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Rachael Parnell

When Rachael Parnell learned a discounter was launching a fresh beauty line that appeared akin to items from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

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

Its smooth blue packaging and gold cap of the two products look remarkably comparable. While she has never tried the premium cream, she says she's impressed by the dupe so far.

She has been using skincare dupes from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for some time, and she's in good company.

More than a 25% of UK consumers state they've tried a beauty or cosmetic alternative. This increases to 44 percent among younger adults, based on a February survey.

Alternatives are beauty items that copy well-known labels and provide affordable substitutes to luxury items. They frequently have comparable names and packaging, but sometimes the formulas can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Necessarily Better'

Beauty experts say many dupes to luxury labels are good standard and help make beauty routines more affordable.

"In my opinion more expensive is always better," states consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not every affordable skincare brand is poor - and not all high-end skincare product is the best."

"Certain [dupes] are really impressive," adds Scott McGlynn, who hosts a program about celebrities.

A lot of of the items inspired by high-end brands "disappear so rapidly, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert Ross Perry argues alternatives are fine to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and face washes.

"These products will do the job," he says. "These items will do the essentials to a acceptable degree."

A consultant dermatologist, advises you can cut costs when you're looking for simple-formula items like HA, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a simple item then you're probably going to be alright in opting for a dupe or something which is quite affordable because there's minimal that can go wrong," she explains.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Packaging'

Yet the professionals also advise buyers do their research and say that costlier products are occasionally worthy of the extra money.

With premium beauty products, you're not just covering the name and advertising - often the higher price tag also is due to the formula and their grade, the potency of the effective element, the technology used to develop the item, and trials into the products' effectiveness, she says.

Beauty expert another professional argues it's valuable questioning how some dupes can be offered so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she says they could contain bulking agents that lack as significant positive effects for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as carefully selected.

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

Commentator Scott says on occasion he's purchased skincare items that appear similar to a well-known brand but the item has "little similarity to the premium version".

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

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Regarding potent products or those with components that can aggravate the complexion if they're not formulated properly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate advises sticking to medical-grade labels.

The expert states these typically have been through comprehensive studies to assess how effective they are.

Beauty products must be evaluated before they can be available in the UK, notes skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

If the company makes claims about the performance of the item, it needs data to verify it, "however the manufacturer doesn't always have to conduct the trials" and can instead use studies completed by other firms, she adds.

Read the Back of the Container

Are there any ingredients that could signal a item is low-quality?

Ingredients on the back of the tube are listed by concentration. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to be wary of… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up