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Rachael Parnell

After discovering one shopper learned a discounter was offering a new product collection that looked similar to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

Rachael rushed to her nearest 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.

Its smooth blue tube and gold top of both items look noticeably comparable. Although Rachael has not tested the high-end cream, she claims she's pleased by the alternative so far.

She has been using lookalike products from high street stores and supermarkets for years, and she's not alone.

More than a 25% of UK buyers report they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic alternative. This jumps to nearly half among millennials and Gen Z, as per a recently published poll.

Lookalikes are beauty items that imitate well-known labels and present budget-friendly alternatives to luxury items. These products typically have alike labels and design, but sometimes the formulas can vary substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Is Not Necessarily Better'

Skincare professionals say some alternatives to high-end labels are reasonable quality and help make skincare more affordable.

"I don't think higher-priced is necessarily better," says skin specialist Sharon Belmo. "Not all budget beauty label is inferior - and not all luxury skincare product is the top."

"A number of [dupes] are absolutely impressive," notes a skincare commentator, who hosts a program featuring celebrities.

A lot of of the products based on high-end brands "disappear so fast, it's just unbelievable," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert Ross Perry thinks alternatives are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Dupes will do the job," he comments. "They will do the essentials to a reasonable degree."

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 purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be fine in opting for a budget alternative or something which is very inexpensive because there's not much that can be problematic," she says.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Container'

However the professionals also suggest buyers investigate and say that higher-priced products are occasionally worth the additional cost.

Regarding luxury skincare, you're not just paying for the name and promotion - sometimes the increased price tag also stems from the ingredients and their grade, the concentration of the key component, the research employed to develop the item, and studies into the products' performance, she explains.

Beauty expert Rhian Truman says it's worth thinking about how some alternatives can be priced so cheaply.

In some cases, she believes they may have bulking agents that do not provide as many positive effects for the complexion, or the components might not be as high-quality.

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

Commentator Scott says in some cases he's bought beauty products that appear comparable to a big-name brand but the actual formula has "no connection to the premium version".

"Don't be convinced by the outer appearance," he added.

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For advanced items or those with ingredients that can inflame the skin if they're not formulated properly, such as retinols or vitamin C, she suggests selecting medical-grade labels.

She explains these probably have been subjected to costly trials to determine how effective they are.

Skincare products must be assessed before they can be sold in the UK, notes consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

If the brand advertises about the efficacy of the product, it requires data to verify it, "however the seller does not always have to perform the trials" and can alternatively reference evidence done by other companies, she says.

Check the Back of the Container

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

Ingredients on the list of the tube are ordered by concentration. "The baddies that you should look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up