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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell found out Aldi was launching a new beauty line that appeared akin to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

Rachael hurried to her nearest store to purchase the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 price tag of the luxury brand 50ml cream.

Its smooth blue container and gold lid of the two items look noticeably alike. While Rachael has not used the high-end cream, she says she's pleased by the product so far.

Rachael has been purchasing beauty alternatives from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for some time, and she's part of a trend.

Over a fourth of UK consumers say they've tried a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This increases to nearly half among millennials and Gen Z, based on a recently published survey.

Alternatives are beauty items that mimic bigger name brands and present affordable alternatives to high-end items. These products frequently have alike labels and design, but sometimes the formulas can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Is Not Necessarily Better'

Beauty experts argue some alternatives to luxury brands are decent standard and aid make skincare cheaper.

"I don't think costlier is necessarily better," comments consultant dermatologist Sharon Belmo. "Not all affordable product line is poor - and not all high-end beauty item is the top."

"Some [dupes] are truly amazing," says a skincare commentator, who presents a podcast about public figures.

Many of the products based on luxury labels "run out so fast, it's just crazy," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor argues alternatives are fine to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes.

"Alternatives will be effective," he comments. "These items will handle the fundamentals to a acceptable level."

Another skin doctor, suggests you can cut costs when searching for single-ingredient products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're purchasing a simple product then you're probably going to be okay in opting for a dupe or something which is fairly affordable because there's minimal that can go wrong," she adds.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Packaging'

However the specialists also suggest buyers check details and note that more expensive products are occasionally worth the extra money.

Regarding premium skincare, you're not just covering the name and marketing - often the increased price also is due to the components and their standard, the concentration of the key component, the technology utilized to create the product, and studies into the products' efficacy, the expert notes.

Skin therapist she argues it's worth thinking about how certain dupes can be priced so cheaply.

Occasionally, she says they could include bulking agents that lack as many positive effects for the complexion, or the materials might not be as carefully selected.

"The major doubt is 'How is it so low-priced?'" she remarks.

Expert Scott notes sometimes he's purchased beauty products that appear comparable to a well-known label but the actual formula has "no resemblance to the original".

"Don't be fooled by the outer appearance," he added.

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For more complicated items or those with ingredients that can inflame the skin if they're not formulated correctly, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, she suggests selecting medical-grade companies.

She explains these probably have been subjected to costly studies to assess how efficacious they are.

Beauty products need to be evaluated before they can be sold in the UK, notes skin doctor Emma Wedgeworth.

When the brand advertises about the effectiveness of the item, it needs research to verify it, "but the manufacturer does not necessarily have to conduct the trials" and can instead use studies done by other brands, she says.

Check the Back of the Pack

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

Ingredients on the back of the tube are ordered by quantity. "The baddies that you should look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up