Skin care products give us hope — hope that with the next night cream purchase our fine lines will disappear; that with the perfect eye cream our dark circles will crawl back into the Hellmouth they came from. No matter how savvy we are as consumers, our optimism is sometimes enough to lure us into dropping a couple Benjamins on the latest-and-greatest serums and lotions.

But despite the joy we get from placing those expensive, exquisite bottles on our countertops, we still wonder: Is the money we spend (or would like to spend) on skin care really worth it?

According to Dr. Neal Schultz, MD, New York City-based dermatologist, host of DermTV.com and creator of BeautyRx, there's more that goes into the price of a single product than you might think. Of course the concentration, purity and source of active ingredients play a role, but so do lab research fees, advertising and the brand's positioning, audience and packaging.

So does that $300 serum really deserve a line on your credit card statement? "In my experience, it depends," says Dr. Brian Zelickson, MD, dermatologist and Founder of MD Complete Skincare. "I see great products that are both reasonably priced and extremely high-priced, just as I see poor products in both price categories." The bottom line: Read the ingredient list, look at product reviews, and check the website to see if there are clinical studies to back up their claims," he says.

Sounds like a lot of work, right? Luckily, we did it for you. We dug deep into the world of skin care to find 26 top-notch products — half of which you can afford on a shoestring beauty budget and half that are worth the investment. Here, the best serums, masks, lip balms and more at every price point.

Image via Imaxtree

The Save: RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream, $22.99

The Splurge:
StriVectin Advanced Retinol Intensive Night Treatment, $112

The Breakdown:
Any derm will tell you that retinol is one of the most effective anti-aging ingredients because it directly interacts with our DNA to increase the functions that our cells slack on as we get older. For example, it boosts cell turnover, which leads to fresher, more radiant skin.

According to cosmetic chemist Donald Frey, you won't find an effective retinol for cheap. "Even mass products are in the $20 to $30 range," he explains. Retinols vary in strength, and higher concentrations tend to be pricier. That said, Frey explains that when products go above the $50 to $60 range, "you are probably starting to pay more for the package and image than you are for the efficacy."

Based on the ingredients list, this StriVectin treatment contains a marginally higher dose of retinol than the RoC. However, the RoC product offers extra glow-inducing properties, including glycolic acid. On the front end, you can see results from both (used consistently for eight weeks, that is): namely a more radiant complexion and smoother skin. Even though the RoC is a fifth of the price, it isn't five times less effective.

The Save: Physicians Formula Argan Wear Ultra-Nourishing Argan Oil, $14.95

The Splurge:
Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil, $48

The Breakdown:
Argan oil promises to treat and moisturize irritated, dry and aging skin. In its purest form, it's an ancient cure-all. It's pretty easy to evaluate whether or not your argan oil is authentic, because pure argan oil should list just one ingredient: argan oil (aka, Argania Spinoza Kernel oil).

Both of these Josie Maran and Physician's Formula products fit that bill — and each feels nourishing, smells lovely and makes skin look utterly dewy. Admittedly, we prefer the Josie Maran packaging (the Physician's Formula bottle looks a bit like something out of Disney's "Aladdin," no?), but we're sure argan oil addicts on a budget will agree that a little Papyrus font never hurt anyone.

The Save: Boots Botanics Age Defense Microdermabrasion Polish, $12.99

The Splurge:
Fresh Sugar Face Polish, $62

The Breakdown:
Skin-care junkies on a budget can afford to pinch pennies with their exfoliator, according to Frey. "Save your money on your cleansers and first steps," he advises. In other words, as long as you're not "harming your skin with a harsh cleanser," this is not the place to get nitpicky about ingredients and percentages.

Keeping that in mind, Fresh's sugar scrub is the ultimate splurge. Infused with brown sugar, crushed strawberries and a variety of natural oils, it exfoliates, heals and softens skin, while making it smell amazing.

But if you can't blow 60 bucks on sugar, this Boots scrub gets the job done. It's not technically microdermabrasion, but the fine particles smoothen skin nicely, while the plant extracts leave it feeling soft. No hypnotizing smell, but skin tends to be okay with that.

The Save: Burt's Bees Radiance Day Cream, $18

The Splurge:
Guerlain Abeille Royale Nourishing Day Cream, $180

The Breakdown:
According to dermatologists, the most important step in your morning skin-care routine is sunscreen, which often works just fine as a moisturizer. However, if you have mature or dry skin, day creams offer an extra boost of hydration.

A basic, fragrance-free face lotion should do the trick for most skin types. But if you want a little more anti-aging bang for your buck, there are a number of trendy ingredients to try out. One of these is Royal Jelly, an antioxidant-packed honeybee derivative that's been shown to increase collagen production and moisture content in the skin.

You'll find Royal Jelly in these Guerlain and Burt's Bees moisturizers, which both feel hydrating and nourishing. The formulas are lightweight, non-greasy and fast-absorbing. Of course, you can't compare the packaging. The Guerlain jar looks like something from a museum. But for exactly ten times the price, it's definitely an extravagance.