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Rachael Parnell

After discovering a consumer heard Aldi was offering a fresh beauty line that appeared akin to products from premium company Augustinus Bader, she was "super excited".

Rachael rushed to her nearest shop to purchase the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a fraction of the £240 of the Augustinus Bader 50ml product.

Its sleek blue tube and gold cap of each items look remarkably comparable. While Rachael has not tested the luxury cream, she says she's satisfied by the dupe so far.

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

More than a fourth of UK consumers report they've bought a beauty or cosmetic alternative. This increases to nearly half among millennials and Gen Z, based on a recent survey.

Alternatives are skincare products that imitate established companies and offer affordable alternatives to luxury items. They frequently have comparable branding and containers, but in some cases the components can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Always Superior'

Skincare professionals say some alternatives to premium brands are decent standard and assist make beauty routines less expensive.

"It is not true that more expensive is always superior," comments consultant dermatologist one expert. "Not every low-budget product line is inferior - and not all luxury skincare product is the best."

"Certain [dupes] are truly impressive," notes a skincare commentator, who runs a podcast about famous people.

A lot of of the products inspired by high-end labels "sell out so rapidly, it's just insane," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor another professional thinks dupes are fine to use for "basic skincare" like moisturisers and cleansers.

"Alternatives will do the job," he explains. "These items will do the basics to a acceptable degree."

Ketaki Bhate, thinks you can save money when you're looking for simple-formula products like HA, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"When you're purchasing a single-ingredient product then you're likely going to be fine in using a dupe or a product which is fairly affordable because there's minimal that can be problematic," she explains.

'Do Not Be Swayed by the Box'

But the experts also recommend buyers do their research and say that higher-priced products are at times worthy of the extra money.

Regarding luxury beauty products, you're not only paying for the label and marketing - at times the elevated price also comes from the components and their quality, the potency of the effective element, the research utilized to develop the product, and tests into the products' performance, she says.

Beauty expert she suggests it's important questioning how some alternatives can be priced so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she states they may contain filler ingredients that lack as many positive effects for the complexion, or the ingredients might not be as well sourced.

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

Commentator McGlynn says in some cases he's purchased beauty products that appear comparable to a big-name brand but the product itself has "little similarity to the luxury product".

"Do not be fooled by the packaging," he added.

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Regarding advanced items or those with ingredients that can inflame the skin if they're not made accurately, such as retinoids or vitamin C, she recommends selecting medical-grade companies.

The expert explains these typically have been through expensive studies to determine how efficacious they are.

Skincare products are required to be tested before they can be marketed in the UK, notes expert another professional.

When the label makes claims about the efficacy of the item, it needs evidence to back it up, "but the brand doesn't always have to perform the trials" and can instead use evidence conducted by other brands, she says.

Check the Ingredients List of the Pack

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

Components on the list of the container are ordered by concentration. "Ingredients to avoid that you should look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up