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Rachael Parnell

When Rachael Parnell found out Aldi was offering a new beauty line that appeared comparable to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

She hurried to her closest shop to buy the store-brand face cream for a low price for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 of the high-end 50ml product.

Its smooth blue tube and gold top of both creams look remarkably alike. Although Rachael has never tried the luxury cream, she claims she's impressed by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been buying lookalike products from popular shops and grocery stores for years, and she's in good company.

More than a 25% of UK buyers state they've purchased a skincare or makeup alternative. This rises to nearly half among younger adults, according to a recently published survey.

Dupes are skincare products that mimic well-known brands and offer cost-effective options to luxury products. These products typically have comparable names and packaging, but in some cases the ingredients can change significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Is Not Always Superior'

Beauty professionals contend some dupes to high-end labels are decent standard and help make beauty routines more affordable.

"I don't think costlier is necessarily more effective," comments consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not every budget skincare brand is poor - and not all luxury skincare product is the finest."

"A number of [dupes] are truly amazing," says a skincare commentator, who hosts a podcast with celebrities.

Many of the items based on high-end brands "run out so quickly, it's just insane," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist another professional believes alternatives are suitable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Dupes will do the job," he says. "They will perform the fundamentals to a acceptable level."

Ketaki Bhate, advises you can spend less when you're looking for simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a simple item then you're likely going to be alright in using a dupe or something which is fairly low cost because there's not much that can go wrong," she adds.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Box'

However the specialists also suggest buyers investigate and note that costlier items are sometimes worth the premium price.

Regarding luxury beauty products, you're not only paying for the label and advertising - at times the increased cost also comes from the components and their grade, the concentration of the active ingredient, the technology employed to produce the item, and tests into the item's performance, she notes.

Beauty expert Rhian Truman argues it's important thinking about how certain alternatives can be priced so cheaply.

In some cases, she states they might include bulking agents that don't have as numerous positive effects for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as carefully selected.

"The major doubt is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she remarks.

Podcast host McGlynn says sometimes he's purchased beauty products that appear comparable to a big-name brand but the product itself has "no connection to the luxury product".

"Do not be convinced by the outer appearance," he warned.

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Regarding more complicated items or those with components that can irritate the skin if they're not made properly, such as retinols or vitamin C, the specialist suggests sticking to medical-grade labels.

She says these probably have been through comprehensive tests to determine how effective they are.

Beauty items need to be tested before they can be sold in the UK, says expert another professional.

When the brand advertises about the efficacy of the item, it needs data to verify it, "however the brand does not necessarily have to conduct the trials" and can instead use testing done by different brands, she clarifies.

Check the Label of the Pack

Are there any components that could suggest a product is low-quality?

Components on the back of the bottle are ordered by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up