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Rachael Parnell

After discovering one shopper heard Aldi was launching a fresh product collection that looked similar to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

The shopper dashed to her local shop to buy the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the high-end 50ml product.

Its smooth blue container and gold lid of the two items look remarkably comparable. And though she has not used the premium cream, she states she's pleased by the alternative so far.

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

Over a 25% of UK shoppers state they've tried a skincare or makeup alternative. This rises to nearly half among millennials and Gen Z, based on a recently published study.

Lookalikes are skincare products that copy well-known labels and present budget-friendly alternatives to premium items. They often have alike branding and containers, but in some cases the ingredients can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Beauty experts argue many alternatives to premium labels are decent standard and help make beauty routines more affordable.

"In my opinion higher-priced is always more effective," states dermatology expert a doctor. "Not all affordable skincare brand is poor - and not every luxury skincare product is the best."

"Certain [dupes] are truly impressive," notes Scott McGlynn, who runs a podcast with celebrities.

Numerous of the products based on luxury brands "sell out so fast, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional thinks dupes are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like hydrators and cleansers.

"These products will do the job," he comments. "They will perform the basics to a reasonable degree."

Ketaki Bhate, advises you can spend less when you're looking for single-ingredient products like HA, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a simple item then you're likely going to be alright in using a budget alternative or a product which is fairly inexpensive because there's minimal that can go wrong," she says.

'Don't Be Sold by the Box'

But the experts also recommend shoppers investigate and note that costlier items are at times worth the premium price.

With high-end beauty products, you're not just funding the label and promotion - often the elevated price also is due to the formula and their grade, the strength of the active ingredient, the research used to create the item, and studies into the products' performance, the expert notes.

Beauty expert she suggests it's worth thinking about how some dupes can be offered so inexpensively.

Sometimes, she believes they could contain bulking agents that do not provide as numerous positive effects for the skin, or the components might not be as well sourced.

"The key 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 well-known brand but the item has "no resemblance to the original".

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

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Regarding potent products or those with components that can inflame the complexion if they're not made accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C, she advises selecting more specialised companies.

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

Beauty products need to be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, explains expert another professional.

When the brand makes claims about the effectiveness of the product, it needs evidence to verify it, "however the seller does not always have to perform the trials" and can instead cite evidence done by different brands, she clarifies.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Pack

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

Components on the label of the bottle are listed by quantity. "The baddies that you should look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up