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Rachael Parnell

When one shopper found out Aldi was launching a fresh product collection that seemed similar to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

She rushed to her nearest shop to purchase the supermarket face cream for a low price for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 cost of the high-end 50ml cream.

Its smooth blue packaging and gold cap of the two products look noticeably similar. Although she has not used the premium cream, she says she's satisfied by the alternative so far.

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

More than a fourth of UK consumers say they've purchased a skincare or makeup lookalike. This jumps to nearly half among younger adults, as per a recently published poll.

Alternatives are beauty items that copy well-known companies and offer cost-effective options to high-end products. They typically have comparable branding and containers, but sometimes the formulas can vary substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Is Not Always Superior'

Beauty professionals argue certain dupes to premium labels are decent standard and aid make skincare more affordable.

"It is not true that costlier is always better," states dermatology expert a doctor. "Not every affordable beauty label is inferior - and not all luxury skincare product is the best."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely impressive," adds a skincare commentator, who hosts a show featuring public figures.

A lot of of the items inspired by luxury labels "disappear so quickly, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist another professional argues alternatives are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes.

"These products will serve a purpose," he comments. "These items will handle the fundamentals to a reasonable level."

Ketaki Bhate, suggests you can save money when searching for single-ingredient products like HA, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a simple item then you're probably going to be alright in using a budget alternative or something which is quite affordable because there's very little that can be problematic," she adds.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Box'

However the specialists also advise consumers check details and say that more expensive items are occasionally worthy of the premium price.

With high-end skincare, you're not only funding the name and advertising - sometimes the higher price also is due to the components and their standard, the concentration of the active ingredient, the science used to create the product, and tests into the item's effectiveness, the expert explains.

Facialist Rhian Truman says it's valuable questioning how certain dupes can be sold so cheaply.

In some cases, she states they may contain filler ingredients that don't have as significant advantages for the complexion, or the materials might not be as carefully selected.

"The big doubt is 'Why is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Podcast host Scott says in some cases he's bought beauty products that appear comparable to a big-name label but the item has "no connection to the premium version".

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

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For more complicated items or ones with ingredients that can irritate the complexion if they're not made correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, the specialist recommends sticking to more specialised brands.

She states these probably have been through expensive studies to assess how effective they are.

Skincare items need to be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, says skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

When the company states about the effectiveness of the product, it must have data to back it up, "however the manufacturer does not always have to conduct the trials" and can instead reference testing conducted by different brands, she clarifies.

Read the Back of the Bottle

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

Components on the label of the container are arranged by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to be wary of… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up