Brand background
Image Skincare is a professional, clinical brand designed for use by skin care professionals like estheticians and dermatologists. Founded in 2003 by esthetician Janna Ronert, Image Skincare prioritizes science over fads, results over trends. After years of practicing this philosophy, the brand’s physician-formulated products and treatments have earned rave reviews, won countless awards, and gained the trust of 20,000 skin care professionals across 60 countries. In this Image Skincare reviews, we’ll discuss key products, key formulation details, Image Skincare reviews from real customers, and an alternative for you to consider.
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Key products
Image Skincare offers a variety of skin care products for each step of your skin care routine, including cleansers, exfoliants, scrubs, masques, eye care, lip care, moisturizers, serums, sun protection, and more. Since there are too many products to cover in this review, we’ll discuss three of the most popular Image Skincare products: Vital C Hydrating Intense Moisturizer, Clear Cell Medicated Acne Lotion, and Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser.
Vital C Hydrating Intense Moisturizer is a nourishing, highly emollient crème that is said to continuously replenish hydration and shield dehydrated skin against moisture loss and environmental stressors. The formula absorbs quickly to comfort tight, irritated or sensitive skin.
Clear Cell Medicated Acne Lotion is a 5% benzoyl peroxide lotion that attacks acne-causing bacteria to treat blackheads and clogged pores at the source. There are also brightening ingredients in this lotion to help with redness and marks from existing and previous blemishes.
Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser is a mild foaming cleanser that helps to remove impurities, leaving skin soft, hydrated, and clean. It has a satiny texture that restores softness and balance to the skin.
Key formulation
Image Skincare products do not contain parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, artificial fragrances, or synthetic dyes. All products are clinically tested, and these tests include stability evaluations, safety assessments for potential sensitizers, and extensive review by a panel of independent skincare professionals. The brand does not test on animals. Interestingly, Image Skincare does not disclose the full list of ingredients for their products on their website. They do list the key ingredients, but without the full list of ingredients, it’s difficult to tell if they are using adequate concentrations of these key ingredients. Below we’ll discuss the key ingredients that can be found in each of the Image Skincare products we introduced in the previous section.
One of the key ingredients in Vital C Hydrating Intense Moisturizer is tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, a stable form of vitamin C that is fat-soluble. Once absorbed into the skin, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate is converted to ascorbic acid (the active form of vitamin C). Ascorbic acid exerts potent antioxidant activity and protects the skin from free radicals, the unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin. In addition, ascorbic acid is involved in collagen synthesis. By increasing the amount of collagen in the skin, signs of aging will be diminished and the skin will appear more firm. Lastly, ascorbic acid can decrease the appearance of dark spots and improve uneven skin tone through inhibition of melanin synthesis.
As mentioned in the previous section, the key ingredient in Image Skincare Clear Cell Medicated Acne Lotion is benzoyl peroxide. As the name implies, benzoyl peroxide is something known as a peroxide, the technical term for an unstable bond between two oxygen atoms that can create free radicals. While free radicals often have a negative connotation, in this case they can be used to effectively kill P. acnes bacteria by destroying the cell walls. Additionally, benzoyl peroxide can exfoliate and help peel the outer layer of skin. One drawback of benzoyl peroxide is that while it does effectively kill P. acnes, it also kills the good bacteria that keep your skin healthy. This can leave skin feeling dry and irritated, which for some people can make skin look worse.
Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser contains several different surfactants, such as sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, and sodium cocoamphoacetate. A surfactant molecule contains one end that is hydrophilic (attracted to water) and one end that is lipophilic (attracted to oil). This allows surfactants to attract and suspends oils, dirt, and other impurities that have accumulated on the skin and wash them away, leaving the skin clean. This cleanser also contains soothing ingredients, such as aloe vera leaf juice and grape water.
Image Skincare reviews
Image Skincare reviews on the brand’s website are overall very positive, with each of the key products mentioned above receiving at least 4.7 out of 5 stars. After 44 customer reviews, Vital C Hydrating Intense Moisturizer is said to be a great moisturizer, especially for dry skin. There aren’t any negative reviews for this product.
After 30 customer reviews, Clear Cell Medicated Acne Lotion has earned many rave reviews from those struggling with acne. One Image Skincare review says, “I’ve tried SO many products and nothing really worked; some products irritate my skin too much, some have no results at all. I’ve noticed my pores size reduced after just one week!!! My skin condition overall improved significantly. I haven’t had a break out since I started using this product.” There are a few negative reviews for this lotion, which state that the product caused an allergic reaction.
After only 6 customer reviews, Ormedic Balancing Facial Cleanser has received many positive comments that say this cleanser helps to keep the skin soft, clear, and hydrated.
What are some alternatives to Image Skincare?
While the key ingredients used in Image Skincare products are definitely beneficial for the skin, we have to wonder why the brand does not disclose the full list of ingredients used in their products. If you’re concerned about this lack of transparency, then we have an alternative for you to consider: Formulyst. Formulyst believes in long-term skin care treatments rather than short-term cover-ups. Of course, Formulyst is fully transparent with their formulations, and you can find the full list of ingredients for each of their products at Formulyst.com.
Instead of Image Skincare’s Vital C Hydrating Intense Moisturizer (which only contains one antioxidant vitamin) we recommend considering Formulyst Active Serum, which features a potent blend of vitamins B, C, and E, ferulic acid, and niacinamide. You’ve already read about the many benefits of vitamin C above, so let’s discuss the additional benefits you’ll gain from these other four ingredients.
Formulyst Active Serum contains provitamin B5, also known as panthenol, which functions as a highly effective humectant. The formula also contains niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3 that is known to repair the skin barrier and improve skin moisture, as well as reduce inflammation, blotchiness, hyperpigmentation,and wrinkling. Vitamin E is a potent lipid soluble antioxidant that helps combat free radicals and also strengthens the skin barrier. Vitamins C and E are network antioxidants, which means that when used together their antioxidant activity is even more powerful. Plus, ferulic acid enhances the efficacy and stability of vitamins C and E. As you can see, the Formulyst Active Serum is truly a multi-tasking serum that provides your skin with a powerful dose of antioxidants to help shield your skin from environmental assaults that age your skin.
There’s no need to compromise when it comes to finding skincare that is effective and safe. Carrot & Stick takes a tough love approach to skincare, perfectly balancing the power of plants with cutting edge science. Not only is Carrot & Stick good for your skin, it is also good for the environment as the formulas skip harmful chemicals commonly found in skin care products.
sue Original review: Aug 01, 2019.
I Image products are available on the internet – from Walmart and Amazon.
I, too, have been using the products for years and constantly get compliments on my beautiful skin – I’m 78 years old, too!