Out of the Woods

I thought I had heard of every botanical beauty ingredient, but the German dermatologist Timm Golueke recently introduced me to another one: Scottish royal fern. The plant is the star of his line, Royal Fern skincare ($195–$295, royalfern.com), which he developed after reading a study about how fern extracts protect cell DNA from UV rays. Golueke mixed the Scottish variety with other ferns, as well as hyaluronic acid and oils of sea buckthorn and wild-rose blossom, to create a protective and calming moisturizer, serum, and eye cream. A sulfate-free cleanser comes out next month.