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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell heard a discounter was selling a fresh product collection that appeared similar to products from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

The shopper dashed to her local store to pick up the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml item.

Its sleek blue tube and gold lid of the two creams look strikingly comparable. And though she has never tried the luxury cream, she says she's pleased by the dupe so far.

Rachael has been using skincare dupes from popular shops and supermarkets for years, and she's in good company.

More than a quarter of UK buyers state they've tried a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This jumps to 44% among younger adults, as per a February study.

Dupes are skincare products that imitate established brands and provide budget-friendly substitutes to premium products. They frequently have alike labels and design, but in some cases the components can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Is Not Always Superior'

Skincare experts say some substitutes to luxury brands are decent quality and aid make beauty routines less expensive.

"I don't think more expensive is necessarily better," states skin specialist Sharon Belmo. "Not all affordable product line is bad - and not every luxury skincare product is the top."

"Certain [dupes] are truly amazing," adds a podcast host, who runs a program with public figures.

Numerous of the items based on luxury labels "disappear so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert Ross Perry thinks dupes are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Alternatives will serve a purpose," he explains. "These items will do the essentials to a reasonable level."

Ketaki Bhate, suggests you can save money when searching for single-ingredient products like HA, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"If you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be fine in using a budget alternative or a product which is fairly inexpensive because there's minimal that can cause issues," she explains.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Packaging'

Yet the specialists also advise consumers do their research and say that costlier products are sometimes worth the extra money.

With luxury skincare, you're not just covering the name and promotion - at times the elevated cost also stems from the ingredients and their grade, the concentration of the active ingredient, the science utilized to create the product, and tests into the item's performance, Dr Belmo says.

Skin therapist she says it's important questioning how certain dupes can be sold so inexpensively.

Occasionally, she states they could contain less effective components that don't have as significant advantages for the complexion, or the components might not be as well sourced.

"One big doubt is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Podcast host Scott says on occasion he's purchased beauty products that appear similar to a established brand but the actual formula has "no connection to the original".

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

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Regarding potent products or those with components that can inflame the complexion if they're not formulated accurately, such as retinoids or vitamin C, Dr Bhate recommends using research-backed brands.

The expert explains these probably have been subjected to expensive tests to determine how efficacious they are.

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

If the label advertises about the efficacy of the item, it needs evidence to back it up, "however the seller does not always have to do the testing" and can instead reference testing conducted by other brands, she adds.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Pack

Is there any ingredients that could signal a product is inferior?

Ingredients on the back of the container are ordered by quantity. "Potential irritants that you want to be wary of… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up