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Rachael Parnell

When Rachael Parnell learned Aldi was selling a new product collection that seemed akin to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

She rushed to her local outlet to pick up the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml item.

The sleek blue tube and gold top of both products look noticeably alike. While she has not used the luxury cream, she says she's impressed by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been using skincare dupes from popular shops and grocery stores for some time, and she's in good company.

Over a quarter of UK buyers state they've tried a skincare or makeup alternative. This increases to nearly half among 18-34 year olds, based on a recently published poll.

Lookalikes are beauty items that imitate well-known companies and provide budget-friendly substitutes to premium products. They typically have similar names and packaging, but occasionally the formulas can change considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Always Better'

Skincare experts argue certain dupes to luxury brands are reasonable quality and assist make skincare more affordable.

"In my opinion more expensive is always superior," comments dermatology expert one expert. "Not all low-budget beauty label is inferior - and not every luxury beauty item is the top."

"Certain [dupes] are truly excellent," says a podcast host, who hosts a show with celebrities.

Many of the items based on luxury labels "sell out so fast, it's just unbelievable," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert a doctor argues dupes are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and cleansers.

"Dupes will be effective," he says. "These items will handle the basics to a satisfactory standard."

A consultant dermatologist, advises you can spend less when you're looking for simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be fine in opting for a budget alternative or something which is fairly inexpensive because there's not much that can be problematic," she adds.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Packaging'

Yet the specialists also recommend shoppers do their research and say that more expensive items are occasionally worthy of the additional cost.

With high-end skincare, you're not just funding the brand and marketing - sometimes the elevated price also stems from the components and their standard, the strength of the key component, the technology employed to create the product, and studies into the products' efficacy, the expert explains.

Facialist she suggests it's worth questioning how some alternatives can be sold so at a low cost.

In some cases, she says they might include bulking agents that do not provide as numerous benefits for the complexion, or the materials might not be as carefully selected.

"The major doubt is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Podcast host Scott notes in some cases he's bought beauty products that appear similar to a established label but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the original".

"Do not be convinced by the container," he warned.

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For advanced products or those with ingredients that can irritate the skin if they're not created correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C, Dr Bhate advises using medical-grade labels.

She says these will likely have been subjected to expensive trials to evaluate how efficacious they are.

Skincare items must be evaluated before they can be available in the UK, explains consultant dermatologist another professional.

When the label states about the effectiveness of the product, it needs research to support it, "however the manufacturer does not necessarily have to perform the testing" and can instead reference testing conducted by different firms, she clarifies.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Pack

Is there any ingredients that could indicate a item is poor?

Components on the label of the bottle are listed by concentration. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up