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Rachael Parnell

After discovering Rachael Parnell heard a discounter was selling a fresh skincare range that appeared comparable to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

Rachael hurried to her nearest shop to pick up the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream.

The smooth blue packaging and gold cap of both products look remarkably alike. While Rachael has never tried the premium cream, she claims she's satisfied by the product so far.

She has been purchasing beauty alternatives from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for a long time, and she's in good company.

Over a 25% of UK shoppers state they've tried a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This rises to nearly half among millennials and Gen Z, according to a February poll.

Alternatives are skincare products that imitate established brands and present budget-friendly substitutes to premium products. These products often have comparable labels and design, but sometimes the ingredients can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Always Superior'

Beauty experts contend some substitutes to premium brands are decent standard and aid make skincare cheaper.

"I don't think higher-priced is invariably better," says consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not all budget beauty label is inferior - and not all luxury beauty item is the best."

"A number of [dupes] are truly impressive," notes a podcast host, who presents a podcast featuring celebrities.

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

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional believes alternatives are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and face washes.

"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he says. "They will handle the fundamentals to a reasonable standard."

Ketaki Bhate, advises you can cut costs when you're looking for single-ingredient items like HA, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're buying a simple item then you're probably going to be okay in opting for a budget alternative or something which is very affordable because there's very little that can go wrong," she explains.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Container'

Yet the specialists also advise consumers investigate and say that costlier products are occasionally worth the premium price.

With luxury skincare, you're not just funding the name and promotion - often the higher cost also comes from the components and their grade, the concentration of the active ingredient, the research used to produce the item, and studies into the products' performance, the expert notes.

Skin therapist another professional says it's important questioning how certain dupes can be offered so cheaply.

Sometimes, she says they may have less effective components that lack as significant advantages for the complexion, or the components might not be as high-quality.

"One major doubt is 'Why is it so low-priced?'" she asks.

Commentator Scott notes on occasion he's purchased skincare items that appear similar to a established brand but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the premium version".

"Don't be convinced by the packaging," he added.

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Regarding advanced items or those with ingredients that can inflame the skin if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, the specialist recommends using medical-grade brands.

She says these typically have been through comprehensive studies to evaluate how efficacious they are.

Beauty products are required to be tested before they can be marketed in the UK, notes consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

If the brand states about the efficacy of the item, it needs data to back it up, "however the brand does not necessarily have to do the trials" and can instead reference evidence done by different companies, she says.

Check the Label of the Container

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

Ingredients on the list of the tube are ordered by quantity. "The baddies that you need to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up