If you haven’t heard of ZO Skin Health, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of its founder, world-renowned dermatologist Dr. Zein Obagi. Dr. Obagi is also the creator of his namesake line of products — Obagi skin care — which are available everywhere from TheDermStore.com to Walmart. He left that brand in 2006 and launched a new skincare company in 2007 called ZO Skin Health.
What are the Best Skin Care Products of 2021?
ZO Skin Health believes the only way to achieve skin health is through the power of science. We share this belief here at The Derm Review, which is why we’ve evaluated the ZO Skin Health product formulations through a scientific lens. Below we’ll discuss the research that supports (or doesn’t support) the ingredients that you’ll find in these products. We’ll also share ZO Skin Health reviews so that you can get an idea of what customers really think of these products.
What Are The Top 10 Best ZO Skin Health Products?
ZO Skin Health offers products for creating and maintaining healthy skin for anyone regardless of age, ethnicity, unique skin condition or skin type. From correcting sun damage and pigmentation, to preventing and protecting against future damage, ZO Skin Health has a solution for your skin care needs. Below we’ll give you a breakdown of the top 10 best Zo Skin Health products.
ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish
- A facial exfoliant that uses magnesium oxide crystals to exfoliate dead skin cells, creating a clear, smooth, and even toned complexion
- Additional key ingredients include vitamin C and E, tea tree oil, and retinyl palmitate
- Contains synthetic fragrance ingredients
ZO Skin Health Oil Control Pads
- Acne treatment oil control pads that are said to remove oil, normalize pore size, help smooth skin’s surface and reduce irritation
- Designed to be used with a complementary acne treatment program
- Key ingredient is 2% salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid (BHA)
- Formula contains a high concentration of denatured alcohol
- Contains a synthetic fragrance blend
ZO Skin Health Daily Power Defense
- An antioxidant serum that is said to improve the appearance of lines and wrinkles, as well as promote overall skin health.
- Key ingredients include glycerin, silicones, synthetic emollients, retinol, and peptides
- The formulation contains very low concentrations of vitamin E and peptides
- Contains many fragrant essential oils
ZO Skin Health Growth Factor Serum
- A lightweight gel for all skin types that is said to strengthen skin, support skin rejuvenation, and protect against future signs of aging
- Key ingredients include glycerin, many different silicones, disodium acetyl glucosamine phosphate, fermented red ginseng extract, dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamine diacetate, and Buddleja stem cells
- Contains a synthetic fragrance blend
ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser
- Gentle exfoliating cleanser for normal to oily skin that is said to target surface oil leaving the skin feeling clean, but not stripped and dry
- Key ingredients include surfactants, glycerin, and jojoba esters
- Surfactants contain 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.
- Contains a synthetic fragrance blend
ZO Skin Health Vitamin C Self Activating
- A vitamin C serum with 10% ascorbic acid (pure vitamin C), as well as tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate (vitamin C derivative)
- This serum is said to brighten and redefine skin, promoting a more even skin tone and minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- The formula contains several different silicones and the emollient squalane
- Contains synthetic fragrance ingredients
ZO Skin Health Retinol Skin Brightener
- An anti-aging facial serum that contains 1% retinol
- After absorption, retinol must be converted to retinoic acid before it can provide any benefits
- Retinoic acid works deep within the skin where it boosts collagen synthesis, repairs connective tissue, and increases cellular turnover
- According to a publication in the journal Clinical Interventions in Aging, retinoic acid can minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improve uneven skin tone, restore skin firmness, and shrink the appearance of enlarged pores
- Contains synthetic fragrance ingredients
ZO Skin Health Complexion Renewal Pads
- Moistened facial pads that are said to help minimize surface oil and exfoliate pore-clogging dead skin cells and dirt
- The texture of the pads is specifically designed to help promote exfoliation
- The highest concentration ingredient in these pads (after water) is denatured alcohol — keep reading below to learn why this is a major problem
- Contains synthetic fragrance ingredients
ZO Skin Health Wrinkle + Texture Repair
- Another ZO Skin Health retinol serum (contains 0.5% retinol) that is said to reactivate the process of skin renewal to restore natural hydration, visibly improving the appearance of wrinkles and refining skin texture
- Additional key ingredients include glycerin, silicones, synthetic emollients, lavender oil, apricot kernel oil, and Buddleja stem cells
- Contains synthetic fragrance ingredients
ZO Skin Health Firming Serum
- A mild, lightweight serum for all skin types (including sensitive skin) that is said to reinforce skin health and hydrate to support the visible improvement in skin elasticity and firmness
- Key ingredients include glycerin, sodium DNA, plant stem cells, vitamin E, and retinyl palmitate
- Contains synthetic fragrance ingredients
What Are The Key Ingredients in ZO Skin Health Products?
As you probably noticed from our product descriptions above, the brand doesn’t use just one key ingredient in their skin care collection. Rather, each ZO Skin Health product contains different key ingredients in different concentrations.
With that being said, the key ingredients that are used in ZO Skin Health products are pretty standard, such as vitamins C and E, retinol, glycerin, salicylic acid, and glycolic acid. You can find these ingredients in countless products by other skin care brands.
Unfortunately, Zo Skin Health tends to use low concentrations of these beneficial ingredients in some of their products, and high concentrations of potentially damaging ingredients.
For example, both the ZO Skin Health Oil Control Pads and ZO Skin Health Complexion Renewal Pads contain a very high concentration of denatured alcohol. So why is this a problem? Let’s take a closer look at what high amounts of denatured alcohol will do to your skin.
The problem with this type of alcohol is that, at first, it seems like it’s benefitting the skin. Initially, alcohol gives products a quick-drying finish, immediately degreases the skin, and imparts a weightless feel. This is why you’ll notice that ZO Skin Health Oil Control Pads really do reduce excess oil on your skin. But not in a healthy way!
