Complexion exists because most beauty coverage is paid for, one way or another — a sample sent ahead of a launch, a placement fee, an affiliate arrangement that quietly shapes which product gets called the best. We wanted a publication that didn’t work that way.
Every product we review is purchased anonymously, at full price, from the same retailers our readers use — drugstore shelves, Sephora, Ulta Beauty, Target, CVS, Walgreens, Amazon.com. We do not accept free samples for review, we do not run paid placements, and we do not publish sponsored rankings. When a brand reaches out, we thank them and buy the product ourselves anyway. Testing is done under consistent, disclosed conditions, and our findings are written up by the people who ran the tests, not by a sales team.
This is slower and more expensive than the alternative. We think it’s the only version worth reading.
Our Review Committee
Our test protocols and clinical claims are checked by a standing committee of three.
Professor Margareta Lindberg, MD, PhD, is a dermatologist and researcher whose work has centered on skin aging and barrier function; she reviews our claims around long-term skin health.
Dr. James Morrison, PhD, is a biochemist whose research background is in how topical ingredients actually reach and interact with the skin; he checks our formulation and delivery reasoning.
Dr. Claire Dubois, MD, is a board-certified dermatologist with a focus on skin aging and pigmentation; she reviews our coverage of clinical and in-office comparisons.
Full biographies for each committee member are available elsewhere on the site.
Corrections and Suggestions
We get things wrong sometimes, and we’d rather hear about it than not. If you’ve spotted an error, have a category you think we should test next, or want to flag something in one of our reviews, our editorial team reads every message. Use the contact page to reach us directly.