Advanced Clinicals is a “problem-solving” skin care line that was originally developed by chemists who wanted to create effective formulations using advanced technology. The brand’s mission is to offer skin care solutions at attainable prices for their customers, which is why all Advanced Clinicals skin care products retail for under $20. Knowing that advanced treatments for anti-aging, general skin care, as well as niche problem areas, like stretch marks and age spots, were often associated with a high price tag, Advanced Clinicals made it a priority to combat this with cost-effective, large-sized solutions in easy-to-dispense packaging. Advanced Clinicals is formulated in their own lab and manufactured in their own FDA-inspected facility in Chicago.
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| Rank | Brand | Link | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carrot & Stick | Review | |||||
| 2 | Formulyst | Review | |||||
| 3 | Skinceuticals | Review | |||||
| - | Advanced Clinicals |
What’s Inside Advanced Clinicals Skin Care?
Here’s a closer look at the active ingredients commonly used in Advanced Clinicals skin care products. Vitamin C, peptides, and retinol make up the core ingredients for the Advanced Clinicals skin care line. These ingredients should all be part of your skincare routine.
Vitamin C
We’ve been hearing for years that Vitamin C is the best anti-aging ingredient. It’s a potent antioxidant that protects the skin from free radicals, the unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin.
Vitamin C also helps fade dark spots, evens out skin tone, and increases radiance. As if that wasn’t enough, research suggests that when vitamin C is applied to the skin, it significantly reverses aging-related structural changes by influencing collagen and elastin synthesis.
It’s in the Advanced Clinicals Vitamin C Brightening Serum, Vitamin C + Ferulic Acid Facial Mist, and Vitamin C Brightening Face and Body Cream.
But our favorite Vitamin C serum is Carrot & Stick The Defence Serum. It contains 3 distinct types of Vitamin C that work together to help fight free radical damage. We recommend using it every morning.
Peptides
As you age, your body’s production of collagen and elastin slows down. These two proteins are responsible for your skin’s structural support. As a result, the skin loses its natural plumpness and smoothness.
While collagen is necessary for maintaining youthful-looking skin, the collagen protein is too large to absorb into the skin topically. That’s why applying skin care products that contain collagen won’t provide the anti-aging benefits you’re looking for.
This is where peptides come into action. Peptides are the building blocks of protein, and they are easily absorbed into the deeper layers of skin due to their smaller size.
Advanced Clinicals Peptide Facial Serum is made with 6 peptides to help reduce the look of premature aging and improve skin elasticity.
If you’re looking for a peptide serum, we recommend Carrot & Stick The Repair Serum. It contains 7 plant-based peptides to promote plumper and smoother-looking skin.
Retinol
Retinol is the go-to anti-aging ingredient recommended by dermatologists and skin experts. It’s clinically proven to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve uneven skin tone, restore skin firmness, and shrink the appearance of enlarged pores.
The only downside? Retinol can often lead to side effects like skin dryness, peeling, and irritation.
It’s in the Advanced Clinicals Encapsulated Retinol Face Cream, Retinol Anti-Wrinkle Face Serum, and Retinol Anti-Aging Face and Body Cream.
Use retinoids at night. We recommend this retinoid oil serum. It contains Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, an ingredient that provides similar benefits with less irritation.
Key products
Currently, Advanced Clinicals offers 50 different skin care products, including creams, lotions, oils, serums, problem-solvers, masks, and skin care for men. In this section, we’ll discuss three of the most popular Advanced Clinicals skin care products: Collagen Skin Rescue Lotion, Coconut Oil Moisturizing Cream, and Retinol Advanced Firming Cream.
Advanced Clinicals Collagen Skin Rescue Lotion is a body and face moisturizer that is said to help promote soft, plump skin with consistent use. To use, apply a sufficient amount of lotion onto cleansed face, neck, and hands. Gently massage into skin using upward circular motions, paying special attention to the wrinkles, until fully absorbed.
Advanced Clinicals Coconut Oil Moisturizing Cream is a body and face moisturizer that is said to nourish and renew dull, parched skin for deep hydration. This cream absorbs quickly and does not leave a greasy feeling. Apply a generous amount onto cleansed face, neck, and hands. Gently massage into skin using upward circular motions, paying special attention to wrinkles.
Advanced Clinicals Retinol Advanced Firming Cream is a body and face moisturizer that is said to reduce the visible signs of aging as it helps replenish your moisture barrier. This retinol cream is gentle enough to be used daily.
Key formulation
In order to find the formulation details for Advanced Clinicals skin care products, we had to search third party websites because the brand does not list the product ingredients on their website. Below we’ll discuss the formulation details for each of the key products mentioned above.
Advanced Clinicals Collagen Skin Rescue Lotion contains a high concentration of mineral oil. Mineral oil is a clear, odorless oil derived from a mineral source, typically a distillate of petroleum, that functions as an emollient. After application, mineral oil forms a protective film on the surface of skin that helps to prevent evaporation of the skin’s natural moisture. Another key ingredient is hydrolyzed collagen. The term “hydrolyzed” means that the collagen protein has been broken down into amino acids so that this ingredient can better penetrate the skin. Hydrolyzed collagen is thought to replenish collagen levels in the skin that become depleted with age and from exposure to free radicals that degrade collagen. The result is skin that appears more firm and plump.
As the name implies, one of the key ingredients in the Advanced Clinicals Coconut Oil Moisturizing Cream is coconut oil. Coconut oil is an occlusive emollient, which means it forms a layer on the surface of skin to help lock in moisture. The fatty acids in coconut oil also help to replenish the skin’s barrier function. Lastly, the lauric acid found in coconut oil has antibacterial properties, which may be helpful for those with acne. Other beneficial ingredients in Advanced Clinicals Coconut Oil Moisturizing Cream include Aloe vera leaf juice, mineral oil, chamomile extract.
Like the other two Advanced Clinicals moisturizers, the Retinol Advanced Firming Cream contains a high concentration of mineral oil to help keep the skin soft and smooth. This anti-aging cream also includes pure retinol. Retinol has the capability of minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improving uneven skin tone, restoring skin firmness, and shrinking the appearance of enlarged pores. Retinol provides all of these benefits by first being converted to retinoic acid (its active form) after being absorbed into the skin. Retinoic acid also functions as an antioxidant and helps the skin combat free radicals, the unstable molecules that contribute to the formation of premature wrinkles and fine lines on the skin.
We’d like to point out one safety issue with Advanced Clinicals products: the brand uses the preservative DMDM hydantoin in several of their products. DMDM hydantoin is an antimicrobial formaldehyde releaser preservative that some consider to be unsafe because of the formaldehyde. While it has been approved safe by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, this ingredient can cause irritation or an allergic reaction on sensitive skin.
Advanced Clinicals Reviews
It appears that Advanced Clinicals only includes a select few reviews on their website, and only positive reviews for that matter. For example, Advanced Clinicals reviews for the Retinol Advanced Firming Cream say things like “better than Neutrogena” and “Holy crap this stuff is GREAT.” Similar to their lack of transparency with the product formulations, it appears that Advanced Clinicals does not want to display all customer reviews for their products.
What are some alternatives to Advanced Clinicals?
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. We recommend The Repair Serum, followed by The Moisturizer.
Ann Original review: Aug 24, 2021.
I started using the retinol serum, hyaluronic acid syrup, and the retinol cream 2 months ago. After about 3 weeks my assistant asked me what I was doing differently because I looked different. The fine lines around my eyes, forehead, and lip were vanishing. I am very happy so far. 2 recently tried the Vitamin C serum and the coq10 to see what these will do. I highly recommend this product line.