent items or ones with ingredients that can aggravate the complexion if they're not made accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate suggests selecting more specialised companies.

The expert explains these probably have been subjected to costly studies to evaluate how effective they are.

Beauty products must be assessed before they can be sold in the UK, notes consultant dermatologist another professional.

When the company makes claims about the efficacy of the item, it requires evidence to verify it, "however the seller does not necessarily have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively use testing done by other brands, she adds.

Check the Ingredients List of the Pack

Are there any ingredients that could indicate a item is inferior?

Components on the label of the bottle are arranged by concentration. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up