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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer learned Aldi was launching a new product collection that looked akin to products from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper rushed to her local shop to pick up the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.

The streamlined blue container and gold lid of the two creams look noticeably comparable. And though she has not used the high-end cream, she claims she's satisfied by the dupe so far.

Rachael has been buying beauty alternatives from popular shops and grocery stores for a long time, and she's in good company.

Over a 25% of UK buyers state they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This rises to 44 percent among millennials and Gen Z, according to a February survey.

Alternatives are beauty items that copy established brands and offer budget-friendly alternatives to luxury items. They often have alike names and packaging, but sometimes the formulas can vary substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Is Not Always Better'

Beauty specialists say some dupes to premium brands are decent quality and aid make beauty routines less expensive.

"It is not true that more expensive is always better," says consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not all budget skincare brand is inferior - and not every luxury skincare product is the top."

"Some [dupes] are really amazing," notes a skincare commentator, who runs a show about celebrities.

Many of the products based on high-end labels "sell out so fast, it's just unbelievable," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor believes alternatives are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"These products will be effective," he comments. "These items will do the basics to a reasonable standard."

A consultant dermatologist, advises you can spend less when seeking single-ingredient items like HA, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"If you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be okay in opting for a dupe or something which is quite inexpensive because there's minimal that can cause issues," she says.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Box'

Yet the specialists also suggest shoppers do their research and say that higher-priced items are at times worth the premium price.

Regarding luxury beauty products, you're not just funding the brand and marketing - at times the elevated cost also is due to the components and their standard, the potency of the active ingredient, the research used to develop the product, and tests into the item's performance, she explains.

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

Sometimes, she believes they might have less effective components that lack as significant positive effects for the skin, or the components might not be as carefully selected.

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

Commentator McGlynn notes on occasion he's purchased beauty products that look comparable to a well-known brand but the item has "no resemblance to the premium version".

"Do not be convinced by the container," he cautioned.

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For potent products or those with components that can inflame the skin if they're not made accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C, Dr Bhate advises sticking to medical-grade brands.

The expert explains these probably have been subjected to costly tests to assess how effective they are.

Skincare items need to be assessed before they can be sold in the UK, explains consultant dermatologist another professional.

When the label states about the performance of the item, it requires research to support it, "but the brand does not necessarily have to perform the testing" and can alternatively use evidence completed by different firms, she says.

Read the Ingredients List of the Container

Is there any ingredients that could suggest a item is poor?

Components on the list of the tube are listed by concentration. "The baddies that you should avoid… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up