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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing one shopper found out a supermarket was offering a new skincare range that looked akin to products from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

She rushed to her local shop to buy the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 price tag of the high-end 50ml item.

The smooth blue container and gold top of the two items look remarkably alike. And though she has never tried the high-end cream, she states she's satisfied by the product so far.

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

More than a fourth of UK consumers report they've bought a skincare or makeup alternative. This increases to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, based on a recently published survey.

Dupes are skincare products that mimic well-known labels and offer budget-friendly alternatives to premium items. They often have alike branding and containers, but occasionally the components can change considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Is Not Always Better'

Beauty experts contend certain substitutes to high-end labels are good quality and aid make skincare more affordable.

"I don't think higher-priced is always superior," says skin specialist a doctor. "Not every affordable product line is poor - and not all premium skincare product is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are truly amazing," notes a podcast host, who presents a podcast with celebrities.

Many of the products inspired by luxury labels "sell out so fast, it's just insane," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor argues alternatives are fine to use for "fundamental products" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Alternatives will do the job," he comments. "These items will perform the fundamentals to a satisfactory level."

Another skin doctor, advises you can spend less when searching for simple-formula products like HA, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a single-ingredient product then you're probably going to be alright in opting for a dupe or something which is very affordable because there's not much that can go wrong," she adds.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Container'

But the experts also suggest shoppers check details and note that costlier products are occasionally worthy of the premium price.

Regarding high-end beauty products, you're not only covering the label and advertising - at times the increased price also is due to the formula and their grade, the potency of the effective element, the technology employed to produce the item, and tests into the item's performance, Dr Belmo notes.

Skin therapist she suggests it's important thinking about how certain dupes can be offered so cheaply.

Occasionally, she states they could contain bulking agents that do not provide as many positive effects for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as well sourced.

"One big uncertainty is 'Why is it so low-priced?'" she says.

Expert Scott admits on occasion he's bought skincare items that appear comparable to a big-name brand but the product itself has "no connection to the premium version".

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

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Regarding more complicated items or those with components that can inflame the skin if they're not created properly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, she advises using research-backed brands.

The expert explains these probably have been through comprehensive trials to determine how effective they are.

Skincare products are required to be assessed before they can be marketed in the UK, says skin doctor another professional.

If the label states about the efficacy of the item, it must have research to support it, "however the seller doesn't always have to conduct the trials" and can instead cite testing done by different brands, she adds.

Check the Ingredients List of the Pack

Are there any ingredients that could indicate a product is inferior?

Ingredients on the list of the tube are ordered by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you should look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up