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Rachael Parnell

After discovering Rachael Parnell learned a supermarket was launching a recent beauty line that looked akin to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

Rachael rushed to her nearest shop to buy the store-brand face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.

The streamlined blue tube and gold lid of each products look remarkably comparable. While she has not tested the luxury cream, she says she's impressed by the product so far.

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

Over a quarter of UK buyers say they've bought a skincare or makeup alternative. This rises to nearly half among 18-34 year olds, as per a February poll.

Dupes are beauty items that copy bigger name companies and offer budget-friendly options to high-end items. They typically have similar labels and design, but occasionally the formulas can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Skincare professionals say many dupes to luxury labels are good quality and aid make beauty routines more affordable.

"It is not true that higher-priced is always superior," says dermatology expert one expert. "Not all affordable skincare brand is inferior - and not all high-end beauty item is the best."

"A number of [dupes] are really impressive," says Scott McGlynn, who presents a show with celebrities.

Numerous of the items inspired by high-end brands "run out so quickly, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor thinks dupes are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and cleansers.

"These products will do the job," he explains. "These items will handle the fundamentals to a satisfactory standard."

Another skin doctor, advises you can save money when you're looking for single-ingredient items like HA, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be okay in opting for a budget alternative or something which is very low cost because there's very little that can cause issues," she says.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Packaging'

But the specialists also recommend buyers investigate and say that more expensive products are occasionally worth the extra money.

With high-end beauty products, you're not only funding the brand and promotion - at times the increased price tag also stems from the components and their standard, the potency of the effective element, the technology employed to produce the item, and studies into the products' effectiveness, Dr Belmo says.

Beauty expert she argues it's worth questioning how certain dupes can be offered so inexpensively.

Sometimes, she states they could have bulking agents that don't have as numerous benefits for the skin, or the materials might not be as well sourced.

"One big question mark is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she says.

Commentator Scott notes sometimes he's bought beauty products that appear comparable to a big-name brand but the product itself has "no connection to the original".

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

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For advanced items or ones with ingredients that can inflame the complexion if they're not made properly, such as retinols or vitamin C, she recommends using research-backed companies.

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

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

If the company states about the performance of the product, it must have evidence to support it, "however the manufacturer doesn't necessarily have to perform the testing" and can instead reference evidence completed by other companies, she clarifies.

Examine the Back of the Bottle

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

Components on the back of the container are arranged by concentration. "Potential irritants that you need to look out for… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up