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Rachael Parnell

When Rachael Parnell found out a supermarket was selling a fresh beauty line that appeared similar to items from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

Rachael rushed to her nearest store to purchase the supermarket face cream for a low price for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 of the luxury brand 50ml product.

The streamlined blue tube and gold top of each products look remarkably alike. And though she has not used the premium cream, she states she's satisfied by the dupe so far.

She has been purchasing skincare dupes from popular shops and grocery stores for some time, and she's in good company.

More than a quarter of UK shoppers say they've tried a beauty or cosmetic alternative. This increases to 44 percent among younger adults, based on a recent study.

Dupes are beauty items that imitate well-known labels and present cost-effective alternatives to luxury products. They typically have comparable labels and design, but in some cases the components can vary substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Skincare experts say many alternatives to high-end brands are reasonable standard and help make skincare less expensive.

"In my opinion higher-priced is invariably more effective," comments dermatology expert a doctor. "Not every affordable beauty label is bad - and not all premium skincare product is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are really impressive," notes a skincare commentator, who runs a podcast about celebrities.

Many of the products inspired by luxury labels "run out so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert another professional argues dupes are suitable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and face washes.

"These products will serve a purpose," he explains. "They will do the basics to a satisfactory level."

Ketaki Bhate, suggests you can spend less when you're looking for simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient product then you're probably going to be alright in using a dupe or something which is quite affordable because there's minimal that can be problematic," she says.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Container'

Yet the specialists also recommend consumers check details and say that costlier items are sometimes worth the premium price.

With luxury beauty products, you're not only paying for the label and marketing - sometimes the increased cost also stems from the formula and their quality, the concentration of the key component, the research used to produce the item, and studies into the products' effectiveness, she explains.

Facialist she says it's valuable questioning how certain dupes can be offered so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she believes they could have filler ingredients that do not provide as numerous advantages for the complexion, or the components might not be as well sourced.

"The big question mark is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she remarks.

Podcast host Scott notes in some cases he's purchased beauty products that look comparable to a big-name brand but the product itself has "little similarity to the luxury product".

"Don't be fooled by the container," he cautioned.

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Regarding advanced items or ones with ingredients that can inflame the skin if they're not created correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate recommends sticking to research-backed companies.

She explains these probably have been through comprehensive trials to evaluate how successful they are.

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

When the company states about the performance of the product, it must have research to verify it, "however the brand does not always have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively reference evidence completed by different firms, she says.

Examine the Label of the Container

Are there any ingredients that could indicate a item is inferior?

Components on the back of the bottle are arranged by concentration. "The baddies that you need to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up