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Rachael Parnell

After discovering a consumer found out a supermarket was offering a new skincare range that looked similar to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

Rachael dashed to her local outlet to buy the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream.

Its sleek blue container and gold lid of each products look noticeably comparable. And though she has not tested the luxury cream, she states she's pleased by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been using beauty alternatives from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for some time, and she's not alone.

Over a fourth of UK shoppers report they've bought a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This increases to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, based on a February poll.

Lookalikes are beauty items that mimic bigger name companies and present cost-effective alternatives to high-end products. They frequently have similar names and packaging, but in some cases the formulas can differ substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Necessarily Better'

Beauty professionals say certain alternatives to luxury brands are reasonable quality and assist make beauty routines more affordable.

"In my opinion higher-priced is invariably superior," states consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not all budget product line is bad - and not every premium beauty item is the top."

"Certain [dupes] are really amazing," says a podcast host, who presents a program featuring celebrities.

A lot of of the items modeled on high-end brands "run out so quickly, it's just insane," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

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

"These products will serve a purpose," he comments. "These items will handle the basics to a satisfactory degree."

Ketaki Bhate, advises you can spend less when you're looking for simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"When you're purchasing a simple item then you're probably going to be alright in using a lookalike or something which is very inexpensive because there's very little that can be problematic," she says.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Box'

Yet the specialists also suggest shoppers check details and say that costlier items are at times worthy of the extra money.

Regarding premium skincare, you're not just paying for the name and marketing - at times the higher cost also comes from the ingredients and their standard, the potency of the effective element, the science used to develop the product, and trials into the item's performance, the expert explains.

Beauty expert Rhian Truman suggests it's worth questioning how some alternatives can be offered so cheaply.

Sometimes, she says they might contain less effective components that lack as numerous benefits for the skin, or the materials might not be as carefully selected.

"The big question mark is 'How is it so cheap?'" she remarks.

Commentator McGlynn admits sometimes he's bought beauty products that look comparable to a big-name label but the product itself has "no resemblance to the luxury product".

"Do not be fooled by the outer appearance," he added.

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For more complicated products or those with components that can inflame the complexion if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, she advises sticking to more specialised brands.

She explains these probably have been subjected to costly trials to evaluate how efficacious they are.

Beauty items are required to be assessed before they can be available in the UK, explains consultant dermatologist another professional.

If the company states about the effectiveness of the product, it needs data to back it up, "but the brand does not necessarily have to perform the trials" and can instead use testing done by other brands, she says.

Check the Back of the Bottle

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

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