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Rachael Parnell

When Rachael Parnell learned a discounter was offering a recent skincare range that looked similar to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

The shopper rushed to her nearest store to pick up the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the luxury brand 50ml product.

The smooth blue packaging and gold lid of both creams look strikingly alike. While she has not used the high-end cream, she states she's pleased by the product so far.

Rachael has been using skincare dupes from high street stores and supermarkets for some time, and she's part of a trend.

Over a quarter of UK shoppers state they've tried a skincare or makeup lookalike. This increases to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, based on a recent poll.

Alternatives are skincare products that mimic bigger name companies and present budget-friendly substitutes to premium products. These products typically have alike names and packaging, but occasionally the formulas can differ substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Skincare specialists contend many alternatives to premium labels are reasonable quality and assist make skincare less expensive.

"I don't think higher-priced is always better," comments skin specialist one expert. "Not every affordable skincare brand is poor - and not every high-end beauty item is the top."

"Certain [dupes] are truly excellent," says Scott McGlynn, who hosts a show about famous people.

Numerous of the products based on luxury brands "disappear so rapidly, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist another professional argues alternatives are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and face washes.

"These products will do the job," he says. "They will do the fundamentals to a reasonable degree."

Another skin doctor, suggests you can save money when searching for simple-formula items like HA, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a simple item then you're probably going to be okay in opting for a lookalike or a product which is fairly inexpensive because there's very little that can cause issues," she adds.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Container'

However the professionals also suggest consumers check details and state that more expensive products are occasionally worth the premium price.

With premium beauty products, you're not just paying for the brand and promotion - often the increased price tag also is due to the ingredients and their quality, the strength of the active ingredient, the technology used to create the product, and trials into the products' efficacy, she says.

Facialist another professional says it's worth considering how certain dupes can be sold so cheaply.

In some cases, she says they could have bulking agents that lack as numerous advantages for the skin, or the materials might not be as high-quality.

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

Commentator McGlynn notes on occasion he's purchased skincare items that look comparable to a well-known label but the item has "no resemblance to the premium version".

"Don't be convinced by the outer appearance," he cautioned.

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Regarding more complicated products or those with components that can inflame the skin if they're not created correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C, the specialist suggests selecting medical-grade brands.

The expert says these typically have been through comprehensive tests to evaluate how successful they are.

Skincare products need to be assessed before they can be sold in the UK, says skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

When the label states about the efficacy of the product, it must have evidence to support it, "however the manufacturer does not necessarily have to do the testing" and can alternatively cite testing done by different brands, she adds.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Pack

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

Components on the back of the bottle are listed by amount. "The baddies that you need to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up