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Rachael Parnell

When Rachael Parnell learned Aldi was selling a fresh beauty line that appeared akin to items from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

Rachael dashed to her nearest outlet to purchase the supermarket face cream for a low price for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the luxury brand 50ml product.

Its smooth blue tube and gold cap of each creams look strikingly comparable. And though she has never tried the high-end cream, she says she's pleased by the dupe so far.

She has been purchasing skincare dupes from high street stores and supermarkets for a long time, and she's part of a trend.

Over a 25% of UK shoppers report they've bought a skincare or makeup lookalike. This rises to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, as per a recently published survey.

Lookalikes are skincare products that mimic established brands and provide affordable substitutes to high-end products. They frequently have similar names and packaging, but occasionally the components can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Always Superior'

Skincare specialists argue many substitutes to high-end labels are reasonable standard and help make beauty routines less expensive.

"It is not true that more expensive is invariably better," comments dermatology expert one expert. "Not every low-budget product line is poor - and not all premium beauty item is the best."

"Some [dupes] are truly excellent," notes a skincare commentator, who presents a podcast with celebrities.

Numerous of the items inspired by luxury labels "sell out so rapidly, it's just insane," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert Ross Perry thinks alternatives are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Dupes will serve a purpose," he says. "They will perform the basics to a reasonable standard."

Another skin doctor, suggests you can spend less when you're looking for simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're purchasing a simple item then you're likely going to be okay in opting for a dupe or a product which is quite affordable because there's not much that can cause issues," she adds.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Box'

However the experts also suggest consumers investigate and note that higher-priced products are occasionally worthy of the extra money.

With high-end beauty products, you're not only paying for the name and advertising - often the elevated price also is due to the ingredients and their grade, the potency of the active ingredient, the science utilized to develop the product, and studies into the item's efficacy, the expert explains.

Skin therapist another professional says it's worth considering how certain alternatives can be priced so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she believes they may include bulking agents that lack as many benefits for the complexion, or the components might not be as high-quality.

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

Commentator McGlynn admits sometimes he's purchased skincare items that appear comparable to a established label but the item has "little similarity to the original".

"Do not be sold by the packaging," he warned.

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Regarding potent products or ones with ingredients that can inflame the complexion if they're not made correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, she suggests selecting more specialised companies.

She says these probably have been through comprehensive trials to evaluate how effective they are.

Skincare products are required to be tested before they can be sold in the UK, explains expert Emma Wedgeworth.

If the brand advertises about the efficacy of the product, it requires evidence to back it up, "however the manufacturer does not always have to conduct the testing" and can instead reference evidence done by different companies, she says.

Check the Label of the Container

Are there any components that could suggest a product is inferior?

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