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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell heard a supermarket was launching a new beauty line that looked akin to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

The shopper rushed to her local store to buy the store-brand face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the high-end 50ml cream.

The smooth blue tube and gold cap of each items look strikingly comparable. While she has not used the premium cream, she says she's pleased by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been using skincare dupes from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for years, and she's part of a trend.

More than a quarter of UK buyers report they've tried a skincare or makeup dupe. This rises to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, according to a recent study.

Alternatives are skincare products that copy bigger name companies and present cost-effective alternatives to luxury items. They often have comparable branding and containers, but occasionally the formulas can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Beauty professionals say certain dupes to premium labels are reasonable quality and aid make skincare more affordable.

"I don't think higher-priced is always better," states skin specialist Sharon Belmo. "Not all affordable product line is bad - and not every high-end skincare product is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are truly excellent," adds a skincare commentator, who presents a podcast about famous people.

Many of the products based on luxury brands "disappear so fast, it's just insane," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry argues dupes are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes.

"Dupes will be effective," he comments. "These items will handle the essentials to a acceptable standard."

Ketaki Bhate, advises you can spend less when searching for simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"When you're purchasing a simple item then you're probably going to be okay in opting for a budget alternative or a product which is quite affordable because there's not much that can cause issues," she adds.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Packaging'

Yet the experts also recommend buyers investigate and say that higher-priced products are sometimes worthy of the premium price.

Regarding premium beauty products, you're not just covering the label and promotion - sometimes the increased cost also is due to the formula and their standard, the potency of the key component, the science utilized to produce the product, and trials into the item's performance, Dr Belmo explains.

Skin therapist she suggests it's valuable questioning how certain alternatives can be priced so inexpensively.

In some cases, she states they may include less effective components that lack as numerous advantages for the complexion, or the components might not be as high-quality.

"The major question mark is 'How is it so cheap?'" she asks.

Podcast host McGlynn admits in some cases he's bought skincare items that look comparable to a well-known brand but the product itself has "no connection to the original".

"Do not be fooled by the outer appearance," he warned.

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Regarding potent products or those with components that can irritate the skin if they're not made accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate advises sticking to research-backed brands.

She states these will likely have been through expensive trials to determine how successful they are.

Skincare items are required to be tested before they can be sold in the UK, says expert another professional.

If the label makes claims about the effectiveness of the product, it needs evidence to verify it, "however the manufacturer doesn't necessarily have to perform the trials" and can alternatively use evidence done by different companies, she says.

Read the Label of the Pack

Are there any components that could suggest a item is low-quality?

Ingredients on the list of the container are arranged by concentration. "Ingredients to avoid that you should be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up