We’re all familiar with the old proverb “beauty must suffer,” and indeed, many of us have suffered in the name of beauty. From the painful to the more obscure and bizarre, new skincare remedies and treatments keep surfacing in the media.

If letting leeches treat your skin like a buffet is not for you, and wearing face masks consisting of bird droppings doesn’t entice you, or if (hold the jokes) the spermine facial brings back unpleasant memories or fears, worry not! There are much sounder ways to achieve a healthy and youthful appearance. The following five skincare lines are tried and true:

SK-II

This Japanese line’s main ingredient is called Pitera, a nutrient-rich liquid extracted from sake. Upon a visit to a sake brewery, a scientist could not help but notice how soft and youthful the women’s hands in this brewery were and decided to isolate the ingredient that made them so. SK-II bought the formula, which is now Japan’s top prestige cosmetics brand. The backbone of the line is the Facial Treatment Essence, a tonic recommended for all skin types, to be applied twice daily before moisturizer. Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton are fans.

La Prairie

Praised by all of Park Avenue, this skincare line traces its origins to the posh Clinic La Prairie in Montreux, Switzerland. Each product from this line uses La Prairie’s patented Cellular Complex to help fight off any signs of aging. The shining star of the brand is the La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream, whose main ingredient is protein-rich caviar extract that refines the skin’s texture and gives it a rejuvenated feel and appearance. It does not get more luxurious than that.

CellCeuticals

From renowned Beverly Hills plastic surgeon Dr. Garth Fisher and beauty industry doyen Paul Scott Premo comes this revolutionary line that targets aging at the cellular level, thanks to a combination of retinol, antioxidants, lipopeptides and Growth Factor Peptide (GFP). The result? Younger, firmer, smoother, and more luminous skin. Kim Kardashian swears by the line’s Extreme Defense Anti-Cell Damage Skin Treatment.

Perricone MD

Dr. Nicholas Perricone is always issuing new ways to maintain healthy and beautiful skin. He challenges the status quo in dermatology by relating skin care to diet, along with the use of his effective products. Useful skin secrets are revealed in all of his books and his line has now become more accessible thanks to QVC. The line’s top-selling product is the Concentrated Restorative Treatment, formulated with high levels of Ester C to help improve skin’s elasticity and restore its radiance.

Sisley

What sets this line apart from the others is that Sisley uses the highest quality available of natural plant extracts and essential oils. These distillates are selected depending upon their origins; some regions offer better quality plants than others and Sisley only uses the best. This method is known as Phytocosmetology, which optimizes the concentration of each active element in order to produce the utmost results. The first areas to show signs of aging are the eye and mouth zones, so Sisley has developed the Botanical Eye and Lip Contour Complex to specifically target the areas.