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Rachael Parnell

When Rachael Parnell heard a discounter was launching a recent skincare range that looked similar to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

The shopper dashed to her closest store to buy the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 cost of the high-end 50ml cream.

Its streamlined blue tube and gold cap of each creams look noticeably alike. While Rachael has not tested the luxury cream, she states she's pleased by the product so far.

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

Over a fourth of UK consumers state they've tried a skincare or makeup lookalike. This rises to 44% among 18-34 year olds, based on a recent poll.

Lookalikes are skincare products that copy well-known companies and provide cost-effective options to luxury items. These products frequently have comparable names and packaging, but in some cases the components can change significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Beauty specialists argue certain dupes to luxury brands are reasonable standard and assist make skincare more affordable.

"I don't think costlier is invariably more effective," comments skin specialist a doctor. "Not all affordable product line is bad - and not every luxury beauty item is the top."

"A number of [dupes] are really impressive," says a podcast host, who hosts a show about famous people.

A lot of of the products inspired by luxury brands "run out so fast, it's just insane," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist another professional argues alternatives are fine to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Dupes will do the job," he comments. "These items will handle the basics to a reasonable degree."

Another skin doctor, advises you can cut costs when you're looking for single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're purchasing a simple product then you're likely going to be okay in using a budget alternative or something which is quite low cost because there's minimal that can go wrong," she says.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Box'

Yet the specialists also suggest shoppers do their research and note that costlier items are at times worth the extra money.

With high-end skincare, you're not just funding the label and advertising - at times the higher price also is due to the components and their standard, the potency of the effective element, the research employed to develop the item, and tests into the products' efficacy, she says.

Beauty expert she argues it's valuable considering how certain dupes can be sold so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she says they might include filler ingredients that do not provide as numerous advantages for the complexion, or the materials might not be as carefully selected.

"The major doubt is 'How is it so cheap?'" she says.

Commentator McGlynn says in some cases he's purchased beauty products that look similar to a big-name brand but the item has "little similarity to the premium version".

"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 complexion if they're not made properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, she advises sticking to medical-grade companies.

The expert explains these typically have been through comprehensive tests to assess how successful they are.

Skincare items are required to be assessed before they can be sold in the UK, says consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

When the company makes claims about the effectiveness of the item, it must have evidence to verify it, "but the manufacturer does not always have to conduct the trials" and can instead use evidence conducted by other brands, she clarifies.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Pack

Is there any ingredients that could indicate a item is poor?

Ingredients on the back of the bottle are ordered by concentration. "The baddies that you want to avoid… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up