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Rachael Parnell

When one shopper found out Aldi was offering a fresh beauty line that seemed similar to items from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

The shopper hurried to her nearest shop to buy the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 of the luxury brand 50ml item.

The sleek blue packaging and gold lid of each items look remarkably alike. While she has not tested the luxury cream, she says she's impressed by the dupe so far.

Rachael has been purchasing skincare dupes from high street stores and grocery stores for a long time, and she's not alone.

More than a fourth of UK consumers state they've bought a skincare or makeup dupe. This rises to 44 percent among 18-34 year olds, as per a February study.

Alternatives are skincare products that imitate bigger name companies and provide cost-effective alternatives to high-end products. These products frequently have comparable names and packaging, but occasionally the ingredients can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Always Better'

Skincare experts argue some substitutes to premium brands are decent standard and help make beauty routines less expensive.

"I don't think costlier is always better," comments dermatology expert a doctor. "Not all low-budget product line is inferior - and not every high-end beauty item is the top."

"Certain [dupes] are really impressive," says Scott McGlynn, who runs a show with famous people.

Numerous of the items based on high-end brands "run out so quickly, it's just crazy," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist Ross Perry argues alternatives are fine to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and face washes.

"These products will do the job," he comments. "They will handle the basics to a reasonable level."

Another skin doctor, thinks you can cut costs when searching for single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a simple item then you're likely going to be fine in opting for a dupe or a product which is very affordable because there's very little that can be problematic," she adds.

'Do Not Be Influenced by the Packaging'

But the professionals also advise shoppers do their research and note that costlier items are occasionally worth the additional cost.

With premium skincare, you're not only covering the label and marketing - often the higher price also stems from the components and their standard, the potency of the key component, the science employed to develop the item, and studies into the products' efficacy, the expert says.

Facialist she argues it's worth thinking about how certain alternatives can be sold so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she says they might contain filler ingredients that don't have as many benefits for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as high-quality.

"One major uncertainty is 'How is it so cheap?'" she asks.

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

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

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Regarding more complicated products or ones with components that can inflame the skin if they're not formulated accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, she suggests sticking to research-backed companies.

The expert states these typically have been subjected to expensive tests to determine how efficacious they are.

Skincare items are required to be evaluated before they can be available in the UK, notes skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

If the brand advertises about the performance of the item, it must have evidence to verify it, "however the brand doesn't always have to perform the trials" and can instead use evidence completed by different companies, she adds.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Bottle

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

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