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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell heard Aldi was selling a fresh product collection that appeared comparable to offerings from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

She hurried to her closest shop to buy the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 price tag of the high-end 50ml cream.

Its streamlined blue tube and gold cap of both creams look strikingly alike. Although Rachael has not tested the premium cream, she states she's pleased by the product so far.

Rachael has been purchasing lookalike products from high street stores and supermarkets for a long time, and she's in good company.

More than a 25% of UK buyers say they've purchased a skincare or makeup dupe. This jumps to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, based on a recently published survey.

Lookalikes are skincare products that copy well-known brands and present budget-friendly alternatives to high-end products. These products often have alike names and packaging, but sometimes the components can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Always Superior'

Skincare experts say many dupes to luxury labels are decent standard and help make skincare more affordable.

"In my opinion costlier is always more effective," states consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not all low-budget beauty label is inferior - and not all high-end skincare product is the top."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely impressive," notes a skincare commentator, who presents a show with celebrities.

Numerous of the products inspired by luxury brands "sell out so quickly, it's just insane," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry thinks alternatives are suitable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"These products will serve a purpose," he says. "They will perform the essentials to a acceptable standard."

Another skin doctor, suggests you can spend less when seeking simple-formula items like HA, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be fine in using a dupe or something which is fairly affordable because there's minimal that can cause issues," she adds.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Container'

But the specialists also advise buyers investigate and state that higher-priced products are occasionally worth the extra money.

With high-end beauty products, you're not only funding the name and marketing - often the elevated price also stems from the ingredients and their standard, the concentration of the effective element, the technology utilized to produce the product, and tests into the item's effectiveness, the expert explains.

Facialist she argues it's worth thinking about how certain alternatives can be priced so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she believes they could contain filler ingredients that do not provide as many benefits for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as carefully selected.

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

Commentator Scott says on occasion he's bought beauty products that appear comparable to a well-known brand but the item has "no connection to the premium version".

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

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Regarding potent products or those with ingredients that can irritate the complexion if they're not made properly, such as retinols or vitamin C, Dr Bhate recommends using more specialised companies.

She explains these probably have been subjected to expensive studies to evaluate how successful they are.

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

When the label makes claims about the performance of the item, it needs research to support it, "but the brand doesn't necessarily have to perform the testing" and can alternatively reference studies conducted by other firms, she clarifies.

Examine the Back of the Container

Are there any ingredients that could signal a product is inferior?

Ingredients on the back of the tube are ordered by amount. "Potential irritants that you need to be wary of… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up