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Rachael Parnell

After discovering one shopper found out a supermarket was launching a new product collection that looked comparable to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

She rushed to her closest outlet to pick up the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml item.

The streamlined blue container and gold lid of both items look strikingly comparable. And though she has not used the high-end cream, she claims she's impressed by the alternative so far.

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

More than a fourth of UK buyers say they've purchased a skincare or makeup dupe. This increases to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, according to a recent study.

Lookalikes are beauty items that copy established companies and present cost-effective substitutes to high-end items. These products often have similar labels and design, but occasionally the formulas can differ considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Always Better'

Beauty professionals contend certain dupes to premium brands are decent standard and assist make skincare more affordable.

"In my opinion higher-priced is always better," says skin specialist one expert. "Not all affordable product line is bad - and not every high-end skincare product is the top."

"Some [dupes] are truly impressive," adds Scott McGlynn, who hosts a program featuring celebrities.

Many of the items based on high-end labels "run out so quickly, it's just crazy," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry believes dupes are fine to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Dupes will do the job," he says. "These items will handle the fundamentals to a satisfactory standard."

Ketaki Bhate, advises you can spend less when seeking single-ingredient products like HA, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a simple product then you're likely going to be fine in using a budget alternative or a product which is quite affordable because there's minimal that can be problematic," she adds.

'Don't Be Sold by the Packaging'

Yet the professionals also advise shoppers do their research and note that costlier items are sometimes worth the extra money.

With high-end beauty products, you're not only paying for the name and marketing - at times the elevated price also comes from the formula and their grade, the potency of the key component, the technology employed to create the product, and tests into the products' performance, Dr Belmo explains.

Facialist Rhian Truman says it's important questioning how some alternatives can be sold so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she states they may contain less effective components that don't have as numerous advantages for the skin, or the materials might not be as well sourced.

"One big uncertainty is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she asks.

Expert Scott admits on occasion he's purchased skincare items that look similar to a well-known brand but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the original".

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

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Regarding advanced products or those with ingredients that can irritate the complexion if they're not made properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, the specialist advises using medical-grade labels.

She explains these will likely have been subjected to costly studies to determine how effective they are.

Beauty items are required to be tested before they can be available in the UK, explains consultant dermatologist another professional.

When the company makes claims about the effectiveness of the product, it must have research to verify it, "but the manufacturer does not necessarily have to do the testing" and can alternatively use evidence completed by different companies, she says.

Read the Back of the Container

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

Ingredients on the back of the tube are arranged by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up