June 6th, 2011 
I feel badly for women who are not in-the-know. There are so many products out there which claim to do make a difference, and they just don’t. For instance, all the new products sold at department store beauty counters, or even at the drug store claiming to give you longer, thicker, darker lashes. Don’t waste your money thinking that they will work. If you want true results, you need to get FDA approved LATISSE® from a physician.
Philosophy has a product called “Hope in a Jar,” which is a great name because so many do put their hope in a jar of cream. Women seek some combination of youth and beauty, and spend millions of dollars each year on lotions and potions longing for change and improvement. I am a believer in investing in seeing a good Cosmetic Dermatologist or Plastic Surgeon who can actually get to the root of the problem, rather than spend money on products which promise to “reduce the appearance” of fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation. Heck, investing in cosmetic treatments is a better investment than a new handbag or pair of heels. You wear your face every day.
All this said, lotions, serums and creams are very important in that they protect your skin from UVA/UVB rays to prevent future sun damage, exfoliate the skin to reveal new skin, and stimulate the production of collagen. To see a real change you need to get professional treatments, and use professional products with the right levels of key ingredients.
A little over a month ago, I received some products from iS Clinical to try. The only iS Clinical product I had ever used was their Active Serum. As my regular readers know, I am a huge believer in skin exfoliation as it reveals smoother softer skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and unclogs pores. I wrote recently about coping with melasma, and how I love using Vivite and M.D. Forte products which contain a high percentage of glycolic acid. Well, hydroquinone, kojic acid, glycolic acid, vitamin A/retinol/tretinoin, azeleic acid, ascorbic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid are all great for those suffering from hyperpigmentation or melasma. iS Clinical’s Active Serum is formulated with more than just glycolic acid, it contains lactic acid, salicylic acid, and kojic acid to create great synergy.
Active Serum isn’t just great for hyperpigmentation or reducing the signs of aging, it’s terrific for those suffering from acne. The product contains menthol which creates this tingling effect. It’s the same as you find in Vick’s VapoRub, so it’s not like the tingling has anything to do with the efficacy of the product. It’s not a bad tingling feeling, I’m just not sure the menthol has any benefit on the skin and find the marketing of the tingle a bit misleading.
In addition to the Active Serum which I’ve used regularly for years, iS Clinical sent me their Cleansing Complex which I really enjoyed using. It has a fresh scent and feels soft on the skin, and would be great for anyone with sensitive skin. It doesn’t produce a ton of lather, which was fine with me, but I know some people like a good lather.
The company also sent me their Youth Eye Complex. I really liked this product. I used products on my skin that would be too harsh for the delicate eye area, so I loved using the Youth Eye Complex, which contains great ingredients like the acids in Active Serum to turnover cells and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and hyperpigmentation, yet it’s a much more gentle and appropriate for the eye area. I am out of the Youth Eye Complex, and am now using the Youth Complex that they gave me on the eye area. It contains great ingredients, but is still very moisturizing and gentle. In addition to the acids, these products also contain peptides to stimulate collagen and elastin production which gets to the root of the cause of fine lines and wrinkles.
I am eager to try iS Clinical’s White Lightening Complex and White Lightening Serum, which uses many of the same ingredients as their Active Serum to see how it’s different and to see if it will be helpful on my hyperpigmentation.
Let me know if you’ve ever tried these products and what you think about them!
- Miss A
