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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer found out Aldi was launching a recent skincare range that seemed akin to items from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

Rachael rushed to her closest store to pick up the supermarket face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the luxury brand 50ml item.

Its streamlined blue packaging and gold top of each products look noticeably alike. Although she has never tried the premium cream, she claims she's pleased by the dupe so far.

She has been buying lookalike products from high street stores and grocery stores for some time, and she's in good company.

More than a fourth of UK consumers state they've bought a skincare or makeup dupe. This rises to 44% among younger adults, based on a recent study.

Alternatives are beauty items that imitate well-known companies and present cost-effective alternatives to luxury items. These products typically have comparable names and packaging, but occasionally the ingredients can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Always Superior'

Beauty specialists argue many alternatives to luxury brands are reasonable quality and help make beauty routines more affordable.

"In my opinion higher-priced is invariably better," says dermatology expert Sharon Belmo. "Not every budget skincare brand is inferior - and not every luxury beauty item is the finest."

"Certain [dupes] are really amazing," notes a podcast host, who presents a program featuring celebrities.

Many of the products modeled on high-end brands "sell out so rapidly, it's just insane," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert a doctor thinks alternatives are fine to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Dupes will be effective," he says. "These items will do the essentials to a reasonable level."

Ketaki Bhate, advises you can spend less when searching for simple-formula items like HA, niacinamide and squalane.

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

'Don't Be Influenced by the Packaging'

But the professionals also suggest shoppers do their research and say that more expensive products are occasionally worthy of the premium price.

Regarding premium beauty products, you're not just covering the label and advertising - at times the increased cost also stems from the components and their grade, the concentration of the key component, the technology employed to develop the product, and studies into the item's effectiveness, the expert explains.

Beauty expert another professional suggests it's worth questioning how some alternatives can be priced so cheaply.

In some cases, she says they might include bulking agents that don't have as numerous positive effects for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as well sourced.

"The major doubt is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she says.

Expert Scott says on occasion he's bought beauty products that appear comparable to a well-known brand but the actual formula has "no connection to the premium version".

"Do not be sold by the container," he warned.

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Regarding potent items or those with components that can irritate the complexion if they're not made correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, she recommends sticking to medical-grade brands.

The expert explains these typically have been subjected to comprehensive tests to evaluate how effective they are.

Skincare items need to be evaluated before they can be available in the UK, says skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

When the label states about the efficacy of the product, it requires research to support it, "however the manufacturer doesn't necessarily have to do the testing" and can alternatively cite studies conducted by different firms, she adds.

Check the Label of the Pack

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

Components on the back of the bottle are ordered by amount. "Potential irritants that you want to look out for… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up