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Rachael Parnell

After discovering a consumer found out Aldi was offering a new skincare range that appeared akin to products from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

The shopper dashed to her local shop to pick up the supermarket face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a small portion of the £240 price tag of the high-end 50ml item.

The smooth blue container and gold top of each products look noticeably comparable. While Rachael has not used the luxury cream, she claims she's satisfied by the dupe so far.

She has been using skincare dupes from high street stores and grocery stores for some time, and she's part of a trend.

Over a 25% of UK consumers report they've bought a skincare or makeup alternative. This jumps to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, according to a recent poll.

Dupes are skincare products that imitate well-known companies and provide budget-friendly options to high-end products. They often have comparable branding and containers, but in some cases the formulas can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Beauty specialists contend certain alternatives to premium brands are reasonable standard and help make beauty routines more affordable.

"In my opinion costlier is always superior," comments consultant dermatologist a doctor. "Not every budget product line is bad - and not every high-end beauty item is the best."

"Some [dupes] are absolutely amazing," adds a skincare commentator, who hosts a podcast with famous people.

Many of the products based on luxury labels "disappear so fast, it's just unbelievable," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist Ross Perry believes alternatives are fine to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes.

"Dupes will be effective," he explains. "These items will perform the essentials to a reasonable level."

Ketaki Bhate, advises you can spend less when seeking simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"When you're buying a simple item then you're likely going to be fine in using a dupe or a product which is very affordable because there's very little that can cause issues," she says.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Packaging'

However the specialists also recommend consumers check details and say that costlier products are at times worthy of the premium price.

Regarding premium beauty products, you're not just covering the brand and promotion - often the higher price also is due to the formula and their grade, the concentration of the key component, the technology utilized to produce the item, and studies into the products' performance, the expert notes.

Beauty expert she says it's valuable questioning how certain alternatives can be offered so inexpensively.

Sometimes, she says they could contain filler ingredients that do not provide as numerous advantages for the complexion, or the materials might not be as high-quality.

"One key uncertainty is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Commentator McGlynn notes sometimes he's purchased beauty products that look comparable to a established label but the product itself has "no resemblance to the original".

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

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For more complicated products or ones with components that can irritate the complexion if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, the specialist recommends sticking to medical-grade brands.

She states these probably have been through comprehensive tests to assess how efficacious they are.

Beauty products need to be tested before they can be sold in the UK, says consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

If the label advertises about the effectiveness of the item, it needs data to verify it, "but the seller does not always have to do the trials" and can alternatively cite studies done by other companies, she adds.

Check the Back of the Container

Is there any ingredients that could signal a product is inferior?

Components on the label of the tube are ordered by concentration. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up