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Rachael Parnell

After discovering one shopper heard a discounter was offering a fresh beauty line that seemed akin to products from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper hurried to her local store to pick up the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the luxury brand 50ml cream.

Its sleek blue packaging and gold lid of each items look remarkably comparable. And though she has never tried the high-end cream, she states she's satisfied by the alternative so far.

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

Over a fourth of UK consumers say they've purchased a skincare or makeup lookalike. This jumps to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, based on a recently published poll.

Lookalikes are skincare products that imitate bigger name companies and present affordable options to premium items. They often have alike names and packaging, but sometimes the formulas can change significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Always Better'

Beauty specialists contend many dupes to premium brands are good standard and assist make beauty routines less expensive.

"I don't think higher-priced is necessarily superior," comments consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not every low-budget skincare brand is poor - and not every luxury skincare product is the best."

"Some [dupes] are really impressive," says Scott McGlynn, who presents a show about famous people.

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

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry thinks dupes are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Dupes will serve a purpose," he comments. "They will perform the basics to a acceptable degree."

A consultant dermatologist, advises you can spend less when seeking single-ingredient products like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be alright in using a budget alternative or something which is very inexpensive because there's minimal that can go wrong," she adds.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Container'

Yet the specialists also suggest consumers check details and say that higher-priced products are sometimes worthy of the additional cost.

With premium beauty products, you're not just covering the name and marketing - sometimes the increased price tag also stems from the ingredients and their quality, the potency of the effective element, the research utilized to create the item, and trials into the item's efficacy, the expert says.

Beauty expert she suggests it's important considering how certain dupes can be priced so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she says they could have filler ingredients that do not provide as numerous positive effects for the complexion, or the components might not be as carefully selected.

"One big uncertainty is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Expert McGlynn notes in some cases he's purchased beauty products that appear comparable to a big-name label but the item has "no resemblance to the original".

"Do not be fooled by the packaging," he cautioned.

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Regarding more complicated products or those with components that can aggravate the complexion if they're not made properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, the specialist suggests sticking to more specialised companies.

She states these will likely have been subjected to expensive studies to evaluate how successful they are.

Beauty products must be tested before they can be available in the UK, says skin doctor another professional.

When the brand states about the performance of the item, it needs research to verify it, "but the brand does not always have to conduct the testing" and can alternatively cite evidence done by different companies, she adds.

Check the Ingredients List of the Container

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

Ingredients on the back of the bottle are listed by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up