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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell found out a discounter was launching a fresh beauty line that seemed similar to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

Rachael hurried to her closest shop to purchase the supermarket face cream for a low price for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml item.

The sleek blue tube and gold cap of the two creams look noticeably similar. Although Rachael has never tried the premium cream, she states she's impressed by the product so far.

She has been buying skincare dupes from high street stores and grocery stores for a long time, and she's in good company.

More than a quarter of UK consumers say they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This increases to 44% among 18-34 year olds, according to a recently published poll.

Dupes are skincare products that imitate established brands and offer cost-effective substitutes to high-end products. They often have comparable labels and design, but occasionally the components can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Necessarily Better'

Skincare specialists argue some substitutes to premium labels are good standard and help make beauty routines cheaper.

"In my opinion higher-priced is necessarily more effective," says dermatology expert one expert. "Not all low-budget beauty label is bad - and not every high-end beauty item is the best."

"A number of [dupes] are truly amazing," adds a podcast host, who runs a show with public figures.

Many of the products modeled on high-end labels "disappear so quickly, it's just unbelievable," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor argues alternatives are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Alternatives will do the job," he comments. "These items will do the essentials to a satisfactory level."

A consultant dermatologist, suggests you can spend less when searching for single-ingredient products like HA, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a simple product then you're probably going to be okay in using a dupe or a product which is fairly affordable because there's minimal that can cause issues," she adds.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Packaging'

However the professionals also recommend shoppers check details and state that costlier products are at times worthy of the additional cost.

With luxury skincare, you're not only funding the name and marketing - often the elevated price also comes from the ingredients and their grade, the strength of the key component, the science utilized to create the product, and trials into the item's effectiveness, the expert notes.

Beauty expert another professional suggests it's valuable questioning how certain dupes can be sold so inexpensively.

Sometimes, she states they could include bulking agents that do not provide as many benefits for the complexion, or the materials might not be as carefully selected.

"The major question mark is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Podcast host McGlynn admits sometimes he's bought skincare items that look comparable to a well-known label but the item has "no connection to the premium version".

"Don't be fooled by the container," he cautioned.

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For more complicated items or ones with ingredients that can irritate the skin if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, the specialist advises selecting research-backed brands.

She explains these will likely have been subjected to comprehensive tests to assess how effective they are.

Beauty items need to be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, notes consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

If the company advertises about the efficacy of the item, it requires data to verify it, "however the brand doesn't always have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively use studies conducted by other brands, she says.

Check the Ingredients List of the Bottle

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

Ingredients on the label of the bottle are ordered by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up