Let It Glow

By
July 2022 View more

Skin Theory
Glen Ellyn
At her skin care clinic, owner and aesthetician Karen O’Reilly specializes in treating issues such as acne, rosacea, and eczema. “Most of the people that find us have already tried almost everything else,” she says. Her specialty is clearing acne with a holistic program that includes topical treatments and lifestyle changes. The clinic’s boutique section features a number of specialty facial care brands, including Face Reality, a starter line for teens, and Vivant Skin Care, founded by Dr. James E. Fulton, the codeveloper of Retin-A. Gift-worthy goods include luxurious body products by Esker and Jenny Patinkin’s chillable rose quartz rollers.
Good to know: O’Reilly is launching virtual skin care consultations this summer.
520 Hillside Ave.
skintheoryglenellyn.com

Bluemercury
Naperville, Oak Brook, and Hinsdale
This brand has more than 175 locations across the country, and many of these beauty meccas, like the Naperville location, have in-house spas. Decidedly unpushy salespeople can help guide you through the dizzying array of skin care and cosmetics, which range from SkinCeuticals serums to Hollywood favorite La Mer. Two brands you won’t find anywhere else: Lune+Aster, a vitamin-infused makeup line, and M-61, a clinical skin care collection, both created by Bluemercury cofounder Marla Beck.                                                   Good to know: Some of Bluemercury’s growth can be attributed to Macy’s buying it in 2015.
42 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville; 1 Oakbrook Center, Oak Brook; 21 E. First St., Hinsdale                  
bluemercury.com

ME SPA
Naperville
This full-service spa on the second floor of the Main Street Promenade building has a spacious retail area that’s worth a visit even if you don’t have a massage or facial booked. Browse cleansers and serums from Image Skincare, a medical-grade line that’s “definitely geared toward our guests with aging skin, some sun damage, or big dehydration issues,” says Meghan Fines, spa director. Éminence Organic Skin Care from Hungary features formulas made with ingredients ranging from strawberries to stonecrop, a succulent plant with hydrating properties. “We don’t carry their whole line because they have well over 200 products, but we rotate things in and out, and they are always coming out with something new,” Fines says. Other popular items include tropical-scented body butters, oils, and scrubs from Pure Fiji; Kitsch satin eye pillows and pillow cases; and Spongellé body-wash-infused sponges, which are “really popular for gifting and for traveling,” Fines says.                                                     
Good to know: Pedicures ($45—$105) here are next level in the pampering department thanks to weighted eye pillows, reclining chairs, and aromatherapy.
55 S. Main St.
me-spas.com 

Photos courtesy of Skin Theory, ME SPA, and Chicago Tribune file