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Rachael Parnell

When Rachael Parnell found out Aldi was selling a new product collection that appeared similar to products from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

She hurried to her local store to buy the supermarket face cream for a low price for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 cost of the high-end 50ml product.

Its sleek blue packaging and gold cap of the two products look strikingly comparable. While she has never tried the premium cream, she says she's satisfied by the product so far.

She has been purchasing beauty alternatives from high street stores and supermarkets for some time, and she's in good company.

More than a 25% of UK shoppers report they've tried a skincare or makeup dupe. This jumps to nearly half among millennials and Gen Z, according to a recently published study.

Lookalikes are skincare products that mimic bigger name brands and provide cost-effective options to premium items. They frequently have alike branding and containers, but occasionally the ingredients can differ considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Skincare professionals contend some dupes to high-end brands are reasonable standard and aid make skincare cheaper.

"In my opinion more expensive is necessarily superior," comments skin specialist one expert. "Not every affordable beauty label is poor - and not all luxury beauty item is the top."

"Some [dupes] are truly amazing," notes Scott McGlynn, who presents a show about famous people.

Numerous of the products based on high-end brands "sell out so quickly, it's just insane," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional argues dupes are fine to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Dupes will serve a purpose," he comments. "These items will do the essentials to a acceptable level."

A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can save money when searching for single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"If you're buying a simple item then you're probably going to be okay in using a lookalike or a product which is fairly affordable because there's minimal that can go wrong," she says.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Box'

But the specialists also suggest buyers check details and state that more expensive products are sometimes worthy of the premium price.

Regarding luxury beauty products, you're not only paying for the name and promotion - sometimes the higher price tag also stems from the ingredients and their standard, the concentration of the key component, the science used to create the item, and studies into the products' performance, Dr Belmo says.

Facialist she suggests it's important considering how some dupes can be sold so inexpensively.

In some cases, she believes they could have bulking agents that lack as many benefits for the complexion, or the components might not be as well sourced.

"One big doubt is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Commentator Scott admits on occasion he's bought beauty products that look comparable to a well-known brand but the product itself has "little similarity to the luxury product".

"Do not be fooled by the outer appearance," he added.

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Regarding more complicated products or those with ingredients that can inflame the complexion if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, the specialist advises using medical-grade brands.

The expert explains these will likely have been through expensive studies to assess how successful they are.

Beauty items must be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, explains expert another professional.

When the company states about the effectiveness of the product, it requires data to verify it, "but the manufacturer does not necessarily have to do the trials" and can alternatively use evidence conducted by other companies, she says.

Read the Back of the Pack

Is there any components that could signal a item is low-quality?

Components on the list of the container are arranged by quantity. "Potential irritants that you should avoid… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up