The immediate de-greasing effects of alcohol-based products can actually stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce more oil, causing skin to look even more shiny and oily than it was before. This excessive oil production combined with the possible irritation that denatured alcohol can cause may lead to an increase in acne breakouts.
Another major problem with using high concentrations of denatured alcohol is that this ingredient is well known to cause skin dryness, irritation, and even disruption of the skin barrier. According to a publication in the journal BBA Biomembranes., alcohol disrupts the lipids that make up the stratum corneum (the outermost layer of skin). While alcohol may provide short term benefits, it’s not doing your skin any good in the long run.
Another problem with the Zo Skin Health products is that they all contain fragrance. Some products contain fragrant essential oils, while others contain a synthetic fragrance blend. While these fragrance ingredients do make the products smell nice, they could be damaging your skin.
This is because all fragrance ingredients (whether natural or synthetic) impart scent through a volatile reaction, and this natural reaction almost always causes a sensitizing reaction on skin. In addition, the use of synthetic fragrance ingredients can be a problem because the brand can use a proprietary blend of chemicals to create the fragrance, and they do not have to disclose which chemicals they use on the label. They are allowed to list this blend as “Fragrance (Parfum)” on the ingredient list.
A 2018 study by Women’s Voices for the Earth discovered that in over 3,000 chemicals reportedly used for fragrances, 1,242 were chemicals of concern – and that included at least 7 possible carcinogenic (cancer-causing) agents. Fragrance ingredients also have the potential to cause skin irritation and sensitivity.
Where to Buy ZO Skin Health Products?
ZO Skin Health products are only available through the brand’s Physician Online Store and ZO Authorized Physicians.
What is The ZO Skin Health Return Policy?
The ZO Skin Health return policy states, “If you are not 100% satisfied, a 30-day money-back guarantee is offered on all ZO products purchased from www.zoskinhealth.com. Please make sure the product is returned within 30 days of the order date on the packing slip to ensure a refund (excludes shipping and handling charges).”
Is ZO Skin Health Cruelty Free?
ZO Skin Health is cruelty free.
ZO Skin Health Reviews
ZO Skin Health reviews on the brand’s website are overall very positive, but almost too positive. It seems as though the brand may only display the 5-star ZO Skin Health reviews. After looking through countless pages of ZO Skin Health reviews, we could not find even one review that was less than 5 stars. Keeping that in mind, we’ll still share a few ZO Skin Health reviews for you to consider.
The brand’s most popular product — ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish — has received many raving 5 star reviews. The reviews mention that it exfoliates the skin well without being too harsh.
For example, one review says, “Exfoliating Polish is my all time favorite exfoliator. Most products are either too harsh or too soft. This one feels just right. It’s gritty enough that I get a good exfoliation, but not harsh enough that it tears my skin. I always recommend this product to my patients. It’s great for all skin types.”
And the ZO Skin Health Vitamin C Serum has plenty of reviews that confirm that this serum can improve skin tone, texture, and brightness. For example, one review says, “This is the most effective vitamin C serum I’ve used. My old pigmentation from acne started to clear within one week of use. Highly recommend this product.”
Our Verdict
Overall, we don’t recommend ZO Skin Health products simply because the cons outweigh the pros.
Pros
- Many positive ZO Skin Health reviews
- Beneficial (yet standard) ingredients used in the formulations
Cons
- High price point (e.g. ZO Skin Health Firming Serum is $235 USD for 1.6 fl oz)
- Some products contain very high concentrations of denatured alcohol
- All products contain fragrance
What Are Some Alternatives to ZO Skin Health Products?
Since we don’t recommend ZO Skin Health products, we wanted to give you a couple alternatives to consider. One brand we recommend is Formulyst because they believe in long term skin care treatments rather than short term cover-ups.
One example is the Formulyst Ultimate Youth Concentrate, which contains a concentrated combination of five unique peptides that can stimulate the production of Epidermal Growth Factors (EGF). It is thought that EGF sends signals to cells called fibroblasts to produce more collagen, which may help to reduce signs of aging. Applying products that increase EGF production — such as the Formulyst Ultimate Youth Concentrate — may increase skin strength and integrity, thereby softening the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Another brand that balances the power of plants with cutting edge science is Carrot & Stick. Not only is Carrot & Stick good for your skin, it is also good for the environment as the formulas skip harmful chemicals as well as the preservatives, emulsifiers, and thickeners commonly found in skin care products.
References:
Clin Interv Aging. 2006 Dec; 1(4): 327–348.
BBA Biomembranes, May 2012, pages 1410-1419
Women’s Voices for the Earth “Unpacking The Fragrance Industry” 2018
TDR Original review: Mar 05, 2021.
Often people compare Zo Skincare with Obagi. Zo was founded by Zein Obagi (ZO are his initials), and he is also founder of Obagi. Obagi was later sold to a group of investors and he is no longer involved with Obagi. If you have not heard of Obagi, it is a clinic are skin care range with treatments focused on acne and hyperpigmentation. Zein Obagi owns Zo Skincare and is now actively involved with the brand. Their formulation philosophy is focused on skin health restoration. Zein’s product range is innovative and based on the latest science. In terms of pricing, both are expensive but Zo is even more expensive.
Zo products are clinical in nature and side effects are common. ZO Skin Health Radical Night Repair contains 1% retinol. If you have not used retinol before, you will likely experience redness and. Zo Skin Health Complexion Renewal Pads are not suitable for sensitive skin.
Zein Obagi owns Zo Skincare and is actively involved with the brand. Their formulation philosophy is focused on skin health restoration. Zein’s product range is innovative and based on more recent product data.