Born in a two-bedroom Manhattan apartment, Mario Badescu makes skincare products and operates a New York salon built around European-style facials. Founded in 1967 by Romanian immigrant Mario Badescu, the company began with products mixed by hand, including its now-iconic Drying Lotion, and still formulates and manufactures its line at a 50,000-square-foot headquarters and factory. Its 36-room spa continues to put those skincare formulas to the test, alongside a product line used across three generations of faces.
LON CosmeticsFounded in Israel in 1966, LON Cosmetics develops and manufactures treatment skincare products built around Dead Sea minerals, becoming an early pioneer in bringing those minerals into cosmetic formulas. After introducing its products in New York in 1973, the company began large-scale U.S. production using the original formulas and raw materials, and today supplies skincare salons and customers around the world. Its chemists continue researching lines such as Desert Spring and Newtox 40 from its Lindenhurst, New York operation.LINDENHURST, NY
DR. MACRENE activesFounded around the work of dermatologist-scientist Macrene Alexiades, MD, PhD, DR. MACRENE actives makes dermatologist-developed skincare designed to bring clinical research into everyday formulas. The New York company’s products are built around its patented MA37™ multi-active technology and plant-derived ingredients, while its Manhattan and Wainscott spas extend that approach into personalized treatments. Alexiades holds BA, MD, and PhD degrees from Harvard and is dual board-certified in dermatology in the United States and European Union.NEW YORK, NY
BeautyRx Skincare by Dr. SchultzMore than 20 years ago, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Neal Schultz turned the central insight of his Manhattan practice—treating overall skin tone and texture rather than focusing only on wrinkles—into BeautyRx. The company develops dermatologist-formulated at-home skincare centered on gentle exfoliation, while its Peel Bar brings Schultz’s two-minute professional glycolic peel to consumers outside the doctor’s office.NEW YORK, NY
elvis+elvinFounded in New York City in 2014 by esthetician and herbal medicine expert Victoria Leung, elvis+elvin makes skincare and beauty products that pair naturally derived ingredients with modern formulation technology. Inspired by her sons’ sensitive skin, Leung shaped the brand around gentle, small-batch production and an East-meets-West approach that includes rose, Dead Sea mud and plant stem cell technology. The company established its own manufacturing facility in 2021 and has since expanded from Hong Kong counters and a Soho flagship to markets across Asia.NEW YORK, NY