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Rachael Parnell

When Rachael Parnell heard a supermarket was selling a new skincare range that appeared akin to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

She rushed to her local store to pick up the supermarket face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml cream.

The sleek blue tube and gold top of both products look noticeably comparable. And though she has not tested the luxury cream, she states she's satisfied by the dupe so far.

Rachael has been buying beauty alternatives from popular shops and grocery stores for some time, and she's not alone.

More than a fourth of UK consumers state they've bought a skincare or makeup alternative. This jumps to 44% among younger adults, as per a recent poll.

Dupes are beauty items that imitate established companies and present budget-friendly substitutes to premium items. These products often have similar names and packaging, but in some cases the formulas can differ substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Necessarily Better'

Beauty experts contend many dupes to high-end labels are good quality and aid make beauty routines less expensive.

"In my opinion more expensive is always better," states consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not all budget product line is bad - and not every premium skincare product is the finest."

"Certain [dupes] are really amazing," adds Scott McGlynn, who hosts a show featuring public figures.

Many of the products inspired by luxury brands "sell out so quickly, it's just unbelievable," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert Ross Perry argues alternatives are fine to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Dupes will be effective," he says. "They will handle the essentials to a satisfactory degree."

A consultant dermatologist, advises you can spend less when you're looking for simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a simple item then you're likely going to be fine in opting for a dupe or something which is quite low cost because there's not much that can go wrong," she says.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Packaging'

But the specialists also advise consumers investigate and say that more expensive items are at times worth the additional cost.

Regarding premium skincare, you're not only paying for the brand and marketing - sometimes the increased cost also stems from the components and their standard, the concentration of the key component, the technology utilized to produce the item, and trials into the item's effectiveness, she says.

Beauty expert another professional argues it's worth thinking about how certain alternatives can be sold so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she states they could include less effective components that lack as many benefits for the skin, or the components might not be as well sourced.

"The big doubt is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she says.

Expert Scott says on occasion he's purchased skincare items that appear similar to a big-name brand but the item has "no resemblance to the premium version".

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

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Regarding more complicated products or ones with ingredients that can aggravate the complexion if they're not made correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, the specialist advises selecting medical-grade labels.

The expert states these will likely have been subjected to expensive tests to evaluate how successful they are.

Skincare items must be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, says skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

When the company advertises about the performance of the item, it needs research to back it up, "however the brand does not necessarily have to do the testing" and can alternatively use studies completed by other brands, she says.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Pack

Are there any ingredients that could indicate a product is low-quality?

Ingredients on the list of the tube are ordered by amount. "The baddies that you need to be wary of… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up