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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer heard Aldi was launching a new beauty line that seemed comparable to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

The shopper hurried to her nearest shop to pick up the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the high-end 50ml product.

The smooth blue packaging and gold lid of the two items look remarkably similar. While she has never tried the premium cream, she claims she's impressed by the product so far.

Rachael has been buying skincare dupes from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for years, and she's part of a trend.

Over a quarter of UK consumers say they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This rises to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, according to a recent study.

Alternatives are beauty items that mimic bigger name companies and offer budget-friendly substitutes to high-end items. They frequently have comparable labels and design, but sometimes the formulas can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Necessarily Superior'

Skincare professionals say some alternatives to high-end labels are decent quality and assist make skincare less expensive.

"It is not true that more expensive is always superior," says skin specialist Sharon Belmo. "Not all low-budget product line is poor - and not all premium beauty item is the finest."

"Some [dupes] are really amazing," says a podcast host, who hosts a show about famous people.

Many of the items inspired by high-end brands "disappear so rapidly, it's just insane," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert another professional argues alternatives are suitable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Dupes will serve a purpose," he explains. "They will do the basics to a reasonable standard."

Another skin doctor, suggests you can save money when seeking simple-formula products like HA, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"When you're purchasing a simple item then you're probably going to be alright in opting for a budget alternative or a product which is very low cost because there's not much that can go wrong," she adds.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Box'

However the professionals also advise shoppers check details and state that costlier products are at times worth the additional cost.

Regarding high-end skincare, you're not only covering the brand and promotion - often the elevated price tag also stems from the ingredients and their standard, the potency of the active ingredient, the science used to develop the product, and studies into the item's effectiveness, the expert explains.

Skin therapist Rhian Truman argues it's valuable thinking about how certain alternatives can be priced so inexpensively.

In some cases, she says they could contain filler ingredients that do not provide as numerous benefits for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as well sourced.

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

Expert McGlynn notes in some cases he's purchased beauty products that look comparable to a well-known label but the product itself has "little similarity to the original".

"Don't be convinced by the outer appearance," he added.

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For potent products or those with components that can inflame the complexion if they're not created accurately, such as retinoids or vitamin C, Dr Bhate advises using more specialised brands.

The expert states these will likely have been through costly trials to evaluate how successful they are.

Skincare items need to be assessed before they can be sold in the UK, says consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

If the label makes claims about the efficacy of the item, it requires research to support it, "however the seller does not always have to do the trials" and can instead use evidence done by other firms, she clarifies.

Read the Ingredients List of the Pack

Are there any ingredients that could signal a product is low-quality?

Components on the back of the container are listed by quantity. "The baddies that you should avoid… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up