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Rachael Parnell

After discovering one shopper heard a supermarket was launching a fresh product collection that looked comparable to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

She rushed to her closest store to buy the store-brand face cream for a low price for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 of the high-end 50ml cream.

The smooth blue container and gold lid of both creams look remarkably alike. Although Rachael has never tried the luxury cream, she says she's satisfied by the dupe so far.

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

Over a quarter of UK consumers state they've tried a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This jumps to nearly half among 18-34 year olds, according to a recent poll.

Dupes are skincare products that copy well-known companies and present cost-effective options to premium products. They typically have alike names and packaging, but occasionally the components can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Always Better'

Skincare professionals contend many substitutes to luxury labels are decent standard and help make beauty routines more affordable.

"I don't think costlier is always better," comments consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not every low-budget product line is bad - and not all premium beauty item is the top."

"A number of [dupes] are absolutely amazing," notes Scott McGlynn, who runs a program with public figures.

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

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert a doctor believes alternatives are suitable to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and face washes.

"Dupes will do the job," he explains. "They will do the essentials to a reasonable level."

A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can save money when searching for single-ingredient items like HA, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient product then you're likely going to be fine in using a dupe or a product which is quite low cost because there's not much that can cause issues," she says.

'Don't Be Sold by the Packaging'

Yet the professionals also advise shoppers check details and state that more expensive items are occasionally worth the additional cost.

With high-end skincare, you're not only paying for the brand and marketing - often the increased price also comes from the components and their quality, the potency of the key component, the technology utilized to produce the item, and trials into the item's effectiveness, the expert says.

Facialist Rhian Truman argues it's valuable questioning how some dupes can be sold so inexpensively.

Sometimes, she says they may contain bulking agents that lack as numerous advantages for the complexion, or the components might not be as high-quality.

"The major doubt is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she remarks.

Expert McGlynn notes on occasion he's purchased skincare items that appear comparable to a established label but the actual formula has "no connection to the original".

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

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Regarding potent products or those with components that can irritate the complexion if they're not formulated accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate advises using research-backed labels.

She states these will likely have been through costly studies to assess how efficacious they are.

Skincare products need to be assessed before they can be marketed in the UK, explains expert Emma Wedgeworth.

If the company states about the performance of the product, it needs research to back it up, "but the seller doesn't necessarily have to do the trials" and can alternatively cite testing done by different firms, she adds.

Examine the Label of the Pack

Is there any components that could indicate a item is inferior?

Ingredients on the label of the bottle are arranged by concentration. "The baddies that you should look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up