Shenui has the formula for a customized skin care line that lets you put your best face forward

Women are deluged daily with ads and commercials touting the latest breakthrough in wrinkle technology and skin hydration. The skeptic in me just flips the page or changes the channel, but I must admit that I often return for a quick peek, hoping that there really has been a development that might make my fine lines and dry skin disappear.

After discovering Shenui.com, a local company that creates custom cleansers, moisturizers, serums and toners using scientifically proven ingredients, my confidence in the science of skin care has been restored.

Shenui is an online-only skin care line that uses "bioactives" in their formulations -- biologically active substances, including polysaccharides, peptides, proteins, enzymes, vitamins and herbal extracts that have been found to exert a physiological change on the skin.

Shenui formulations are different from mass-market products (even those at high-end stores) for four key reasons: they're customized to your skin type; fresh bioactives are added to your product at the time of your order; the bottles are specially made to reduce contamination; and the bioactives used are at levels that were found to be effective in clinical studies.

Here's how it works: Visit the Web site and find the products appropriate for your skin type; choose from anti-aging preventative, anti-aging restorative, dry, oily, sensitive, darkened or acne.

Next, pick a selection (or choose from the pre-packaged suggestions) of bioactives available for your product. Finally, choose a fragrance from the extensive list -- or go fragrance free. Karin Bombeli and her physician husband, Thomas, will then create your custom skin care product and ship it to you.

I have dry skin, so I chose the Creamy Moisturizer (base price $39 for 1.7 ounces) and the Cleansing Cream (base price $25 for 4 ounces). For the Creamy Moisturizer, I picked one of the two suggested packages of bioactives, which included Irish Moss Extract, Jojoba Protein, Hyaluronic Acid and Colostrum Whey ($34.60), and decided to go scent free.

For the Cleansing Cream, I chose Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Ion Moist, Jojoba Protein and Keratoline (between $4.90 and $9.90 each) based on their descriptions. I opted for the Lemongrass Green Tea fragrance ($1.50) and found it to be a light and refreshing scent that I look forward to smelling each morning.

The Bombelis are more than happy to guide you in your selection if you're unsure which bioactives are right for you. It's nice to know that someone right here in Seattle has the recipe for great looking skin.

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