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Rachael Parnell

Upon hearing Rachael Parnell found out Aldi was selling a recent beauty line that appeared comparable to products from luxury brand Augustinus Bader, she was "incredibly excited".

Rachael rushed to her local outlet to pick up the Lacura face cream for under £9 for 50ml - a tiny percentage of the £240 price tag of the Augustinus Bader 50ml item.

Its sleek blue container and gold lid of each products look strikingly alike. While she has not used the premium cream, she says she's satisfied by the alternative so far.

Rachael has been using lookalike products from mainstream retailers and grocery stores for some time, and she's part of a trend.

Over a quarter of UK consumers say they've purchased a skincare or makeup alternative. This rises to 44% among younger adults, as per a recently published poll.

Lookalikes are beauty items that mimic well-known labels and provide budget-friendly substitutes to premium items. These products frequently have similar labels and design, but in some cases the ingredients can vary considerably.

Victoria Woollaston

'Expensive Isn't Necessarily Better'

Beauty professionals argue many substitutes to premium labels are reasonable standard and aid make beauty routines more affordable.

"I don't think costlier is necessarily more effective," says skin specialist one expert. "Not all low-budget beauty label is bad - and not all luxury skincare product is the finest."

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

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

Scott McGlynn

Aesthetic and dermatology doctor a doctor thinks alternatives are fine to use for "fundamental products" like hydrators and cleansers.

"These products will do the job," he comments. "These items will handle the basics to a acceptable degree."

A consultant dermatologist, advises you can cut costs when you're looking for single-ingredient products like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and a moisturizing ingredient.

"If you're buying a single-ingredient product then you're probably going to be fine in using a lookalike or something which is quite low cost because there's very little that can go wrong," she says.

'Do Not Be Influenced by the Packaging'

Yet the experts also suggest consumers do their research and state that higher-priced items are sometimes worthy of the extra money.

Regarding premium skincare, you're not just funding the label and marketing - sometimes the elevated price tag also comes from the formula and their grade, the potency of the active ingredient, the technology used to produce the item, and studies into the item's performance, the expert notes.

Skin therapist she suggests it's worth questioning how certain alternatives can be sold so at a low cost.

Occasionally, she states they might include less effective components that lack as numerous positive effects for the complexion, or the materials might not be as carefully selected.

"One major question mark is 'Why is it so cheap?'" she remarks.

Expert Scott notes in some cases he's purchased skincare items that look comparable to a big-name brand but the product itself has "little similarity to the original".

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

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For potent items or those with ingredients that can inflame the complexion if they're not made properly, such as retinols or vitamin C, she suggests sticking to research-backed brands.

She states these will likely have been subjected to comprehensive tests to evaluate how effective they are.

Beauty products are required to be assessed before they can be sold in the UK, notes consultant dermatologist Emma Wedgeworth.

When the label states about the performance of the item, it requires evidence to back it up, "but the seller doesn't necessarily have to do the trials" and can instead use evidence done by other companies, she adds.

Examine the Ingredients List of the Pack

Is there any components that could suggest a item is low-quality?

Components on the label of the tube are ordered by concentration. "Potential irritants that you need to avoid… is your petroleum-derived oil, your SLS, fragrance, benzel peroxide" being {high up