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Rachael Parnell

After discovering Rachael Parnell learned Aldi was launching a recent skincare range that appeared akin to offerings from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

The shopper dashed to her local outlet to buy the store-brand face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream.

Its sleek blue packaging and gold cap of both items look noticeably comparable. And though Rachael has never tried the high-end cream, she says she's satisfied by the dupe so far.

She has been using lookalike products from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for a long time, and she's part of a trend.

More than a fourth of UK shoppers report they've bought a skincare or makeup dupe. This increases to 44% among younger adults, according to a recent poll.

Alternatives are skincare products that mimic established brands and offer affordable alternatives to luxury items. They typically have similar branding and containers, but sometimes the formulas can change substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Always Better'

Skincare professionals say certain substitutes to luxury brands are decent quality and help make skincare cheaper.

"It is not true that costlier is invariably more effective," comments skin specialist one expert. "Not all low-budget skincare brand is poor - and not all luxury skincare product is the best."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely amazing," says a skincare commentator, who runs a program featuring celebrities.

Numerous of the items inspired by luxury brands "sell out so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor Ross Perry believes dupes are acceptable to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Dupes will do the job," he says. "They will handle the fundamentals to a satisfactory standard."

Ketaki Bhate, thinks you can save money when you're looking for simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a simple product then you're likely going to be fine in opting for a budget alternative or a product which is fairly affordable because there's very little that can cause issues," she adds.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Container'

But the professionals also advise shoppers investigate and say that more expensive products are sometimes worth the additional cost.

Regarding premium skincare, you're not just paying for the label and advertising - sometimes the increased price tag also is due to the ingredients and their grade, the concentration of the key component, the research utilized to create the product, and trials into the item's efficacy, the expert notes.

Skin therapist another professional suggests it's worth thinking about how certain dupes can be sold so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she states they might include bulking agents that lack as many positive effects for the skin, or the ingredients might not be as high-quality.

"One major uncertainty is 'Why is it so low-priced?'" she remarks.

Commentator McGlynn admits on occasion he's bought skincare items that look comparable to a well-known label but the actual formula has "no connection to the luxury product".

"Don't be convinced by the container," he warned.

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Regarding advanced items or those with ingredients that can aggravate the skin if they're not created properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, she recommends sticking to research-backed companies.

She explains these probably have been through expensive trials to assess how efficacious they are.

Skincare items are required to be assessed before they can be marketed in the UK, explains expert another professional.

If the brand states about the efficacy of the product, it must have research to support it, "but the brand doesn't necessarily have to do the testing" and can instead use testing done by different companies, she clarifies.

Examine the Back of the Pack

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

Components on the label of the container are arranged by concentration. "Potential irritants that you should be wary of… is your mineral oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up