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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer heard a discounter was selling a fresh skincare range that looked comparable to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

She hurried to her closest outlet to pick up the store-brand face cream for a low price for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 price tag of the high-end 50ml cream.

The sleek blue container and gold lid of both products look noticeably similar. And though she has never tried the premium cream, she claims she's pleased by the product so far.

She has been buying lookalike products from popular shops and grocery stores for some time, and she's not alone.

Over a quarter of UK buyers state they've tried a skincare or makeup lookalike. This increases to nearly half among younger adults, according to a recent study.

Alternatives are skincare products that imitate well-known labels and present affordable options to premium items. These products typically have comparable names and packaging, but occasionally the formulas can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Always Superior'

Skincare specialists contend many substitutes to premium brands are good standard and help make skincare cheaper.

"I don't think costlier is necessarily better," says consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not every affordable skincare brand is bad - and not every luxury skincare product is the top."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely excellent," notes Scott McGlynn, who presents a program about famous people.

Many of the items based on luxury brands "sell out so quickly, it's just crazy," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional thinks dupes are fine to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Alternatives will do the job," he says. "These items will do the essentials to a acceptable level."

Another skin doctor, advises you can save money when searching for single-ingredient products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"When you're purchasing a simple item then you're probably going to be fine in opting for a dupe or a product which is very low cost because there's minimal that can cause issues," she explains.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Box'

However the experts also suggest shoppers investigate and state that costlier products are at times worthy of the extra money.

Regarding premium skincare, you're not only paying for the name and promotion - at times the higher price tag also stems from the formula and their quality, the concentration of the effective element, the science utilized to develop the item, and studies into the item's effectiveness, Dr Belmo explains.

Skin therapist Rhian Truman suggests it's worth thinking about how some dupes can be priced so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she believes they might include less effective components that don't have as many positive effects for the skin, or the ingredients might not be as carefully selected.

"One key question mark is 'Why is it so low-priced?'" she asks.

Expert McGlynn notes on occasion he's purchased skincare items that appear comparable to a well-known brand but the actual formula has "no connection to the luxury product".

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

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For advanced items or ones with components that can irritate the skin if they're not formulated properly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, the specialist recommends using research-backed brands.

She says these typically have been subjected to costly trials to assess how effective they are.

Skincare items are required to be assessed before they can be available in the UK, explains expert Emma Wedgeworth.

When the brand makes claims about the effectiveness of the item, it needs evidence to support it, "however the brand does not necessarily have to do the testing" and can instead use evidence done by other brands, she says.

Check the Label of the Bottle

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

Ingredients on the back of the bottle are ordered by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you should avoid… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up