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Rachael Parnell

When a consumer found out Aldi was selling a new skincare range that looked akin to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

She rushed to her closest outlet to purchase the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 cost of the luxury brand 50ml item.

The streamlined blue container and gold cap of both creams look remarkably alike. And though she has not used the high-end cream, she claims she's pleased by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been purchasing skincare dupes from popular shops and grocery stores for some time, and she's part of a trend.

Over a 25% of UK buyers say they've bought a skincare or makeup alternative. This rises to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, based on a recent study.

Lookalikes are beauty items that imitate bigger name labels and present cost-effective alternatives to high-end items. They typically have comparable labels and design, but sometimes the ingredients can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Is Not Always Better'

Skincare experts argue many dupes to premium brands are reasonable quality and aid make skincare more affordable.

"In my opinion higher-priced is necessarily more effective," says consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not every low-budget product line is poor - and not all luxury skincare product is the finest."

"A number of [dupes] are truly amazing," says a skincare commentator, who presents a podcast with public figures.

Numerous of the items inspired by luxury labels "run out so fast, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor thinks alternatives are fine to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and face washes.

"Dupes will serve a purpose," he explains. "These items will handle the essentials to a satisfactory standard."

Another skin doctor, suggests you can save money when seeking simple-formula products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient product then you're likely going to be alright in using a dupe or a product which is very affordable because there's very little that can be problematic," she says.

'Don't Be Sold by the Packaging'

But the experts also suggest shoppers do their research and say that more expensive products are at times worth the extra money.

With luxury skincare, you're not only paying for the brand and advertising - often the higher price tag also stems from the components and their grade, the concentration of the key component, the research utilized to produce the product, and studies into the item's efficacy, Dr Belmo notes.

Facialist Rhian Truman argues it's worth considering how certain alternatives can be offered so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she says they may include bulking agents that don't have as numerous positive effects for the skin, or the components might not be as well sourced.

"One big uncertainty is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she remarks.

Podcast host Scott notes in some cases he's bought skincare items that appear comparable to a well-known brand but the product itself has "little similarity to the premium version".

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

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Regarding potent items or those with components that can inflame the skin if they're not created properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, the specialist advises selecting more specialised brands.

The expert states these probably have been subjected to costly tests to evaluate how successful they are.

Beauty products need to be evaluated before they can be available in the UK, explains expert Emma Wedgeworth.

When the brand makes claims about the effectiveness of the item, it requires evidence to back it up, "however the brand doesn't always have to do the testing" and can alternatively reference evidence conducted by different brands, she adds.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Container

Is there any components that could indicate a product is poor?

Ingredients on the back of the container are arranged by quantity. "The baddies that you need to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up