Although you may not be familiar with Barbara Salomone, there’s a good chance you’re very familiar with the legacy she left behind. Salomone was one of the first licensed estheticians in the United States, and is sometimes referred to as the “architect of the modern American facial.” She is also behind the Bioelements skincare line, which is used in spas and sold directly to consumers. Here’s a closer look at Bioelements and Salomone, what Biolements sells and is it worth a try?
| Rank | Brand | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrot & Stick | Review | |||||
| 2 | Formulyst | Review | |||||
| 3 | Skinceuticals | Review | |||||
| - | Bioelements |
What Is Bioelements?
The family owned Bioelements is the brainchild of Salomone. According to the company, she worked as a makeup artist in the 1970s and in 1978, became one of the first licensed estheticians in the U.S. In 1985, Salomone opened a skin learning center where she educated other estheticians about techniques and ingredients, with a focus on assessing skin and an individual’s concerns. In 1991, Salomone launched the Bioelements line of products. What made them unique was that the products could be blended to offer a customized facial experience.
As day spa owner Alison Andrews told Dermascope magazine, “She truly was one of the pioneers in modern skin care. The Bioelements line took custom blending to an advanced level with excellent education, branding, marketing, and with a strong presence in the professional skin care world.”
Salomone passed away in 2017 but the Bioelements continues to educate estheticians and develop a product line.
What is the Bioelements Philosophy?
Bioelements embraces its esthetician roots and focuses on product customization. As Bioelements explains, “We are skin scientists – creating personalized, clinical formulas for use in the spa, and at home.” The company states that it focuses on “Efficacy-Forward Ingredients” – “Our skin-beneficial ingredients are innovated in the lab, or come straight from nature.” Biolements is also a clean beauty company, stating “The concept of clean beauty is nothing new to us – we’ve been skin-conscious, mindful and responsible formulators since 1991.”
What Does Bioelements Sell?
Biolements sells a full skincare line that includes moisturizers, masks, toners and serums.
The selection of moisturizers is based on skin type and concern.
The Barrier Fix Daily Hydrator has a whipped texture and is formulated with the moisture magnet hyaluronic acid. It is meant to hydrate, protect and soothe the skin. This is a lightweight moisturiser.
Crucial Moisture is an emollient cream designed to deliver hydration to parched skin with dimethicone, a type of silicone, and Chinese herbs. The Beyond Hydration gel formula is for oily skin and contains pro vitamin B5. Because of the thick emollient, this product is ideal for dry skin types.
Absolute Moisture is a mid level moisturizer that combines humectant with two plant oils. This product is ideal for combination skin types.
Bioelements cleansers are formulated for various skin types, including dry, oily or sensitive. The Moisture Positive Cleanser is meant for dry skin and contains essential oils to leave skin feeling clean without feeling stripped. Bentonite and kaolin clay are some of the key ingredients in the Urban Undo Cleanser, which is designed to give skin a deep clean.
The Sensitive Skin Cleansing Oil is a two in one product that removes makeup and also cleanses the skin.
The exfoliators and masks from Bioelements are designed to help brighten the skin, give it a deep clean or add extra moisture.
The Amino Mask contains five percent sulphur along with lactic acid to gently slough away dead, dull skin cells. Rare white truffle oil powers the Radiance Rescue Mask, which is meant to help brighten the complexion. This product is excellent for acne prone skin.
The Pumice Peel, designed for all skin types, is a manual exfoliating scrub. Bioelements also offers a few serums.
The Quick Refiner is a leave-on gel with AHAs (alpha hydroxyl acids) and there is also a version for the eye area.
As for serums, our fav serum in the range is the retinol alternative bakuchiol based serum called Time Sensitive. It contains the plant alternative retinol with essential ingredients like Glycerin for hydration and a sugar complex to reinforce skin barrier.
How Much Do Bioelements Products Cost?
Bioelements products are in-line with department store brands. Some of the priciest products are the moisturizers. Beyond Hydration cream is $40, and the SPF 50 FaceScreen is $56.50. The LightPlex MegaWatt Skin Brightener is $68.50. Cleansers are between $30 and $39; the Makeup Dissolver Perfected is $30.50 while the Decongestant Cleanser, a lathering gel, is $39. Masks and serums are $39 to $62 dollars.
Is Bioelements Cruelty Free?
Yes. The company states on its website, “We are all animal lovers at Bioelements. Animal testing is not, nor has it ever been, part of Bioelements’ product development, ingredient formulation or production.”
What Ingredients Are in Bioelements?
As the company explains on its website, Bioelements products are formulated with a mix of naturally derived and lab created ingredients. This includes vitamin C rich acerola cherry fruit; benzoyl peroxide to help with excess oil; and caffeine, to help reduce the look of eye puffiness. The Power Peptide toner contains extracts of licorice root and green tea, while the Quick Refiner serums contains AHA and BHA (beta hydroxy acids) to help whisk away dead skin cells. According to the company, Bioelements products are free of phthalates, mineral oil, petrolatum, parabens, fragrance and dyes.
Where Can I Buy Bioelements ?
Bioelements products are sold on its website and through its network of affiliated spas which offer Bioelements facials. Some products are also sold on Amazon and the Dermstore.com
Does Bioelements Work?
When deciding if a product may work for you, a little experimentation is always needed as one person’s hero product may do nothing for you. Customer reviews and editorial write ups are a good starting point.
Some Bioelements products have received editorial awards and writes ups, but very few are recent.
Allure magazine reviewed the Vitalization Rich Intensity Body Crème in 2009, and it is also a Reader’s Choice Breakthrough winner. The magazine noted, “This custardy cream is very, very thick—so thick, in fact, that a few editors here found it too heavy to handle—and it leaves behind a slight, slippery film.”
The Triple-Action, Rapid-Resurfacing Facial Kit Review was an Allure Editor’s Favorite in 2013. The writer said, “It sounds like a lot of work (OK, it kind of is), but the three-step kit made our skin noticeably soft and smooth. Save it for once a week, when you’ve got ten minutes to spare, and don’t slap on too much cleansing oil—it’s thin and runny and tends to drip down the face.”
In 2012, Harper’s Bazaar named the Bioelements Lutein Indoor Protective Day Crème a Beauty Must Have. “It’s not new to the market, but it’s a beauty editor favorite and it’s basically genius for your average working girl.” In 2014 the magazine’s digital fashion/features editor called the Bioelements
What Are Some Alternatives?
If you’re looking for skincare products to address the signs of aging, we recommend Carrot & Stick. Carrot & Stick maximizes the use of powerful ingredients and minimizes the use of superficial ones, resulting in advanced skincare solutions that help promote healthy, more youthful-looking skin.
