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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell found out a supermarket was selling a fresh product collection that appeared similar to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

She dashed to her local outlet to pick up the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 cost of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream.

The sleek blue packaging and gold top of both items look remarkably similar. And though Rachael has never tried the luxury cream, she says she's pleased by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been buying lookalike products from high street stores and grocery stores for a long time, and she's part of a trend.

Over a fourth of UK buyers report they've tried a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This jumps to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, as per a February study.

Alternatives are beauty items that copy well-known brands and present budget-friendly options to premium products. These products frequently have alike names and packaging, but sometimes the formulas can change considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Beauty specialists argue certain substitutes to high-end brands are reasonable standard and aid make skincare less expensive.

"In my opinion more expensive is always more effective," says dermatology expert Sharon Belmo. "Not all low-budget product line is poor - and not all luxury beauty item is the top."

"A number of [dupes] are really impressive," notes a podcast host, who hosts a show featuring public figures.

Many of the items inspired by luxury brands "run out so quickly, it's just unbelievable," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert another professional believes alternatives are suitable to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and cleansers.

"These products will be effective," he explains. "They will do the essentials to a reasonable level."

Ketaki Bhate, advises you can cut costs when you're looking for simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're buying a simple item then you're likely going to be okay in using a dupe or something which is very inexpensive because there's not much that can cause issues," she adds.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Container'

However the experts also suggest buyers check details and say that more expensive items are sometimes worth the additional cost.

With premium skincare, you're not only paying for the brand and promotion - at times the elevated cost also comes from the components and their quality, the potency of the active ingredient, the research utilized to develop the product, and studies into the item's effectiveness, she notes.

Skin therapist she argues it's valuable considering how certain alternatives can be priced so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she believes they could have filler ingredients that do not provide as numerous advantages for the skin, or the components might not be as high-quality.

"The major uncertainty is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she says.

Commentator Scott notes on occasion he's purchased beauty products that appear comparable to a well-known brand but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the original".

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

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For more complicated products or ones with components that can irritate the complexion if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate advises sticking to research-backed labels.

The expert says these probably have been through expensive trials to assess how efficacious they are.

Skincare items must be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, notes consultant dermatologist another professional.

If the brand makes claims about the effectiveness of the item, it must have research to back it up, "but the seller does not necessarily have to perform the testing" and can instead use studies conducted by other companies, she clarifies.

Check the Label of the Bottle

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

Components on the back of the container are ordered by quantity. "The baddies that you should look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up