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Rachael Parnell

After discovering one shopper heard a discounter was selling a new beauty line that appeared comparable to products from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

Rachael hurried to her closest shop to pick up the store-brand face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 price tag of the high-end 50ml product.

Its streamlined blue container and gold top of the two creams look noticeably alike. And though Rachael has not tested the luxury cream, she claims she's impressed by the product so far.

She has been using skincare dupes from high street stores and grocery stores for a long time, and she's not alone.

Over a quarter of UK consumers report they've purchased a skincare or makeup alternative. This rises to nearly half among younger adults, based on a February poll.

Alternatives are beauty items that mimic bigger name companies and offer budget-friendly options to luxury items. These products typically have comparable labels and design, but in some cases the ingredients can change considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Beauty professionals say certain dupes to high-end labels are good quality and aid make skincare cheaper.

"In my opinion higher-priced is invariably more effective," states consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not all affordable skincare brand is inferior - and not every high-end beauty item is the best."

"Some [dupes] are truly excellent," says Scott McGlynn, who presents a podcast about celebrities.

A lot of of the products modeled on luxury brands "disappear so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry argues dupes are fine to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he says. "They will do the essentials to a satisfactory degree."

A consultant dermatologist, suggests you can save money when you're looking for simple-formula products like HA, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be alright in opting for a budget alternative or something which is very affordable because there's not much that can go wrong," she explains.

'Do Not Be Influenced by the Container'

Yet the experts also advise consumers investigate and say that more expensive products are occasionally worth the premium price.

With luxury skincare, you're not only covering the name and promotion - sometimes the increased cost also stems from the components and their grade, the strength of the key component, the research utilized to produce the item, and trials into the products' efficacy, Dr Belmo says.

Skin therapist another professional argues it's worth thinking about how certain alternatives can be offered so inexpensively.

Sometimes, she states they may include less effective components that don't have as numerous positive effects for the skin, or the components might not be as high-quality.

"One big uncertainty is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she asks.

Podcast host Scott admits sometimes he's bought beauty products that appear similar to a established brand but the item has "no resemblance to the luxury product".

"Do not be sold by the container," he added.

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Regarding advanced products or those with components that can irritate the complexion if they're not formulated properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, the specialist advises using more specialised labels.

She states these probably have been through comprehensive trials to evaluate how effective they are.

Skincare products need to be evaluated before they can be available in the UK, says consultant dermatologist another professional.

If the company states about the efficacy of the item, it needs data to support it, "however the brand doesn't necessarily have to perform the trials" and can instead cite studies done by different brands, she adds.

Examine the Label of the Bottle

Is there any components that could indicate a product is inferior?

Components on the label of the tube are listed by concentration. "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