The American Institute of Skin Science was founded on a simple observation: most beauty coverage is paid for, in one way or another, by the brands it covers. We wanted something different — a publication that tests products the way a careful, skeptical friend would, and reports back without an agenda.
Every product we review is purchased anonymously at ordinary retail, whether that’s a drugstore, a CVS or Walgreens counter, a big-box shelf at Target, or an online listing on Amazon.com. We do not accept free samples from manufacturers or public relations firms, and we do not run paid placements or sponsored rankings of any kind. If a product performs well in our testing, it’s because it performed well — not because anyone asked us to say so.
Our review process combines laboratory-style evaluation with real-world use over time, and every methodology is reviewed by our editorial committee before results are published.
Our Review Committee
Professor Margareta Lindberg, MD, PhD, a dermatologist and researcher whose work has long focused on skin aging and barrier health, helps ensure our testing reflects how skin actually behaves over time, not just in a single application.
Dr. James Morrison, PhD, a biochemist specializing in how topical ingredients move through and interact with the skin barrier, reviews the formulation science behind our conclusions.
Dr. Claire Dubois, MD, a board-certified dermatologist with a focus on skin aging and pigmentation, brings a clinical eye to how our findings translate into everyday use.
Full biographies for each committee member are available elsewhere on the site.
Reach Our Editorial Team
We rely on readers to help us stay accurate. If you’ve spotted an error, have a correction to suggest, or think we’ve overlooked a category worth testing, we want to hear about it. Our contact page below is the most direct way to reach the editorial team.