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Rachael Parnell

When one shopper learned Aldi was launching a new beauty line that appeared similar to offerings from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

Rachael hurried to her nearest outlet to purchase the Lacura face cream for a low price for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 price tag of the luxury brand 50ml item.

Its smooth blue container and gold lid of each items look remarkably alike. And though Rachael has never tried the high-end cream, she states she's satisfied by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been purchasing beauty alternatives from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for years, and she's not alone.

Over a quarter of UK shoppers state they've tried a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This jumps to nearly half among 18-34 year olds, as per a February study.

Alternatives are beauty items that copy bigger name brands and present cost-effective substitutes to luxury products. They typically have similar labels and design, but in some cases the components can differ significantly.

Victoria Woollaston

'Costly Isn't Always Better'

Beauty specialists argue certain substitutes to high-end brands are good quality and help make beauty routines cheaper.

"I don't think costlier is always better," says skin specialist one expert. "Not all budget skincare brand is inferior - and not all high-end skincare product is the best."

"Certain [dupes] are absolutely excellent," says a skincare commentator, who hosts a show about famous people.

A lot of of the items modeled on high-end labels "run out so rapidly, it's just crazy," he says.

Scott McGlynn

Medical expert a doctor argues alternatives are suitable to use for "simple routines" like moisturisers and face washes.

"These products will serve a purpose," he explains. "They will do the fundamentals to a satisfactory standard."

Another skin doctor, advises you can cut costs when you're looking for simple-formula items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a single-ingredient item then you're likely going to be okay in using a budget alternative or something which is quite affordable because there's minimal that can be problematic," she adds.

'Do Not Be Sold by the Packaging'

However the specialists also recommend shoppers investigate and note that costlier products are sometimes worth the additional cost.

Regarding premium beauty products, you're not only paying for the name and promotion - at times the elevated cost also is due to the components and their quality, the strength of the effective element, the science used to develop the product, and trials into the products' performance, Dr Belmo notes.

Beauty expert she argues it's valuable considering how some dupes can be offered so cheaply.

In some cases, she states they might contain bulking agents that lack as many positive effects for the skin, or the materials might not be as high-quality.

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

Podcast host Scott says sometimes he's bought skincare items that look comparable to a big-name brand but the item has "no resemblance to the luxury product".

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

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Regarding advanced items or ones with ingredients that can irritate the complexion if they're not created accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, the specialist suggests using medical-grade labels.

She explains these will likely have been through comprehensive trials to determine how successful they are.

Skincare products need to be tested before they can be sold in the UK, says expert Emma Wedgeworth.

If the label states about the efficacy of the product, it needs evidence to support it, "however the seller does not always have to perform the trials" and can instead use evidence done by different firms, she adds.

Examine the Back of the Pack

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

Components on the back of the bottle are listed by quantity. "Ingredients to avoid that you want to look out for… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, parfum, benzel peroxide" being {high up