Founded on formulation science, proprietary technologies and clinical validation, iS Clinical has built a global cosmeceutical skincare platform designed to support skin quality before, during and after aesthetic treatment.
In aesthetic clinics, skincare is often where treatment plans begin and where results are maintained long after the appointment ends. The right preparation and homecare regimen can influence tolerance, recovery, patient confidence and consistency of outcomes across procedures.
iS Clinical has long approached skincare as part of clinical care, with formulations designed to support a wide range of skin concerns, including redness, sensitivity, dehydration, photodamage, pigmentation, texture and age-related changes.
Founded in 2000, iS Clinical has grown into a global professional cosmeceutical skincare brand used in more than 125 countries. Its products are formulated and manufactured in-house at the company’s Burbank, California facility, where pharmaceutical-grade ingredients and a rigorous quality-control process support consistency from formulation to finished product.
The range is organised around a clear skin health framework: cleanse, treat, hydrate and protect. This offers clinics a practical way to prescribe skincare according to both the condition of the skin and the treatment being performed. A patient with erythema, dehydration or barrier stress may need a different starting point from one focused on pigment, photodamage or texture. iS Clinical’s range is built around those differences, with treatment serums, hydrators, recovery products and in-clinic protocols designed to be used as part of a coherent skin health plan.
Skin as a marker of wider health
Dr Charlene DeHaven, Clinical Director of iS Clinical, brings a broad medical perspective to formulation science and skin health. Trained in internal and emergency medicine, and an early pioneer in aesthetic medicine in the United States, she sees the skin as part of a wider physiological system rather than a separate surface concern.
‘In medicine, we tend to separate the systems of the body, but the truth is it is all one,’ she says. ‘If you optimise your health and live as well as possible, that shows up in your skin, your heart, your brain. It’s all tied together.’
Dr DeHaven’s view reflects the direction of aesthetic medicine, where skin quality is increasingly part of a broader physiological picture, shaped by inflammation, oxidative stress, hydration, cellular ageing and environmental exposure. The goal, she says, is to support visible skin quality by addressing multiple pathways that influence function, resilience and appearance.
Proprietary technologies with clinical purpose
One of the brand’s most distinctive platforms is its proprietary Extremozyme technology. iS Clinical describes Extremozymes as a combination of enzymes clinically proven to help protect skin from environmental stressors. The technology is positioned around visible stressors, including moisture loss, dehydration, radiation, heat, cold and free radical damage.
The concept draws from extremophilic organisms, which are adapted to survive in harsh environments. Applied to skincare, the focus is environmental defence: helping skin maintain a healthier-looking state despite daily exposure to factors that can affect hydration, tone, texture and resilience.
Extremozyme technology appears across several iS Clinical formulations, including Extreme Protect, Reparative Moisture Emulsion, GeneXC Serum, Daily Dynamic Hydrator and the new GeneXC Firming Eye Gel.
GeneXC, a new proprietary technology, builds on this platform, combining Extremozymes with a potent Vitamin C blend to help defend against environmental stressors, support the look of elasticity, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, visibly brighten and help maintain hydration.
iS Clinical’s formulation philosophy draws from both botanical and laboratory-derived ingredients, with the final test being clinical logic rather than ingredient origin.
‘There is a lot of knowledge and wisdom in botanicals and traditional medicine,’ says Dr DeHaven. ‘When those ingredients are evaluated scientifically, you can see what is truly valuable. We use botanicals and we also use high-tech, science-led ingredients, whether they are made in the lab or derived from plants. The important point is that they are rigorously tested.’
The emphasis on validated, purposeful ingredients is increasingly relevant as patients become more ingredient-aware, says Traci Imperio, Aesthetic Training Manager at iS Clinical.
‘Clients are becoming more savvy, and we need to listen to that,’ she adds. ‘They are looking for cleaner ingredients, more multitasking products and support to age gracefully.
‘What they are asking for aligns closely with the way iS Clinical has always formulated. The opportunity now is to communicate the science more clearly. Patients are more likely to use products consistently when they understand why a formulation has been chosen, what role it plays and how it supports their wider treatment goals.’
More than 70 independent studies
According to Imperio, across the range, iS Clinical has more than 70 independent third-party studies supporting its formulations.
‘For practitioners, that validation is important,’ she says. ‘It helps move the conversation beyond marketing claims and gives clinics a clearer way to talk about measurable skin outcomes.’
To further document the performance of several foundational iS Clinical products, eight new clinical studies were undertaken within the past two years. The products and protocols assessed included: Pro-Heal Serum Advance+; SHEALD Recovery Balm; Active Serum; Super Serum Advance+; Hydra-Cool Serum and Reparative Moisture Emulsion; GeneXC Serum; a brightening regimen using Brightening Complex, Brightening Serum and Prodigy Peel Systems; and the Fire & Ice Facial with supporting homecare.
The clinical studies followed the same method: product was applied for a defined period, results were evaluated with VISIA photography and users were asked about the improvements they noticed. Subjects included a range of ethnicities, skin types and ages.
‘Across the board, it was observed that each of these products caused dramatic skin improvements and high user satisfaction,’ says Dr DeHaven. ‘At the conclusion of the studies, subjects objected to ending the study and stopping the product because they felt so strongly about the improvements experienced!’
Preparing the skin, protecting the outcome
In aesthetic practice, the success of a procedure is influenced by more than the treatment performed in the clinic.
‘Skin that is well hydrated, less reactive and properly supported before treatment is often better positioned to tolerate intervention, while appropriate homecare afterwards can help support comfort, recovery and consistency of visible results,’ says Imperio.
For Dr DeHaven, preparation is fundamental: ‘You wouldn’t run a marathon without training first,’ she says. ‘The same principle applies to aesthetic procedures. If you want the best result, you prepare the skin beforehand and care for it afterwards to optimise the outcome.’
iS CLINICAL PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
Clinical studies were commissioned by iS Clinical, performed by Zurko Research and are available by request.
iS Clinical is distributed in Australia and New Zealand by High Tech Medical.
For more information, call 1300 309 233 or visit www.isclinical.com.au.
