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Rachael Parnell

When one shopper found out a supermarket was selling a fresh beauty line that seemed akin to products from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper rushed to her nearest shop to purchase the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream.

Its sleek blue container and gold lid of both products look noticeably comparable. And though she has not used the luxury cream, she claims she's pleased by the alternative so far.

She has been buying beauty alternatives from popular shops and supermarkets for a long time, and she's not alone.

More than a quarter of UK consumers report they've bought a skincare or makeup dupe. This increases to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, according to a recently published poll.

Lookalikes are beauty items that copy well-known companies and provide affordable options to luxury products. They often have comparable names and packaging, but occasionally the formulas can differ substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Skincare experts argue many substitutes to high-end brands are decent quality and assist make skincare cheaper.

"It is not true that more expensive is always better," says skin specialist Sharon Belmo. "Not every affordable product line is inferior - and not every luxury skincare product is the top."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely impressive," adds Scott McGlynn, who hosts a program with celebrities.

A lot of of the products inspired by luxury brands "disappear so fast, it's just unbelievable," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor believes alternatives are suitable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Dupes will serve a purpose," he comments. "They will perform the fundamentals to a satisfactory standard."

Ketaki Bhate, suggests you can cut costs when seeking single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a simple item then you're likely going to be alright in using a lookalike or something which is quite inexpensive because there's not much that can be problematic," she says.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Box'

But the professionals also suggest consumers investigate and state that costlier products are at times worthy of the additional cost.

Regarding high-end skincare, you're not only paying for the label and advertising - sometimes the increased price also stems from the ingredients and their standard, the potency of the active ingredient, the science utilized to develop the item, and tests into the item's performance, Dr Belmo notes.

Beauty expert another professional suggests it's worth questioning how some dupes can be sold so cheaply.

In some cases, she states they could have bulking agents that lack as many advantages for the complexion, or the components might not be as carefully selected.

"The big doubt is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she says.

Commentator Scott admits in some cases he's bought beauty products that appear comparable to a big-name brand but the item has "no connection to the original".

"Don't be convinced by the packaging," he warned.

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For potent items or ones with components that can irritate the skin if they're not made accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate suggests sticking to medical-grade brands.

She says these will likely have been through expensive studies to determine how effective they are.

Skincare items are required to be assessed before they can be available in the UK, says consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

When the brand makes claims about the effectiveness of the product, it needs evidence to support it, "but the brand doesn't necessarily have to do the trials" and can alternatively cite evidence done by different firms, she says.

Read the Back of the Bottle

Are there any ingredients that could signal a item is inferior?

Ingredients on the back of the container are arranged by concentration. "Ingredients to avoid that you should avoid… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up