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Rachael Parnell

When a consumer heard Aldi was selling a fresh skincare range that seemed akin to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

Rachael rushed to her closest shop to buy the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the high-end 50ml item.

Its smooth blue packaging and gold lid of each products look remarkably comparable. And though she has not tested the luxury cream, she says she's satisfied by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been purchasing skincare dupes from high street stores and grocery stores for some time, and she's in good company.

Over a 25% of UK consumers report they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This increases to 44 percent among millennials and Gen Z, based on a February poll.

Dupes are beauty items that copy bigger name companies and provide budget-friendly options to premium items. They often have similar names and packaging, but in some cases the ingredients can differ considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Beauty specialists argue many dupes to luxury brands are decent quality and assist make skincare less expensive.

"I don't think more expensive is always better," comments skin specialist one expert. "Not all budget skincare brand is inferior - and not all premium skincare product is the best."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely amazing," adds Scott McGlynn, who runs a show about celebrities.

Many of the items inspired by high-end brands "run out so quickly, it's just insane," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor believes alternatives are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and cleansers.

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

Ketaki Bhate, advises you can save money when you're looking for simple-formula products like HA, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"If you're buying a single-ingredient product then you're likely going to be fine in opting for a lookalike or something which is fairly low cost because there's not much that can be problematic," she explains.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Packaging'

But the professionals also recommend consumers do their research and note that costlier items are at times worth the premium price.

With high-end skincare, you're not only funding the name and advertising - sometimes the increased cost also comes from the ingredients and their grade, the strength of the effective element, the science utilized to produce the item, and studies into the products' efficacy, she says.

Facialist another professional says it's valuable thinking about how certain dupes can be sold so at a low cost.

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

"The key uncertainty is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she says.

Podcast host Scott admits on occasion he's purchased skincare items that look comparable to a well-known brand but the item has "little similarity to the original".

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

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For potent products or those with components that can aggravate the complexion if they're not created accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, she suggests sticking to more specialised labels.

She explains these typically have been subjected to costly tests to determine how successful they are.

Skincare items must be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, says skin doctor another professional.

If the label advertises about the performance of the item, it must have research to back it up, "however the manufacturer does not always have to conduct the trials" and can instead use evidence conducted by other brands, she adds.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Container

Are there any ingredients that could indicate a item is low-quality?

Ingredients on the back of the container are listed by quantity. "Potential irritants that you should look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up