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Rachael Parnell

After discovering a consumer learned a supermarket was launching a new product collection that appeared comparable to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

Rachael dashed to her closest outlet to pick up the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the luxury brand 50ml product.

The streamlined blue container and gold lid of the two items look noticeably alike. Although Rachael has not used the luxury cream, she states she's pleased by the dupe so far.

Rachael has been buying beauty alternatives from popular shops and grocery stores for some time, and she's part of a trend.

More than a quarter of UK shoppers state they've tried a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This increases to 44 percent among younger adults, as per a recent survey.

Alternatives are skincare products that imitate established companies and present affordable alternatives to high-end products. They typically have alike branding and containers, but sometimes the components can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Always Superior'

Skincare specialists argue some dupes to premium brands are reasonable standard and aid make skincare cheaper.

"In my opinion costlier is necessarily superior," states dermatology expert a doctor. "Not every budget product line is bad - and not every premium skincare product is the top."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely impressive," adds a skincare commentator, who hosts a show featuring famous people.

Numerous of the products modeled on high-end labels "run out so rapidly, it's just crazy," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist a doctor argues alternatives are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes.

"Dupes will serve a purpose," he says. "These items will handle the essentials to a reasonable standard."

A consultant dermatologist, advises you can cut costs when you're looking for simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be fine in using a dupe or something which is quite affordable because there's not much that can go wrong," she says.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Packaging'

But the specialists also advise consumers check details and state that costlier items are occasionally worthy of the extra money.

Regarding high-end skincare, you're not only funding the label and advertising - often the increased price also is due to the ingredients and their standard, the potency of the effective element, the technology used to develop the product, and trials into the products' effectiveness, the expert says.

Skin therapist she suggests it's important questioning how some alternatives can be offered so cheaply.

In some cases, she says they might have filler ingredients that don't have as significant positive effects for the skin, or the materials might not be as carefully selected.

"The major question mark is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she remarks.

Commentator Scott admits on occasion he's purchased skincare items that appear similar to a well-known label but the actual formula has "no connection to the luxury product".

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

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Regarding advanced items or those with components that can aggravate the skin if they're not created properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, the specialist advises using research-backed labels.

The expert explains these probably have been through comprehensive tests to determine how effective they are.

Beauty products must be assessed before they can be available in the UK, notes skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

If the brand states about the effectiveness of the item, it needs data to support it, "but the manufacturer doesn't always have to perform the trials" and can alternatively cite testing completed by different firms, she adds.

Check the Label of the Container

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

Ingredients on the list of the container are ordered by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to look out for… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up