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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing one shopper heard Aldi was launching a recent product collection that appeared comparable to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

The shopper rushed to her nearest shop to pick up the supermarket face cream for a low price for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml item.

The smooth blue tube and gold top of both items look strikingly similar. Although she has never tried the high-end cream, she claims she's impressed by the alternative so far.

She has been using beauty alternatives from high street stores and supermarkets for years, and she's not alone.

Over a 25% of UK shoppers report they've tried a skincare or makeup alternative. This rises to 44% among millennials and Gen Z, based on a recent study.

Dupes are skincare products that imitate bigger name labels and present cost-effective alternatives to high-end products. These products often have similar labels and design, but sometimes the components can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Always Superior'

Beauty specialists contend some alternatives to luxury labels are decent quality and aid make beauty routines less expensive.

"It is not true that costlier is always superior," comments dermatology expert Sharon Belmo. "Not every low-budget skincare brand is poor - and not every premium skincare product is the best."

"A number of [dupes] are absolutely excellent," says Scott McGlynn, who presents a program with celebrities.

Numerous of the items inspired by high-end labels "sell out so fast, it's just insane," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert another professional believes alternatives are suitable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"These products will serve a purpose," he explains. "They will do the essentials to a acceptable level."

Another skin doctor, suggests you can spend less when searching for single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and squalane.

"When you're buying a simple product then you're probably going to be okay in opting for a lookalike or a product which is fairly low cost because there's very little that can cause issues," she explains.

'Don't Be Swayed by the Container'

Yet the experts also suggest consumers do their research and say that more expensive items are sometimes worth the additional cost.

With luxury beauty products, you're not just covering the name and promotion - at times the increased price tag also stems from the components and their grade, the strength of the key component, the science utilized to create the item, and tests into the products' performance, she notes.

Facialist another professional says it's important considering how certain alternatives can be offered so cheaply.

Sometimes, she states they might contain filler ingredients that do not provide as many advantages for the complexion, or the materials might not be as carefully selected.

"One key question mark is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she remarks.

Expert McGlynn admits in some cases he's bought beauty products that appear comparable to a established brand but the product itself has "no connection to the original".

"Don't be fooled by the container," he warned.

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For more complicated items or those with ingredients that can irritate the skin if they're not created correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C, she recommends selecting medical-grade labels.

She says these will likely have been subjected to expensive trials to assess how effective they are.

Skincare products are required to be assessed before they can be marketed in the UK, says consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

If the company makes claims about the effectiveness of the item, it requires evidence to back it up, "however the seller doesn't always have to perform the testing" and can alternatively reference testing conducted by other firms, she clarifies.

Read the Label of the Bottle

Are there any components that could signal a item is poor?

Ingredients on the list of the container are ordered by amount. "Ingredients to avoid that you need to be wary of… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzoyl peroxide" being {high up