Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D

When sisters commiserate about complexion problems, the conversation usually ends with a sigh, maybe a trip to Sephora. For Rachel and Liz Edlich, it ended in a lab. The two women already knew the skincare business—they ran a company that created products for other brands—so they decided to assemble a stable of chemists to solve their skincare woes.

"At work it was all about packaging, marketing, and advertising," says Liz. "But once we decided to make products just for us, we thought about only one thing: efficacy." Their goal was to include the highest possible levels of various antioxidants, peptides, fruit acids, and moisturizing sodium hyaluronate. More than a year later, Rachel and Liz left the lab with their dream products in clear vials labeled with a Sharpie. Before long, Liz's fine lines were fading, Rachel no longer needed antibiotics to control her rosacea—and their friends wanted what they were having.

Now everyone can; their Radical Skincare line is available at Barneys New York stores and barneys.com, as well as their own site, radicalskincare.com. The packaging has been upgraded, but it's still simple. "We wanted to keep all the value inside the bottle," says Rachel. "A fancy jar or celebrity endorsement isn't going to transform your skin."