Perusing the aisles of the drugstore, you've probably seen that just about every brand name beauty product has a generic version. Flip them over and you'll see the exact same ingredients, in the exact same order. The only difference? The price. Still, you can't help but wonder, there must be something different about that brand name version to make it 20-40 percent more expensive ... right?

Wrong, according to Alcide, who says that the generic, pharmacy brand versions are the exact same thing as the brand name stuff. In fact, in order for big brands to get shelf space in stores like CVS, they have to be okay with CVS placing their (almost identical) product package next to the brand name product.

However, our editorial team can attest, there is an upside to plunking down for brand name goods. That high-end packaging you're paying for can do a better job protecting the product (and your investment) or make the product more user-friendly. As in, it doesn't break the first time it hits your bathroom floor or squirt sideways out of the canister. Our editorial staff tested a slew of generic beauty products, and although we gave a thumbs-up to some knock-offs, we also noticed that the packaging often ruined whatever quality or value there was in the off-brand version.

And Alcide makes sure to clarify that it's only the imitators that generic skin care brands are equal to. While a pharmacy brand moisturizer might be equal to a similarly packaged brand name drugstore moisturizer, that doesn't mean it's on par with a high-end line found in department stores. "The reason you are getting a a skin care product for $10 versus $60 is because the cheap product is mostly water and fillers without a high amount of active ingredients," explains Alcide.

There's a vague legend behind a well-known luxury brand that involves a rocket scientist developing a moisturizer. Although Alcide declines to name the specific product, she does reveal that it's a "joke amongst high-end chemists." "It's just a marketing story they used to sell the product, and people buy into that," she says.

The skin care product in question does list its marketable ingredient, Seaweed Algae, as its first ingredient, but follows it with a slew of inexpensive ingredients comparable to Vaseline. Regardless of whether harvesting that seaweed is as expensive as the company may have you believe, Alcide says it's important for consumers to use common sense when considering paying upwards of $100 for a one-ounce product based on an intriguing story surrounding its creation. "A savvy consumer can sense if a story is bogus or not," she says. When considering splurging on expensive products, she recommends researching similar options to find less expensive alternatives, sans the bells and whistles (or in this case, the seaweed and rocket scientists).

Just because you don't have a degree in chemistry doesn't mean you can't shop smart in the beauty aisle. Alcide is quick to say that, while there are a lot of things to watch out for in your cosmetic products, there are also a lot of ingredients that can really help your skin.

If you're looking for a great acne product, Alcide says to avoid the harsh ingredients (like parabens), because irritating or drying products can make acne-prone skin overproduce oil, which means more acne and longer healing times. Great acne-fighting ingredients you should look for: salicylic acid (it kills the bacteria that causes acne), willow bark and licorice root (both are anti-inflammatory), citrus essential oils (like grapefruit and sweet orange), alpha hydroxy, clary sage (it helps with hormonal acne), honey (for its natural antiseptic properties), aloe vera juice, avenea sativa (oat) extract, and camphor extract.

For anti-aging products, Alcide recommends ingredients like squalane (a natural emollient and moisturizer), peptides, Vitamins C and E, ingredients from the sea (like blue or red marine algae), grapeseed and avocado oil (they help your skin retain moisture), seabuckthorn oil, non-petroleum derived vegetable glycerin, coconut oil, retinol, and topical antioxidants like Vitamin A, E, C and green tea, which help protect your skin from environmental damage.