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Rachael Parnell

When one shopper found out Aldi was launching a recent skincare range that appeared similar to items from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

She hurried to her nearest shop to pick up the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 of the luxury brand 50ml product.

The streamlined blue container and gold lid of each creams look strikingly comparable. And though Rachael has not used the high-end cream, she says she's impressed by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been purchasing lookalike products from high street stores and supermarkets for some time, and she's part of a trend.

Over a quarter of UK consumers state they've bought a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This jumps to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, as per a recently published survey.

Dupes are beauty items that copy established brands and provide cost-effective options to luxury products. These products typically have alike labels and design, but in some cases the ingredients can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Is Not Always Better'

Skincare specialists argue some substitutes to luxury brands are reasonable standard and aid make skincare less expensive.

"In my opinion more expensive is always better," says skin specialist one expert. "Not every budget skincare brand is poor - and not all premium skincare product is the best."

"Certain [dupes] are really impressive," notes a podcast host, who runs a program with celebrities.

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

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist a doctor believes dupes are acceptable to use for "fundamental products" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Alternatives will do the job," he says. "These items will do the basics to a reasonable standard."

A consultant dermatologist, advises you can save money when seeking simple-formula products like HA, niacinamide and squalane.

"When you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be alright in opting for a lookalike or something which is quite inexpensive because there's very little that can cause issues," she adds.

'Do Not Be Influenced by the Packaging'

Yet the experts also recommend buyers do their research and say that costlier items are sometimes worthy of the additional cost.

With high-end beauty products, you're not just paying for the name and advertising - often the increased cost also stems from the formula and their quality, the concentration of the key component, the science utilized to develop the product, and trials into the item's performance, Dr Belmo notes.

Facialist another professional says it's important considering how some alternatives can be priced so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she believes they might contain less effective components that lack as numerous positive effects for the skin, or the ingredients might not be as well sourced.

"The big question mark is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she remarks.

Podcast host McGlynn admits on occasion he's purchased skincare items that look comparable to a big-name label but the item has "little similarity to the premium version".

"Do not be sold by the packaging," he added.

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For more complicated items or ones with ingredients that can inflame the skin if they're not formulated properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, she suggests using more specialised companies.

She explains these typically have been through comprehensive trials to evaluate how successful they are.

Skincare products must be tested before they can be marketed in the UK, notes skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

When the company advertises about the efficacy of the product, it needs research to verify it, "but the manufacturer doesn't always have to perform the testing" and can alternatively cite evidence completed by other companies, she clarifies.

Read the Label of the Pack

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

Ingredients on the back of the container are ordered by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you should look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up