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Rachael Parnell

When a consumer found out Aldi was launching a fresh beauty line that appeared comparable to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

Rachael rushed to her nearest shop to purchase the store-brand face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 price tag of the luxury brand 50ml item.

Its streamlined blue container and gold lid of both creams look strikingly alike. Although she has never tried the premium cream, she says she's impressed by the product so far.

She has been buying skincare dupes from popular shops and grocery stores for a long time, and she's part of a trend.

More than a 25% of UK buyers state they've tried a skincare or makeup alternative. This rises to 44% among 18-34 year olds, based on a recently published survey.

Alternatives are beauty items that imitate established labels and present budget-friendly options to high-end products. These products frequently have comparable names and packaging, but sometimes the components can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Always Superior'

Skincare experts say certain substitutes to luxury brands are decent quality and assist make beauty routines cheaper.

"It is not true that more expensive is invariably better," comments skin specialist Sharon Belmo. "Not every low-budget beauty label is poor - and not every premium beauty item is the finest."

"Certain [dupes] are absolutely excellent," adds a skincare commentator, who hosts a podcast featuring celebrities.

A lot of of the items modeled on high-end labels "run out so quickly, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry believes dupes are fine to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and face washes.

"Dupes will be effective," he says. "They will perform the fundamentals to a acceptable standard."

Another skin doctor, suggests you can cut costs when seeking simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient product then you're probably going to be fine in using a budget alternative or something which is quite low cost because there's minimal that can cause issues," she says.

'Don't Be Sold by the Container'

Yet the professionals also advise consumers do their research and say that more expensive items are occasionally worthy of the premium price.

Regarding premium skincare, you're not just covering the label and marketing - at times the higher cost also stems from the ingredients and their grade, the concentration of the effective element, the science employed to create the item, and studies into the products' effectiveness, Dr Belmo explains.

Skin therapist another professional says it's important thinking about how some alternatives can be sold so cheaply.

Sometimes, she says they could have bulking agents that don't have as numerous benefits for the complexion, or the materials might not be as carefully selected.

"One major doubt is 'Why is it so low-priced?'" she says.

Commentator McGlynn says on occasion he's bought skincare items that look similar to a big-name brand but the item has "no resemblance to the luxury product".

"Don't be fooled by the container," he cautioned.

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Regarding potent products or those with components that can irritate the skin if they're not made correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate suggests selecting research-backed brands.

The expert says these typically have been subjected to comprehensive trials to determine how successful they are.

Skincare items need to be assessed before they can be marketed in the UK, explains skin doctor another professional.

If the label advertises about the effectiveness of the product, it requires data to support it, "but the manufacturer doesn't necessarily have to do the testing" and can alternatively reference testing done by other firms, she adds.

Read the Ingredients List of the Bottle

Are there any ingredients that could indicate a item is inferior?

Components on the label of the tube are listed by amount. "Potential irritants that you want to look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up