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Rachael Parnell

After discovering one shopper learned Aldi was launching a new product collection that seemed comparable to offerings from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

She dashed to her local store to buy the store-brand face cream for a low price for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 of the luxury brand 50ml cream.

Its streamlined blue container and gold top of the two items look strikingly similar. And though Rachael has not tested the high-end cream, she says she's pleased by the product so far.

She has been purchasing beauty alternatives from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for some time, and she's not alone.

More than a quarter of UK consumers state they've tried a skincare or makeup alternative. This rises to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, according to a February poll.

Lookalikes are skincare products that mimic bigger name companies and present cost-effective substitutes to luxury products. They typically have alike branding and containers, but occasionally the ingredients can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Skincare experts argue many dupes to premium labels are decent quality and help make skincare cheaper.

"It is not true that costlier is invariably better," says consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not all low-budget product line is bad - and not every high-end skincare product is the best."

"A number of [dupes] are truly amazing," adds a podcast host, who presents a show featuring celebrities.

Numerous of the products based on high-end labels "disappear so rapidly, it's just insane," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist Ross Perry argues alternatives are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Dupes will be effective," he says. "They will handle the basics to a satisfactory standard."

A consultant dermatologist, suggests you can spend less when you're looking for simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient product then you're probably going to be fine in opting for a budget alternative or a product which is fairly low cost because there's not much that can go wrong," she says.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Container'

However the experts also advise shoppers check details and state that higher-priced items are at times worth the additional cost.

Regarding high-end beauty products, you're not only covering the brand and promotion - at times the elevated price also stems from the formula and their grade, the potency of the effective element, the technology utilized to create the item, and trials into the item's performance, she says.

Facialist another professional says it's valuable considering how certain dupes can be sold so inexpensively.

Occasionally, she says they could have filler ingredients that don't have as significant positive effects for the complexion, or the components might not be as well sourced.

"One major uncertainty is 'How is it so cheap?'" she asks.

Expert McGlynn says sometimes he's bought skincare items that look comparable to a well-known brand but the item has "no resemblance to the premium version".

"Do not be convinced by the container," he cautioned.

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For more complicated items or ones with components that can aggravate the skin if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate suggests sticking to research-backed labels.

She states these typically have been through costly studies to determine how successful they are.

Beauty items are required to be tested before they can be sold in the UK, notes expert another professional.

When the brand makes claims about the effectiveness of the item, it must have data to support it, "but the manufacturer does not necessarily have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively reference studies conducted by different brands, she adds.

Check the Label of the Bottle

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

Components on the back of the tube are ordered by quantity. "Potential irritants that you should look out for… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up