iS Clinical: which product suits you?

iS Clinical has a large range, and the names reveal little about what is inside. Here we sort the products by skin concern so that you can quickly see what suits your skin. And you will find out which four products make the easiest start.

The key points in brief

• Four products are enough to start: Cleansing Complex, Active Serum, Hydra-Cool Serum and Extreme Protect SPF 40.
• Every routine follows four steps: cleanse, correct, moisturise and protect.
• You choose according to your skin concern mainly in the second step, the serum or cream with active ingredients.
• Within a routine you stay with iS Clinical, and sun protection from Colorescience also fits at the end.

Four steps: how iS Clinical is structured

iS Clinical was founded by the biochemist Bryan Johns and Alec Call, and the products are made in the company's own facility in Arizona. Today the brand is available in more than 125 countries, mainly through skincare professionals. The formulas combine plant extracts such as willow bark, sugar cane and bilberry with vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and peptides. Hyaluronic acid binds water in the skin, peptides are short protein building blocks.

The range follows four steps: cleanse, correct with a serum or cream for your skin concern, moisturise and protect in the morning. The advantage: if your skin concern changes, you only swap one product.

Getting started with four products

If you are using iS Clinical for the first time, start with Cleansing Complex, Active Serum, Hydra-Cool Serum and Extreme Protect SPF 40. The Active Serum suits combination skin and sebum-rich skin prone to blemishes or pigmentation spots, and mature skin with first lines.

In the morning:

1. Moisten your face and neck, massage in a small amount of Cleansing Complex and leave it on for 2 to 3 minutes, then rinse off.
2. Apply 3 to 5 drops of Hydra-Cool Serum to your face and neck.
3. Finally, apply Extreme Protect SPF 40 generously.

In the evening:

1. Cleanse as in the morning.
2. Put 3 to 4 drops of Active Serum into the palm of your hand, spread over your face and neck and gently pat in.
3. Then the Hydra-Cool Serum.

A slight tingling with the Active Serum is normal and disappears after a few minutes. If your skin is very sensitive, start every other evening. If you apply prescription products to your skin, talk to your doctor before use.

Which product for which skin?

Sebum-rich skin prone to blemishes

Here you stay with Cleansing Complex and Active Serum: the extracts from willow bark and sugar cane exfoliate gently, so that pores can look finer and the complexion clearer. In addition, there is the Active Peel System, a two-step peel with fruit acids and salicylic acid, which loosen dead skin flakes. You start in the evening, every 2 to 3 evenings.

Skin prone to pigmentation spots

Brightening Complex in the morning, Brightening Serum in the evening: this is how the pair is intended according to the directions for use. Both contain alpha-arbutin, an active ingredient for an even-looking complexion. You apply the Brightening Complex before sun protection and not in the eye area. The Anti-Pigment Set combines both with Cleansing Complex and Extreme Protect SPF 40.

Fine lines

In the morning, a serum with vitamin C before sun protection is a good fit, such as GeneXC Serum or Super Serum Advance+. The Youth Complex with peptides and hyaluronic acid is added morning and evening, one pump is enough. If you would like to start with retinol, use the Retinol+ Emulsion in the evening, 2 to 3 times a week at first, and increase slowly. The Anti-Aging Set combines Youth Complex, Active Serum, Reparative Moisture Emulsion and Extreme Protect SPF 40.

Dry skin

Instead of the gel, you cleanse with the Cream Cleanser. You provide moisture with the Reparative Moisture Emulsion, 1 to 2 pumps morning and evening. For very dry areas, the Sheald Recovery Balm with ceramides, the fats of the skin barrier, is a good fit.

Sensitive skin prone to redness

Here the Hydra-Cool Serum is the core. It contains no retinol or exfoliating acids, and it contains hyaluronic acid and Centella Asiatica, a soothing plant extract. The Couperose Set combines it with Cleansing Complex, Reparative Moisture Emulsion and Extreme Protect SPF 40. If your skin is currently irritated, wait with the Active Serum until it has calmed down.

Eyes

The Eye Complex with hyaluronic acid and caffeine is intended for first fine lines, the Youth Eye Complex with peptides for several concerns at once. One pump is enough for both eyes; leave out the lids and inner corners of the eyes.

Sun protection

Extreme Protect SPF 40 contains mineral filters, that is, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. In direct sun, reapply it every 2 hours. Sun protection from Colorescience also fits at the end of any routine with iS Clinical.

Combining retinol, vitamin C and sun protection correctly

If you use the Retinol+ Emulsion, do not apply it on the same evening as Active Serum, Brightening Serum or Active Peel System, but alternate the evenings. A vitamin C serum such as GeneXC Serum belongs in the morning, retinol in the evening. You can read more about this in our retinol guide and in the article on vitamin C in the morning.

Redness, flaking, dryness or a slight burning sensation are normal initial reactions to retinol. They depend on the amount and are not an allergy. The more consistently you stick with it, the better.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding: several of the products mentioned here contain small amounts of retinyl palmitate, a vitamin A compound. Please consult your doctor. For the Retinol+ Emulsion, the warning reads: "Use during pregnancy, breastfeeding or in children under 12 years is not recommended."

In our shop

You can find all products of the brand in our iS Clinical collection. To get started:

• Cleansing Complex: cleansing gel with willow bark and chamomile to start the routine, also as a shaving aid.
• Active Serum: for skin prone to blemishes and pigmentation spots, applied in the evening.
• Hydra-Cool Serum: moisture with hyaluronic acid, also for sensitive skin.
• Extreme Protect SPF 40: mineral sun protection as the last step in the morning.

Not sure which skin concern comes first for you? Our free AI skin analysis gives you a first orientation, and our team is happy to advise you.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. iS Clinical: Our Story. https://isclinical.com/pages/our-story, accessed on 07.11.2026.
2. Product information in the shop (ingredient list, directions for use, warnings, questions) for all products mentioned, as of 07.11.2026.