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Rachael Parnell

After discovering one shopper found out Aldi was selling a new skincare range that looked akin to items from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

She dashed to her closest shop to pick up the supermarket face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 cost of the high-end 50ml product.

The sleek blue container and gold lid of both creams look remarkably comparable. Although Rachael has never tried the luxury cream, she says she's satisfied by the dupe so far.

Rachael has been purchasing beauty alternatives from popular shops and grocery stores for a long time, and she's not alone.

More than a quarter of UK shoppers state they've tried a beauty or cosmetic alternative. This jumps to 44% among 18-34 year olds, as per a recently published poll.

Dupes are skincare products that imitate well-known labels and present budget-friendly options to luxury items. They often have comparable labels and design, but in some cases the ingredients can differ substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Necessarily Better'

Skincare professionals say some dupes to premium brands are reasonable quality and help make beauty routines cheaper.

"I don't think higher-priced is invariably superior," states consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not every affordable product line is inferior - and not all luxury beauty item is the top."

"Certain [dupes] are truly impressive," adds a podcast host, who hosts a podcast about celebrities.

Many of the products based on high-end brands "sell out so quickly, it's just insane," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional argues dupes are acceptable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Alternatives will do the job," he says. "These items will handle the essentials to a reasonable level."

A consultant dermatologist, advises you can spend less when you're looking for simple-formula items like HA, niacinamide and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be okay in using a budget alternative or a product which is fairly low cost because there's very little that can cause issues," she says.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Box'

But the specialists also recommend shoppers check details and say that more expensive products are at times worthy of the premium price.

With luxury beauty products, you're not just funding the brand and promotion - at times the increased price tag also is due to the formula and their quality, the potency of the active ingredient, the science used to develop the product, and tests into the products' efficacy, Dr Belmo says.

Skin therapist she says it's important considering how some dupes can be offered so at a low cost.

Sometimes, she says they could have bulking agents that do not provide as numerous benefits for the complexion, or the materials might not be as well sourced.

"One big question mark is 'How is it so inexpensive?'" she asks.

Podcast host McGlynn notes in some cases he's purchased beauty products that appear comparable to a established label but the item has "no resemblance to the premium version".

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

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For advanced items or those with ingredients that can aggravate the complexion if they're not made properly, such as retinoids or vitamin C serums, Dr Bhate advises sticking to research-backed labels.

She says these will likely have been subjected to costly tests to evaluate how successful they are.

Beauty items must be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, explains expert another professional.

If the brand advertises about the performance of the product, it needs evidence to back it up, "however the manufacturer doesn't always have to perform the trials" and can alternatively use evidence conducted by different brands, she says.

Check the Label of the Bottle

Are there any ingredients that could indicate a item is poor?

Components on the list of the tube are listed by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to avoid… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up