It's easy to understand why facials are addictive: the result is a glowing complexion that garners compliments from everyone, whether it's your BFF or the Starbucks' barista. But the glow doesn't come simply from reclining on a table for an hour while someone massages you with creams; facials have come a long way from the simple "buff and brush" of yesteryear.

The facial that I've been most impressed with lately is the high-performance diamond peel with stem cell collagen (starting at $200) at Mario Tricoci (multiple locations; call 847-202-1900 to book). The three-part, 60-minute treatment involves a white diamond and organic flower microdermabrasion, an age-fighting peel, and a procell collagen mask. The last step is really where the magic happens, as the mask contains resveratrol (a powerful antioxidant) to neutralize free radicals and regulate healthy cell growth and baicalin to help prevent premature aging. The craziest ingredient: apple stem cells from a rare apple found in Switzerland, which doesn't oxidize like the apple on your desk a few minutes after lunch hour. While the immediate result of smoother, glowing skin is temporary (shucks!), long-term bennies are best achieved through a great home-care routine. To that end, Debi Collins, the corporate esthetics trainer for Mario Tricoci, discovered the Stem Cell Power Serum ($125) from Glymed. Having worked with more than 15 brands myself back in my esthetician era, I am blown away by the instantaneous results and science behind the Glymed products. After only a couple of days of trying out my Glymed samples, my skin is already smoother. In fact, my boyfriend asked me if I just had a facial.

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