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Rachael Parnell

After discovering one shopper heard Aldi was selling a recent skincare range that appeared comparable to offerings from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

Rachael hurried to her nearest shop to purchase the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 cost of the Augustinus Bader 50ml item.

The sleek blue packaging and gold lid of the two items look strikingly comparable. Although Rachael has not used the luxury cream, she says she's impressed by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been using skincare dupes from popular shops and grocery stores for years, and she's in good company.

More than a 25% of UK shoppers say they've tried a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This rises to 44% among 18-34 year olds, according to a recently published survey.

Dupes are beauty items that imitate bigger name labels and provide cost-effective options to luxury items. These products frequently have similar names and packaging, but in some cases the formulas can change substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Always Better'

Skincare specialists say many alternatives to luxury labels are reasonable quality and assist make beauty routines more affordable.

"I don't think more expensive is invariably superior," comments skin specialist one expert. "Not all low-budget beauty label is poor - and not all premium skincare product is the finest."

"A number of [dupes] are truly amazing," notes Scott McGlynn, who hosts a show featuring public figures.

A lot of of the products modeled on luxury labels "sell out so quickly, it's just crazy," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional thinks dupes are fine to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Dupes will be effective," he comments. "They will handle the essentials to a acceptable level."

Ketaki Bhate, advises you can save money when seeking single-ingredient products like HA, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a simple product then you're probably going to be okay in using a budget alternative or a product which is quite inexpensive because there's not much that can be problematic," she says.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Container'

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

With luxury skincare, you're not just paying for the brand and advertising - often the elevated price also comes from the formula and their grade, the potency of the key component, the technology employed to develop the item, and studies into the products' efficacy, she says.

Beauty expert Rhian Truman argues it's worth questioning how some dupes can be sold so cheaply.

Sometimes, she believes they could have bulking agents that do not provide as numerous positive effects for the skin, or the materials might not be as high-quality.

"The major doubt is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she remarks.

Podcast host Scott says sometimes he's purchased skincare items that look comparable to a well-known brand but the actual formula has "no connection to the luxury product".

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

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For potent items or those with ingredients that can inflame the skin if they're not formulated properly, such as retinols or vitamin C, the specialist advises sticking to more specialised labels.

She says these typically have been subjected to comprehensive trials to assess how effective they are.

Beauty products must be tested before they can be marketed in the UK, says consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

When the company advertises about the performance of the item, it requires evidence to verify it, "however the manufacturer does not necessarily have to perform the trials" and can instead cite studies conducted by different brands, she clarifies.

Read the Back of the Pack

Is there any ingredients that could signal a product is low-quality?

Components on the back of the bottle are ordered by concentration. "Potential irritants that you should avoid… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up