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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell heard Aldi was selling a fresh beauty line that looked similar to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

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

The streamlined blue container and gold top of each creams look noticeably alike. And though Rachael has never tried the premium cream, she states she's satisfied by the product so far.

Rachael has been using beauty alternatives from high street stores and grocery stores for some time, and she's not alone.

More than a fourth of UK buyers say they've purchased a skincare or makeup lookalike. This rises to 44 percent among millennials and Gen Z, based on a February study.

Lookalikes are skincare products that mimic established brands and offer affordable alternatives to premium products. They frequently have similar labels and design, but in some cases the components can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Necessarily Better'

Skincare experts argue some substitutes to premium brands are decent quality and assist make beauty routines cheaper.

"I don't think more expensive is always better," comments consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not every affordable skincare brand is poor - and not all premium beauty item is the finest."

"A number of [dupes] are absolutely impressive," notes a skincare commentator, who hosts a program with celebrities.

Many of the items inspired by luxury brands "run out so fast, it's just unbelievable," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert a doctor thinks dupes are acceptable to use for "fundamental products" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"These products will be effective," he says. "They will do the fundamentals to a acceptable standard."

Ketaki Bhate, suggests you can spend less when searching for single-ingredient products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a simple product then you're probably going to be okay in using a dupe or a product which is quite affordable because there's very little that can cause issues," she adds.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Packaging'

However the experts also suggest buyers investigate and say that higher-priced products are occasionally worth the extra money.

Regarding luxury skincare, you're not just covering the label and advertising - sometimes the higher price tag also is due to the ingredients and their quality, the strength of the active ingredient, the science used to produce the item, and studies into the item's performance, she explains.

Skin therapist Rhian Truman says it's valuable considering how certain alternatives can be priced so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she believes they could contain filler ingredients that lack as many advantages for the complexion, or the components might not be as high-quality.

"One major uncertainty is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she asks.

Expert Scott admits sometimes he's bought skincare items that look similar to a well-known brand but the item has "no resemblance to the luxury product".

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

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For potent items or those with ingredients that can inflame the complexion if they're not formulated properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, she advises sticking to research-backed brands.

The expert explains these probably have been subjected to costly trials to determine how effective they are.

Beauty products must be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, explains expert Emma Wedgeworth.

If the company states about the performance of the item, it needs research to verify it, "but the seller doesn't always have to do the testing" and can alternatively reference evidence done by different brands, she clarifies.

Check the Label of the Container

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

Components on the list of the container are arranged by amount. "Potential irritants that you need to be wary of… is your mineral oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up