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Rachael Parnell

When Rachael Parnell heard Aldi was offering a fresh skincare range that appeared akin to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

The shopper dashed to her closest store to pick up the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 price tag of the luxury brand 50ml cream.

The streamlined blue packaging and gold cap of each items look strikingly comparable. Although Rachael has not used the premium cream, she claims she's satisfied by the alternative so far.

She has been using skincare dupes from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for a long time, and she's in good company.

More than a 25% of UK shoppers state they've purchased a skincare or makeup lookalike. This rises to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, as per a recently published study.

Alternatives are beauty items that mimic established brands and provide affordable options to luxury products. These products typically have alike names and packaging, but in some cases the formulas can change significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Always Better'

Skincare specialists say some dupes to premium brands are reasonable quality and help make beauty routines more affordable.

"It is not true that higher-priced is always better," says skin specialist one expert. "Not every affordable product line is bad - and not all premium beauty item is the finest."

"Certain [dupes] are really excellent," adds a skincare commentator, who runs a program with celebrities.

A lot of of the products modeled on high-end brands "run out so quickly, it's just insane," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist another professional thinks dupes are fine to use for "fundamental products" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Dupes will serve a purpose," he explains. "These items will perform the fundamentals to a acceptable standard."

Ketaki Bhate, thinks you can spend less when seeking single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're buying a simple item then you're probably going to be okay in opting for a dupe or something which is quite affordable because there's minimal that can be problematic," she explains.

'Do Not Be Influenced by the Container'

Yet the specialists also advise buyers check details and note that more expensive products are at times worthy of the extra money.

With luxury beauty products, you're not just paying for the name and promotion - sometimes the increased cost also comes from the ingredients and their grade, the strength of the effective element, the science used to create the product, and trials into the products' performance, she explains.

Skin therapist another professional argues it's important thinking about how some alternatives can be offered so cheaply.

In some cases, she states they might contain bulking agents that do not provide as many benefits for the skin, or the materials might not be as high-quality.

"The big doubt is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she says.

Podcast host McGlynn notes on occasion he's purchased beauty products that appear comparable to a big-name brand but the item has "no connection to the original".

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

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Regarding more complicated products or those with components that can aggravate the complexion if they're not made properly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate suggests selecting more specialised brands.

The expert states these typically have been through expensive tests to determine how efficacious they are.

Skincare items are required to be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, notes consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

If the company states about the performance of the product, it requires research to back it up, "but the seller does not always have to do the testing" and can alternatively cite studies done by other firms, she clarifies.

Check the Label of the Bottle

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

Ingredients on the label of the container are listed by amount. "Potential irritants that you want to look out for… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up