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Rachael Parnell

When a consumer learned Aldi was launching a recent skincare range that seemed comparable to items from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

Rachael dashed to her closest shop to purchase the store-brand face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml cream.

The streamlined blue container and gold cap of the two products look noticeably similar. And though she has never tried the high-end cream, she claims she's pleased by the dupe so far.

Rachael has been purchasing lookalike products from popular shops and supermarkets for some time, and she's not alone.

Over a fourth of UK buyers report they've purchased a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This increases to 44 percent among younger adults, according to a recently published study.

Lookalikes are beauty items that imitate bigger name brands and provide budget-friendly substitutes to premium products. They typically have comparable labels and design, but occasionally the ingredients can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Always Superior'

Skincare experts argue some alternatives to premium labels are decent standard and aid make skincare more affordable.

"In my opinion costlier is invariably more effective," says dermatology expert one expert. "Not all budget product line is bad - and not every premium beauty item is the top."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely amazing," notes a podcast host, who runs a podcast featuring famous people.

Numerous of the items based on high-end brands "sell out so rapidly, it's just insane," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert Ross Perry believes alternatives are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"These products will be effective," he explains. "They will handle the basics to a satisfactory degree."

Another skin doctor, suggests you can save money when seeking single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a simple product then you're probably going to be alright in using a dupe or something which is very inexpensive because there's very little that can be problematic," she adds.

'Do Not Be Influenced by the Packaging'

But the professionals also suggest buyers check details and note that more expensive products are occasionally worthy of the additional cost.

With premium beauty products, you're not just funding the label and advertising - sometimes the increased price also comes from the formula and their standard, the potency of the key component, the technology employed to create the product, and studies into the item's performance, she explains.

Facialist she says it's worth thinking about how some alternatives can be offered so cheaply.

In some cases, she states they may contain less effective components that don't have as many benefits for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as carefully selected.

"The key doubt is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she remarks.

Podcast host McGlynn says in some cases he's bought skincare items that appear similar to a well-known label but the product itself has "no connection to the luxury product".

"Don't be sold by the outer appearance," he cautioned.

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For potent items or ones with components that can inflame the complexion if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, she suggests sticking to medical-grade labels.

The expert explains these will likely have been subjected to costly studies to assess how successful they are.

Skincare products need to be evaluated before they can be marketed in the UK, says expert Emma Wedgeworth.

If the company advertises about the effectiveness of the product, it must have evidence to support it, "however the seller does not necessarily have to conduct the trials" and can alternatively use studies completed by different firms, she says.

Read the Back of the Bottle

Are there any ingredients that could suggest a item is inferior?

Components on the list of the container are ordered by concentration. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to avoid… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up