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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer found out a supermarket was offering a recent product collection that looked similar to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

She rushed to her nearest shop to buy the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the luxury brand 50ml item.

The streamlined blue packaging and gold lid of the two creams look noticeably alike. Although she has not tested the luxury cream, she states she's impressed by the alternative so far.

She has been using lookalike products from popular shops and supermarkets for years, and she's in good company.

More than a fourth of UK buyers state they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic alternative. This increases to 44 percent among younger adults, as per a February survey.

Alternatives are beauty items that copy established brands and offer budget-friendly alternatives to premium products. They typically have similar labels and design, but in some cases the formulas can change substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Always Better'

Skincare specialists say certain dupes to high-end labels are reasonable quality and assist make beauty routines more affordable.

"It is not true that higher-priced is invariably superior," says skin specialist a doctor. "Not every budget beauty label is poor - and not all premium skincare product is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are really excellent," adds a podcast host, who presents a show with public figures.

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

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional believes dupes are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes.

"Alternatives will do the job," he explains. "These items will perform the essentials to a reasonable level."

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

"When you're buying a simple product then you're likely going to be okay in opting for a lookalike or something which is fairly affordable because there's very little that can go wrong," she explains.

'Do Not Be Influenced by the Box'

But the specialists also suggest buyers check details and note that more expensive items are occasionally worth the extra money.

Regarding premium skincare, you're not only funding the brand and promotion - often the elevated price tag also stems from the formula and their standard, the strength of the active ingredient, the research employed to produce the item, and studies into the item's performance, Dr Belmo explains.

Skin therapist Rhian Truman argues it's valuable thinking about how some dupes can be offered so inexpensively.

Occasionally, she says they might contain bulking agents that don't have as significant advantages for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as well sourced.

"The key question mark is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Expert McGlynn says on occasion he's purchased beauty products that look similar to a well-known brand but the item has "no connection to the luxury product".

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

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Regarding potent products or ones with ingredients that can inflame the skin if they're not made accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C, the specialist suggests using research-backed brands.

The expert explains these will likely have been through comprehensive trials to determine how effective they are.

Beauty products are required to be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, explains skin doctor another professional.

When the label makes claims about the efficacy of the item, it requires evidence to verify it, "however the manufacturer does not necessarily have to do the trials" and can alternatively cite evidence completed by different brands, she says.

Examine the Label of the Pack

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

Components on the label of the bottle are listed by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up