It’s often said that if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself—a maxim skin-care pioneer Ling Chan could write volumes about. As a child growing up in Hong Kong, Chan battled with a poor complexion and decided to take matters into her own kitchen, where she began mixing up acne-fighting potions and lotions. After immigrating to the United States in 1974, she used her hands-on experience and knowledge of both Eastern and Western dermatological principles to break into the American beauty market. Today, Chan boasts five skin-care labels—Red, White, Blue, Body, and Anti-Aging—as well as three Manhattan spa and retail locations that have attracted the devotion of celebrities such as Alicia Keys, Naomi Campbell, and Gisele Bundchen.

With all the good press, I decided it was high time for me to experience Ling Skin Care for myself, so I took a day trip to SoHo. After spending about an hour poking around and grilling the sales associates, I walked out with the Clearlight elixir ($65, shown), the Alcohol Free Toning Lotion for Oily Skin ($10), and a baggie full of samples. A few weeks later, the results were everything the staff promised they’d be: Clearlight lightened my scars, while the toning lotion made my T-zone noticeably less oily. No wonder pop stars and supermodels rely on Chan to clear up their skin-care woes.—Meghan Casey