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Rachael Parnell

When one shopper learned Aldi was selling a fresh beauty line that looked comparable to products from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper hurried to her nearest outlet to buy the store-brand face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml item.

Its sleek blue packaging and gold top of each items look noticeably alike. And though she has not used the high-end cream, she claims she's impressed by the dupe so far.

Rachael has been using skincare dupes from popular shops and supermarkets for some time, and she's in good company.

More than a fourth of UK buyers say they've bought a skincare or makeup alternative. This jumps to nearly half among millennials and Gen Z, based on a February study.

Lookalikes are skincare products that mimic well-known labels and present cost-effective alternatives to high-end items. They typically have alike labels and design, but in some cases the formulas can change considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Always Superior'

Beauty experts argue certain substitutes to premium brands are good quality and help make beauty routines cheaper.

"I don't think costlier is invariably more effective," states consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not every affordable product line is inferior - and not all high-end skincare product is the finest."

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

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

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor believes alternatives are acceptable to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and face washes.

"These products will be effective," he comments. "They will handle the essentials to a reasonable level."

Ketaki Bhate, advises you can cut costs when seeking single-ingredient products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're buying a single-ingredient product then you're probably going to be alright in using a lookalike or something which is fairly inexpensive because there's not much that can be problematic," she adds.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Packaging'

However the experts also suggest consumers do their research and state that more expensive products are sometimes worthy of the premium price.

With premium skincare, you're not only paying for the name and promotion - often the elevated price also is due to the components and their quality, the potency of the key component, the science utilized to create the product, and tests into the item's performance, Dr Belmo says.

Skin therapist Rhian Truman suggests it's valuable questioning how some dupes can be offered so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she states they might contain less effective components that don't have as many positive effects for the skin, or the ingredients might not be as carefully selected.

"One key question mark is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she remarks.

Expert McGlynn admits on occasion he's purchased skincare items that appear comparable to a established brand but the item has "little similarity to the original".

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

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For advanced items or those with components that can aggravate the skin if they're not created properly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, the specialist recommends sticking to medical-grade brands.

The expert says these probably have been subjected to costly studies to evaluate how successful they are.

Skincare products are required to be assessed before they can be available in the UK, says consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

When the brand makes claims about the efficacy of the product, it needs research to verify it, "however the brand doesn't always have to perform the testing" and can alternatively cite evidence conducted by different firms, she says.

Check the Ingredients List of the Container

Are there any components that could suggest a item is low-quality?

Ingredients on the list of the container are ordered by quantity. "Potential irritants that you want to be wary of… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up