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Rachael Parnell

When a consumer found out Aldi was offering a new skincare range that looked similar to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

The shopper rushed to her closest shop to pick up the store-brand face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml item.

The streamlined blue container and gold cap of both creams look strikingly similar. And though Rachael has not tested the premium cream, she says she's satisfied by the dupe so far.

She has been purchasing skincare dupes from high street stores and supermarkets for years, and she's part of a trend.

More than a 25% of UK buyers state they've tried a beauty or cosmetic lookalike. This rises to 44% among 18-34 year olds, as per a February survey.

Alternatives are beauty items that mimic bigger name labels and offer budget-friendly options to high-end items. These products often have similar branding and containers, but occasionally the formulas can vary substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Is Not Always Better'

Beauty professionals say many dupes to high-end brands are good quality and help make beauty routines cheaper.

"It is not true that costlier is necessarily superior," states consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not every budget beauty label is inferior - and not all high-end beauty item is the finest."

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

Numerous of the products based on high-end brands "sell out so fast, it's just insane," he remarks.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert a doctor thinks alternatives are fine to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and face washes.

"Dupes will be effective," he explains. "They will handle the basics to a satisfactory level."

Another skin doctor, advises you can spend less when seeking single-ingredient items like HA, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"When you're purchasing a simple product then you're probably going to be alright in opting for a lookalike or a product which is very affordable because there's not much that can be problematic," she explains.

'Don't Be Sold by the Container'

Yet the professionals also advise consumers do their research and say that costlier products are occasionally worth the additional cost.

With high-end beauty products, you're not just paying for the label and advertising - often the increased cost also comes from the components and their grade, the concentration of the effective element, the science used to create the item, and trials into the products' efficacy, Dr Belmo says.

Beauty expert she argues it's valuable thinking about how some alternatives can be priced so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she states they might have bulking agents that don't have as significant positive effects for the skin, or the materials might not be as carefully selected.

"The big question mark is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she remarks.

Podcast host Scott notes in some cases he's purchased beauty products that appear similar to a big-name label but the actual formula has "little similarity to the original".

"Do not be sold by the packaging," he cautioned.

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For advanced products or those with components that can inflame the complexion if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinoids or vitamin C, she advises sticking to research-backed labels.

The expert explains these will likely have been through comprehensive trials to determine how effective they are.

Skincare products must be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, notes consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

If the brand states about the performance of the product, it requires evidence to support it, "however the seller doesn't necessarily have to perform the testing" and can alternatively use testing completed by other firms, she adds.

Read the Label of the Container

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

Components on the label of the bottle are listed by amount. "Potential irritants that you should be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up