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Rachael Parnell

When Rachael Parnell learned a supermarket was launching a fresh skincare range that seemed similar to items from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

Rachael dashed to her nearest shop to pick up the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream.

Its streamlined blue tube and gold top of both items look noticeably alike. Although Rachael has not used the high-end cream, she states she's satisfied by the dupe so far.

Rachael has been buying beauty alternatives from high street stores and grocery stores for a long time, and she's part of a trend.

Over a quarter of UK consumers say they've tried a skincare or makeup dupe. This rises to nearly half among 18-34 year olds, according to a recently published study.

Alternatives are skincare products that mimic bigger name companies and present affordable substitutes to premium products. These products typically have similar names and packaging, but in some cases the ingredients can differ considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Skincare professionals say many substitutes to premium labels are good standard and assist make skincare more affordable.

"It is not true that costlier is necessarily superior," states skin specialist Sharon Belmo. "Not all low-budget product line is bad - and not every premium beauty item is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are really amazing," adds Scott McGlynn, who hosts a program about public figures.

Numerous of the items inspired by luxury labels "sell out so fast, it's just crazy," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert another professional argues dupes are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Dupes will do the job," he says. "These items will do the essentials to a reasonable level."

Ketaki Bhate, suggests you can spend less when seeking simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're purchasing a simple item then you're probably going to be alright in opting for a dupe or a product which is quite inexpensive because there's not much that can go wrong," she says.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Packaging'

Yet the professionals also advise shoppers do their research and say that costlier products are occasionally worthy of the additional cost.

Regarding luxury skincare, you're not only paying for the name and marketing - sometimes the elevated price tag also stems from the ingredients and their grade, the strength of the key component, the research utilized to create the item, and trials into the item's performance, she notes.

Facialist another professional says it's worth considering how certain dupes can be offered so cheaply.

Occasionally, she states they might include filler ingredients that don't have as significant positive effects for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as well sourced.

"One key uncertainty is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Podcast host McGlynn notes in some cases he's purchased skincare items that appear comparable to a established label but the item has "no connection to the original".

"Do not be sold by the outer appearance," he added.

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Regarding advanced products or those with components that can irritate the skin if they're not formulated properly, such as retinols or vitamin C, she recommends selecting more specialised labels.

She explains these probably have been subjected to costly studies to assess how effective they are.

Skincare items are required to be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, says skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

When the company advertises about the effectiveness of the product, it must have research to back it up, "but the seller doesn't always have to conduct the trials" and can instead reference studies completed by different brands, she clarifies.

Check the Back of the Container

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

Ingredients on the back of the bottle are listed by amount. "Potential irritants that you should avoid… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up