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Rachael Parnell

When one shopper learned a supermarket was offering a fresh product collection that looked comparable to offerings from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

She hurried to her closest outlet to pick up the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 cost of the high-end 50ml cream.

Its smooth blue container and gold top of both items look noticeably alike. Although Rachael has not tested the premium cream, she says she's satisfied by the dupe so far.

Rachael has been using beauty alternatives from popular shops and supermarkets for years, and she's part of a trend.

More than a quarter of UK consumers report they've bought a beauty or cosmetic alternative. This rises to nearly half among 18-34 year olds, as per a recently published survey.

Alternatives are beauty items that copy bigger name brands and provide cost-effective options to premium products. These products often have alike labels and design, but sometimes the formulas can differ considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Necessarily Better'

Beauty experts contend some alternatives to luxury labels are reasonable standard and help make beauty routines more affordable.

"I don't think costlier is necessarily more effective," states consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not all affordable beauty label is poor - and not every premium beauty item is the best."

"A number of [dupes] are truly impressive," says Scott McGlynn, who presents a podcast featuring celebrities.

Many of the items modeled on luxury labels "sell out so fast, it's just insane," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry believes alternatives are fine to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and cleansers.

"These products will be effective," he says. "They will perform the basics to a acceptable level."

A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can spend less when seeking single-ingredient products like HA, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a simple item then you're probably going to be okay in opting for a lookalike or a product which is very inexpensive because there's not much that can cause issues," she adds.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Container'

But the specialists also recommend buyers check details and note that more expensive items are occasionally worthy of the premium price.

Regarding high-end skincare, you're not only covering the name and advertising - at times the higher price tag also stems from the ingredients and their grade, the concentration of the effective element, the research used to develop the product, and studies into the item's effectiveness, the expert says.

Beauty expert another professional suggests it's important considering how some alternatives can be offered so inexpensively.

Sometimes, she states they could have filler ingredients that don't have as numerous positive effects for the complexion, or the materials might not be as well sourced.

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

Commentator McGlynn admits in some cases he's purchased beauty products that look comparable to a well-known label but the actual formula has "no connection to the luxury product".

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

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For advanced items or those with components that can inflame the skin if they're not made accurately, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, she advises sticking to more specialised labels.

She says these probably have been through costly tests to evaluate how effective they are.

Beauty products must be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, says consultant dermatologist another professional.

If the company advertises about the performance of the item, it requires data to support it, "however the manufacturer doesn't always have to conduct the testing" and can instead reference evidence completed by other firms, she says.

Check the Ingredients List of the Pack

Is there any ingredients that could suggest a item is low-quality?

Ingredients on the label of the tube are arranged by concentration. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to be wary of… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up