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Rachael Parnell

After discovering a consumer heard a discounter was launching a recent product collection that appeared comparable to products from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

The shopper dashed to her closest outlet to buy the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml item.

Its streamlined blue packaging and gold cap of the two creams look strikingly alike. And though she has never tried the premium cream, she claims she's pleased by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been purchasing lookalike products from popular shops and supermarkets for some time, and she's not alone.

Over a fourth of UK consumers say they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This rises to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, as per a recently published study.

Lookalikes are skincare products that copy bigger name brands and offer affordable substitutes to high-end products. These products typically have similar names and packaging, but in some cases the ingredients can change considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Beauty specialists say certain dupes to high-end labels are decent standard and assist make skincare more affordable.

"I don't think more expensive is invariably superior," states dermatology expert a doctor. "Not every affordable beauty label is inferior - and not every luxury skincare product is the top."

"Certain [dupes] are really excellent," says a podcast host, who hosts a program about famous people.

Many of the items inspired by high-end brands "sell out so rapidly, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor believes dupes are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Alternatives will be effective," he says. "They will handle the basics to a reasonable degree."

A consultant dermatologist, suggests you can cut costs when seeking simple-formula products like HA, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient product then you're likely going to be fine in using a dupe or something which is very inexpensive because there's very little that can cause issues," she explains.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Box'

But the professionals also advise buyers do their research and note that higher-priced items are at times worthy of the extra money.

With high-end beauty products, you're not only paying for the label and marketing - at times the increased price tag also stems from the components and their grade, the strength of the key component, the science used to create the item, and trials into the item's effectiveness, she notes.

Facialist she suggests it's worth questioning how certain dupes can be sold so at a low cost.

In some cases, she states they could contain bulking agents that lack as significant positive effects for the skin, or the ingredients might not be as well sourced.

"The major doubt is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she says.

Podcast host McGlynn notes in some cases he's bought beauty products that appear similar to a big-name brand but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the premium version".

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

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For more complicated items or ones with components that can inflame the skin if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, the specialist suggests using more specialised labels.

She says these probably have been through comprehensive tests to evaluate how successful they are.

Beauty items need to be tested before they can be marketed in the UK, says skin doctor another professional.

If the company makes claims about the performance of the item, it requires data to support it, "but the seller does not always have to conduct the trials" and can instead cite studies conducted by different firms, she says.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Pack

Is there any components that could signal a product is poor?

Components on the list of the tube are arranged by quantity. "Potential irritants that you need to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up