Healthy skin is about more than the right moisturizer, and now the cosmetics brand Clinique is furthering its commitment to achieving a healthy glow. Last week, Clinique Laboratories Inc. announced a new partnership with the Department of Dermatology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. The company has donated $7 million to the school for the creation of a new dermatology center: the Clinique Skin Wellness Center at Weill Cornell.

The center – set to open in fall 2006 – will provide clinical care, but will also be dedicated to research and education. While the majority of the gift is dedicated to a new facility for the center, $2 million will go directly to research on topics such as the effects of the nervous system on skin and cures for skin conditions. A portion of the gift will be devoted to the Clinique Clinical Scholar program, which will allow a junior staff member of Weill Cornell to set aside time for research. There are also plans for a symposium for dermatologists and educational programs for patients and professionals.

Doctors of dermatology will also have space in the new building. Treatment rooms, a waiting room, and an information center will be included in the new facility. Clinique will have a presence there; information will be available via handout materials and computer terminals.

At a press conference, Ronald S. Lauder, chairman of Clinique Laboratories, explained that the company wanted to broaden its approach to healthy skin. For another cosmetics company, the commitment might seem disingenuous, but Clinique has history on its side. When the brand was founded in 1967, it was the first line of cosmetics to be created with the help of a dermatologist. The gift is associated with the medical college’s capital campaign, known as Advancing the Clinical Mission, which aims to raise $750 million by December.