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Rachael Parnell

When a consumer learned a discounter was offering a fresh skincare range that appeared akin to products from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

Rachael dashed to her nearest shop to buy the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 of the luxury brand 50ml cream.

The smooth blue tube and gold cap of both items look remarkably comparable. While Rachael has not used the high-end cream, she says she's satisfied by the alternative so far.

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

Over a quarter of UK consumers state they've purchased a skincare or makeup lookalike. This increases to 44 percent among millennials and Gen Z, based on a recently published study.

Alternatives are beauty items that mimic bigger name brands and provide cost-effective options to premium products. These products typically have alike labels and design, but in some cases the ingredients can change substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Is Not Always Better'

Skincare specialists contend certain alternatives to premium brands are decent standard and aid make beauty routines more affordable.

"I don't think more expensive is always better," says consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not every affordable beauty label is poor - and not all premium skincare product is the best."

"A number of [dupes] are really excellent," adds a podcast host, who hosts a program about celebrities.

Many of the items modeled on luxury labels "run out so fast, it's just insane," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist another professional believes dupes are fine to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Alternatives will be effective," he says. "These items will do the essentials to a acceptable degree."

Another skin doctor, thinks you can spend less when you're looking for simple-formula items like HA, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a simple product then you're probably going to be alright in using a budget alternative or a product which is quite low cost because there's not much that can cause issues," she explains.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Packaging'

Yet the specialists also advise buyers check details and state that more expensive products are at times worth the additional cost.

Regarding high-end skincare, you're not only paying for the label and promotion - often the elevated cost also stems from the ingredients and their standard, the concentration of the effective element, the research utilized to develop the item, and tests into the item's effectiveness, the expert explains.

Facialist another professional says it's important considering how some dupes can be offered so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she believes they might include bulking agents that do not provide as significant positive effects for the complexion, or the components might not be as well sourced.

"The big doubt is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she remarks.

Podcast host McGlynn says on occasion he's bought beauty products that appear similar to a big-name label but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the original".

"Don't be fooled by the container," he added.

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Regarding advanced items or ones with components that can aggravate the skin if they're not made properly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, she recommends using more specialised companies.

The expert explains these probably have been through comprehensive tests to evaluate how effective they are.

Beauty items are required to be assessed before they can be available in the UK, notes skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

If the label makes claims about the effectiveness of the product, it requires evidence to verify it, "but the seller doesn't always have to perform the trials" and can instead use testing conducted by other brands, she adds.

Read the Back of the Container

Is there any components that could signal a product is poor?

Ingredients on the list of the tube are arranged by concentration. "The baddies that you need to avoid… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up