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Rachael Parnell

After discovering Rachael Parnell found out Aldi was launching a new beauty line that looked comparable to offerings from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

Rachael hurried to her nearest store to pick up the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 price tag of the high-end 50ml item.

The smooth blue tube and gold top of the two products look remarkably alike. While Rachael has never tried the premium cream, she says she's satisfied by the product so far.

She has been buying beauty alternatives from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for a long time, and she's not alone.

More than a fourth of UK buyers report they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic alternative. This rises to 44 percent among younger adults, as per a recent study.

Lookalikes are skincare products that mimic well-known companies and provide budget-friendly options to luxury items. They frequently have similar branding and containers, but in some cases the formulas can differ substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Always Better'

Skincare professionals argue many dupes to luxury brands are decent quality and aid make skincare cheaper.

"I don't think more expensive is necessarily more effective," says consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not all budget product line is poor - and not all luxury skincare product is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely excellent," says a podcast host, who presents a podcast about public figures.

A lot of of the products inspired by high-end labels "run out so quickly, it's just unbelievable," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert a doctor thinks dupes are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Dupes will serve a purpose," he says. "These items will handle the essentials to a satisfactory level."

Another skin doctor, advises you can spend less when seeking simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"When you're purchasing a simple product then you're likely going to be alright in opting for a budget alternative or something which is quite low cost because there's not much that can be problematic," she adds.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Container'

However the specialists also suggest shoppers investigate and say that higher-priced products are at times worth the extra money.

With luxury skincare, you're not only funding the label and marketing - at times the higher price tag also comes from the ingredients and their quality, the strength of the active ingredient, the technology used to create the item, and tests into the products' efficacy, Dr Belmo says.

Skin therapist she suggests it's worth questioning how certain alternatives can be offered so cheaply.

In some cases, she states they could include bulking agents that lack as numerous positive effects for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as well sourced.

"One major doubt is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she remarks.

Expert McGlynn says sometimes he's purchased skincare items that look comparable to a established label but the item has "little similarity to the luxury product".

"Do not be fooled by the packaging," he added.

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For advanced items or those with components that can inflame the skin if they're not created correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, the specialist advises selecting more specialised labels.

The expert explains these will likely have been subjected to costly studies to assess how efficacious they are.

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

When the brand makes claims about the efficacy of the item, it requires research to verify it, "but the brand doesn't necessarily have to do the trials" and can instead cite studies conducted by different companies, she clarifies.

Check the Label of the Bottle

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

Components on the back of the tube are listed by concentration. "The baddies that you should look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up