Martha Stewart Skin Care: We Tried Elm Biosciences on Four Different Skin Types
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Itâs not every day a celebrity beauty brand truly piques our interest, but when we heard the news about Martha Stewartâs skin care line, Elm Biosciences, we couldnât help but be curious. After all, this is the woman who makes constant headlines for her ageless skin (which, according to Stewart, has no help from Botox or plastic surgery) and, not to mention, graced the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Described as âintentional skin care for living and aging well,â Elm Biosciences has been five years in the making and was developed in partnership with Dhaval Bhanusali, MD, Stewartâs longtime dermatologist and the founder of Hudson Dermatology and Laser Surgery in New York City.
Curious to see if the Martha magic is worth the hype? We asked four Glamour editors of varying ages and skin types to put the Elm Biosciences A3O Elemental Serum to the test. Ahead, our honest review on Martha Stewartâs skin care line.
About Martha Stewartâs skin care lineElm A3O Elemental Serum
Elm Inner Dose Daily Skin Supplement
The inaugural launch includes The A3O Elemental Serum ($150) and Inner Dose Daily Skin Supplement ($50), which both aim to restore skin appearance, support the barrier, and improve resilience. According to the brand, the serum is the first of its kind, using patented A30 Complex, a combination of powerful antioxidants, to target UV damage, pigmentation, dehydration, and irritation. It was also designed to play well with other products in your skin care routine and work well under makeup.
Lauren Brown, creative visuals directorâThe packaging of this serum is beautiful and definitely luxury: gold hardware, matte glass, and chic typography. The serum itself is a gold-yellow shade that looks almost tinted at first, but sheers out once applied. My skin looked super glowy and felt really hydrated. I definitely noticed the smell, which is a floral-meets-botanical fragrance, but I really like the scent so it didnât bother me. Even after applying my makeup, I noticed my complexion looked a lot brighter. I took a cue from the instructions and also applied it to the neck and dĂ©colletĂ©, which gave me a nice overall glow. If youâre a luxury skin care obsessive, itâs worth the $150 investment.â âLauren Brown, Glamour creative visuals director
Eilish Morley, global director, editorial operationsâWhen applied on skin, the serum has an almost shimmery effect to it. I noticed my complexion looked a lot brighter than usual, which lasted throughout the week. The formula melts into skin well and didnât leave me feeling tacky or sticky. The biggest benefits I saw were hydration and brighteningâmy skin felt plump and soft with a nice glow. As for things I didnât love: The serum has a specific smell that I didnât find pleasant. My nose is pretty sensitive, so I usually lean toward something with no fragrance or very light fragrance. If there was an unscented version, I would be totally sold.â âEilish Morley, Glamour global director, editorial operations
Ariana Yaptangco, senior beauty editorâThe first thing I noticed about this serum was the smell, which I actually enjoy (the scent is rich and fancyâreminiscent of La Mer) but made me a little hesitant. My skin has been through rounds of intense laser treatments to smooth acne scarring and has become much more sensitive. Anything overly fragranced tends to make me itchy and splotchy. I pumped the gilded bottle (again, rich and fancy) and hoped for the best. You can imagine my surprise when I had zero negative reaction to this product. Instead, it made my skin feel plump and healthy, with the most unreal glow. I like using it in the morning before makeup, for an instant boost of brightness. The key is the patented A30 complex, which uses antioxidants to target UV damage, pigmentation, dehydration, and irritation. Juryâs out on UV damage (that requires more long-term testing), but you can definitely check off those last three skin concerns. At $150, itâs definitely a splurge, but if you have the means, itâs worth the short-term benefits (and worth waiting to see the long-term).â âAriana Yaptangco, Glamour senior beauty editor
Anna Moeslein, deputy editorâMy skin can be reactive to new products sometimes, but that wasnât the case with this serumâa sign that itâs as gentle for sensitive skin as promised. The formula absorbed well and wasnât too sticky on the skin. And because it is so gentle, I found it paired nicely with the rest of my skin care routine. My skin felt smoother and more hydrated, which helped create a good base for my makeup. I think Iâll need to use it longer than a few weeks to really see the full results and decide if itâs as transformative as the packaging claims. If so, it may be worth the $150 price tag. But itâs a promising start!â âAnna Moeslein, Glamour deputy editor
