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Rachael Parnell

After discovering Rachael Parnell learned a discounter was launching a fresh product collection that seemed similar to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper dashed to her nearest shop to buy the store-brand face cream for a low price for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml item.

Its sleek blue packaging and gold top of each items look noticeably similar. And though Rachael has not tested the luxury cream, she claims she's satisfied by the product so far.

She has been buying lookalike products from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for years, and she's part of a trend.

Over a quarter of UK consumers report they've tried a skincare or makeup lookalike. This increases to 44% among younger adults, based on a recent survey.

Lookalikes are skincare products that imitate established labels and offer cost-effective options to high-end products. These products typically have similar branding and containers, but sometimes the formulas can change substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Always Better'

Beauty specialists contend certain substitutes to premium brands are decent quality and help make beauty routines less expensive.

"I don't think costlier is invariably superior," says consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not all affordable skincare brand is inferior - and not all premium skincare product is the finest."

"Certain [dupes] are really amazing," notes a skincare commentator, who presents a podcast about famous people.

Many of the items based on luxury brands "run out so quickly, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist a doctor thinks alternatives are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes.

"These products will serve a purpose," he says. "These items will do the fundamentals to a acceptable degree."

Ketaki Bhate, thinks you can cut costs when you're looking for simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be fine in opting for a lookalike or a product which is fairly inexpensive because there's not much that can cause issues," she adds.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Packaging'

However the specialists also recommend shoppers investigate and note that costlier products are sometimes worthy of the extra money.

Regarding luxury beauty products, you're not just funding the label and promotion - often the increased price also is due to the components and their quality, the potency of the effective element, the science used to create the product, and studies into the products' efficacy, the expert notes.

Beauty expert she argues it's worth thinking about how some alternatives can be offered so cheaply.

In some cases, she says they might include bulking agents that do not provide as many positive effects for the skin, or the components might not be as high-quality.

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

Commentator McGlynn admits on occasion he's purchased skincare items that look similar to a established label but the product itself has "no resemblance to the premium version".

"Don't be sold by the container," he warned.

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For more complicated items or ones with ingredients that can irritate the complexion if they're not formulated properly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, she advises sticking to research-backed brands.

She states these probably have been through comprehensive trials to evaluate how successful they are.

Skincare products need to be tested before they can be sold in the UK, says consultant dermatologist another professional.

When the brand advertises about the efficacy of the item, it requires data to support it, "however the brand does not always have to do the trials" and can instead reference studies completed by different brands, she clarifies.

Examine the Label of the Container

Are there any components that could signal a product is low-quality?

Components on the list of the bottle are arranged by concentration. "The baddies that you want to look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up