Actives Investigation
“Essences” are claimed to have all sorts of powers, but do they really make a significant impact on the skin? Our cosmetic chemist weighs in
Mountain High
Getting poked, prodded, massaged, and wrapped—detoxing never felt so good. Susanne Kaufmann’s retreat in the Austrian Alps reimagines the spa
Hungary for Improvement
Visit
It Takes Two
Cleanse
Doctor’s Orders?
Is “medical-grade skin care” really all that superior to whatever is stocked at Sephora? We investigate and discover a few surprises
Don’t Shoot Me
The chipmunk cheeks, the bulbous chin, the lips that look ready to pop. When filler injections go too far, doctors say, they can be dissolved. Turns out, it’s a little more complicated
A Replacement for Retinol?
Our cosmetic chemist breaks down the good, the bad, and the ugly truths about bakuchiol
Seeing Red?
Apply
Don’t Sweat It
Roll
Touch and Glow
Is the humble safflower the next big miracle worker in skin care? We go to Japan with a hope and a prayer
Slathering on the Midnight Oil
Our science guy weighs in on whether face oils really live up to their hydrating hype
Rocky Mountain High
Visit
Ice, Ice, Baby
Roll
Turn On the Red Light!
Clever marketing campaigns for L.E.D. and laser devices make all sorts of promises. But can these so-called skin saviors take the heat?
Creature’s Comforts
Apply
Striking Oil
Apply
Silver Lining
Re-fill
Baby Face
Pricey serums and high-end night creams aren’t just for grown women anymore—meet the new consumers who are raiding the skin-care aisles
Defaced, Refaced
What happens when plastic-surgery procedures don’t go exactly as planned?
Ever Tried Acid?
Apply
Champagne Wishes and Caviar Creams
The ingredients are mysterious. The benefits can be elusive. But the newest skin-care products are determined to prove their worth
Coming Clean
People told her she was dirty. After years of frustration, Scarlett Johansson tackled the problem head-on—and now watch her glow
The Secret Lives of Tanorexics
One drop of rain and they’re off to the sun. What drives these bronze obsessives? And why won’t they ever learn?