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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing one shopper found out a supermarket was launching a fresh product collection that appeared akin to offerings from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

The shopper dashed to her nearest outlet to purchase the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml item.

Its sleek blue container and gold lid of both products look noticeably alike. While Rachael has not used the luxury cream, she states she's pleased by the product so far.

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

Over a 25% of UK buyers state they've tried a skincare or makeup lookalike. This jumps to nearly half among millennials and Gen Z, based on a February survey.

Lookalikes are beauty items that imitate well-known labels and offer budget-friendly substitutes to premium products. They frequently have alike branding and containers, but in some cases the formulas can change considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Always Superior'

Beauty specialists say some dupes to luxury brands are good quality and aid make skincare less expensive.

"I don't think higher-priced is invariably more effective," comments dermatology expert a doctor. "Not all low-budget beauty label is bad - and not every premium beauty item is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely impressive," says Scott McGlynn, who runs a program featuring famous people.

A lot of of the products based on luxury brands "sell out so rapidly, it's just crazy," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist a doctor believes dupes are suitable to use for "fundamental products" like moisturisers and face washes.

"These products will serve a purpose," he says. "These items will do the basics to a reasonable level."

A consultant dermatologist, advises you can spend less when you're looking for single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a simple item then you're probably going to be okay in opting for a budget alternative or something which is quite low cost because there's minimal that can be problematic," she says.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Box'

But the professionals also suggest consumers do their research and state that more expensive products are occasionally worth the additional cost.

Regarding high-end beauty products, you're not only paying for the label and marketing - at times the elevated price tag also comes from the formula and their grade, the potency of the active ingredient, the technology used to develop the item, and trials into the products' performance, she says.

Beauty expert she suggests it's important thinking about how some dupes can be offered so at a low cost.

In some cases, she states they could contain less effective components that don't have as significant advantages for the skin, or the materials might not be as well sourced.

"The key doubt is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she remarks.

Commentator McGlynn notes in some cases he's bought beauty products that look comparable to a big-name brand but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the premium version".

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

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Regarding more complicated products or those with components that can irritate the skin if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, Dr Bhate advises sticking to medical-grade companies.

The expert says these probably have been through comprehensive tests to determine how effective they are.

Skincare products need to be tested before they can be marketed in the UK, says consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

If the brand states about the performance of the product, it needs research to back it up, "however the seller does not necessarily have to do the trials" and can instead cite studies done by other firms, she clarifies.

Check the Back of the Container

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

Components on the back of the container are arranged by amount. "The baddies that you should avoid… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up