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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell heard a discounter was offering a recent product collection that appeared similar to offerings from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

She dashed to her closest store to pick up the store-brand face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the high-end 50ml cream.

Its smooth blue packaging and gold lid of both items look noticeably alike. And though Rachael has not tested the high-end cream, she says she's pleased by the product so far.

She has been buying beauty alternatives from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for some time, and she's part of a trend.

More than a quarter of UK consumers say they've bought a beauty or cosmetic alternative. This increases to 44% among 18-34 year olds, according to a recently published poll.

Alternatives are beauty items that copy well-known companies and provide affordable options to luxury products. These products typically have similar branding and containers, but in some cases the formulas can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Is Not Always Superior'

Beauty experts say some alternatives to luxury brands are decent standard and assist make skincare cheaper.

"In my opinion costlier is necessarily better," comments skin specialist one expert. "Not all affordable beauty label is bad - and not all premium skincare product is the finest."

"Certain [dupes] are really impressive," adds a podcast host, who hosts a podcast with celebrities.

A lot of of the items modeled on luxury labels "run out so quickly, it's just crazy," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert Ross Perry argues dupes are fine to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Dupes will be effective," he says. "These items will perform the essentials to a acceptable degree."

Another skin doctor, advises you can spend less when seeking simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be alright in using a dupe or a product which is fairly inexpensive because there's minimal that can be problematic," she explains.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Packaging'

However the experts also suggest consumers investigate and say that costlier items are at times worth the additional cost.

With high-end skincare, you're not just funding the brand and advertising - often the higher cost also stems from the formula and their standard, the concentration of the key component, the science utilized to produce the item, and studies into the products' effectiveness, the expert notes.

Facialist another professional suggests it's worth thinking about how some dupes can be offered so inexpensively.

In some cases, she states they could have filler ingredients that do not provide as significant benefits for the skin, or the ingredients might not be as high-quality.

"The big uncertainty is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she remarks.

Expert McGlynn admits in some cases he's bought skincare items that appear comparable to a big-name brand but the product itself has "no resemblance to the original".

"Do not be convinced by the outer appearance," he cautioned.

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Regarding more complicated items or those with components that can aggravate the complexion if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, she advises selecting research-backed labels.

The expert states these typically have been subjected to costly tests to determine how successful they are.

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

When the label makes claims about the performance of the item, it requires research to back it up, "however the manufacturer doesn't always have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively cite studies done by other firms, she clarifies.

Check the Back of the Pack

Is there any components that could suggest a item is low-quality?

Components on the label of the tube are listed by concentration. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up