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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing a consumer heard Aldi was launching a recent product collection that seemed comparable to products from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

The shopper dashed to her local outlet to pick up the Lacura face cream for a low price for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 of the luxury brand 50ml item.

Its sleek blue container and gold top of both items look strikingly alike. While she has not tested the premium cream, she says she's pleased by the dupe so far.

Rachael has been buying lookalike products from mainstream retailers and supermarkets for a long time, and she's in good company.

More than a fourth of UK consumers state they've tried a skincare or makeup dupe. This increases to 44 percent among younger adults, according to a February poll.

Dupes are beauty items that mimic bigger name companies and provide cost-effective alternatives to premium items. They often have similar labels and design, but in some cases the components can vary significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Is Not Necessarily Superior'

Beauty specialists argue many substitutes to luxury labels are reasonable standard and aid make beauty routines less expensive.

"In my opinion higher-priced is invariably superior," states dermatology expert one expert. "Not every low-budget beauty label is poor - and not all luxury beauty item is the best."

"Certain [dupes] are absolutely impressive," notes a skincare commentator, who hosts a program about public figures.

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

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional thinks dupes are suitable to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and face washes.

"Dupes will be effective," he says. "These items will do the basics to a satisfactory standard."

Another skin doctor, thinks you can save money when seeking single-ingredient products like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a simple product then you're probably going to be alright in opting for a dupe or something which is quite inexpensive because there's minimal that can cause issues," she adds.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Box'

Yet the specialists also recommend shoppers check details and state that higher-priced products are sometimes worthy of the premium price.

With premium skincare, you're not just paying for the label and marketing - sometimes the higher price also stems from the ingredients and their standard, the strength of the active ingredient, the technology utilized to develop the item, and studies into the products' efficacy, she explains.

Facialist Rhian Truman argues it's worth considering how certain dupes can be offered so at a low cost.

In some cases, she believes they may contain filler ingredients that don't have as numerous positive effects for the skin, or the components might not be as well sourced.

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

Podcast host McGlynn admits in some cases he's bought beauty products that appear similar to a established label but the item has "no connection to the original".

"Do not be sold by the container," he warned.

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Regarding more complicated items or ones with components that can irritate the skin if they're not created accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C, Dr Bhate recommends sticking to medical-grade companies.

The expert explains these will likely have been through costly trials to evaluate how efficacious they are.

Skincare products need to be evaluated before they can be available in the UK, says skin doctor another professional.

If the label states about the effectiveness of the item, it needs data to support it, "however the manufacturer doesn't necessarily have to perform the trials" and can alternatively use evidence done by other firms, she clarifies.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Pack

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

Components on the list of the tube are listed by amount. "Potential irritants that you want to look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up