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Rachael Parnell

After discovering a consumer heard Aldi was offering a fresh product collection that seemed similar to products from high-end label Augustinus Bader, she was "extremely excited".

The shopper rushed to her nearest store to buy the Lacura face cream for £8.49 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 price tag of the luxury brand 50ml cream.

The sleek blue container and gold cap of the two items look noticeably alike. And though she has not used the luxury cream, she says she's pleased by the dupe so far.

She has been buying skincare dupes from high street stores and grocery stores for some time, and she's in good company.

Over a fourth of UK consumers report they've tried a beauty or cosmetic dupe. This rises to 44% among 18-34 year olds, according to a recently published study.

Lookalikes are skincare products that imitate well-known brands and offer affordable substitutes to luxury items. They typically have alike labels and design, but sometimes the components can change substantially.

Victoria Woollaston

'High-Priced Isn't Always Better'

Skincare professionals say certain alternatives to high-end labels are reasonable standard and help make skincare less expensive.

"I don't think higher-priced is invariably better," comments dermatology expert a doctor. "Not every affordable product line is poor - and not every luxury beauty item is the top."

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

A lot of of the products inspired by luxury brands "disappear so rapidly, it's just unbelievable," he observes.

Scott McGlynn

Skin specialist another professional thinks dupes are suitable to use for "basic skincare" like hydrators and face washes.

"Dupes will do the job," he says. "These items will handle the basics to a reasonable level."

A consultant dermatologist, thinks you can save money when you're looking for single-ingredient items like hyaluronic acid, Vitamin B3 and squalane.

"If you're purchasing a single-ingredient item then you're probably going to be fine in opting for a budget alternative or something which is quite inexpensive because there's very little that can cause issues," she adds.

'Don't Be Influenced by the Container'

However the experts also suggest buyers check details and say that more expensive products are at times worth the additional cost.

With luxury beauty products, you're not just covering the name and marketing - sometimes the elevated cost also stems from the components and their grade, the strength of the active ingredient, the technology employed to create the product, and trials into the item's performance, Dr Belmo explains.

Beauty expert she says it's important thinking about how certain alternatives can be priced so at a low cost.

In some cases, she believes they might include filler ingredients that lack as significant positive effects for the skin, or the ingredients might not be as well sourced.

"The major uncertainty is 'How is it so cheap?'" she remarks.

Podcast host McGlynn notes sometimes he's purchased beauty products that appear comparable to a well-known label but the item has "no connection to the premium version".

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

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For potent products or those with ingredients that can irritate the complexion if they're not formulated accurately, such as retinols or vitamin C serums, the specialist suggests sticking to research-backed brands.

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

Skincare products must be assessed before they can be marketed in the UK, notes consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

If the company makes claims about the performance of the product, it needs data to back it up, "however the brand doesn't necessarily have to conduct the testing" and can alternatively use testing done by other brands, she says.

Examine the Label of the Pack

Are there any components that could indicate a item is low-quality?

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