iS Clinical

iS Clinical is an American professional skincare brand founded in 2000 and based in Burbank, California. It is the flagship brand of Innovative Skincare, and was co-founded by biochemist Bryan Johns and Alec Call [1]. The company positions itself in the cosmeceutical segment — skincare formulated around clinically studied active ingredients — and sells primarily through dermatologists, plastic surgeons, medical spas and other skincare professionals rather than at the open retail counter.

The brand remains active. As of mid-2026 it reports a professional network spanning more than 125 countries, and in June 2026 its founders publicly launched a separate prestige line, Icon Skincare, under the same parent company [9].

⚑ Thinner sourcing. The article relies largely on the brand's own statements (T2–T3). Glowpedia is seeking independent sources.

iS Clinical began with two founders from contrasting backgrounds. Bryan Johns had worked in genetics and biochemistry for a firm researching the internal causes of aging; his interest later shifted toward topical anti-aging applications, and he proposed building a cosmeceutical skincare brand. Alec Call had spent roughly a decade in the entertainment industry before Johns approached him with the concept [7]. The two launched the company in 2000, with Johns serving as chief executive and Call as chief operating officer [1].

According to the company, iS Clinical has stayed "rooted in integrity, positivity, and innovation" since that founding, framing skincare as something it believes can affect both physical and emotional well-being.

iS Clinical presents itself as an innovation-led professional skincare brand built on clinically validated formulations. Its stated approach is to simplify routines around a four-step system it calls Cleanse, Treat, Hydrate, Protect, with multitasking products intended for all skin types, genders and ages. The company says its products are supported by independent, peer-reviewed clinical studies, and summarises its outlook with the tagline "Your Skin, Our Science, Pure Chemistry."

Manufacturing is kept in-house. The brand states that every product is made at its Burbank, California facility, giving it oversight from formulation through to packaging, and that formulas pass seven quality checkpoints — a figure its founders have noted is higher than the industry norm [7]. iS Clinical also says every formulation is free from parabens, phthalates and sulfates and is not tested on animals.

The brand's best-known product is Active Serum, an exfoliating treatment serum it describes as age-defying, clearing and brightening. According to one editorial review, the serum's formula draws on plant-derived ingredients including arbutin from mushroom, bilberry, white willow bark and sugarcane extract [8]. Other products it highlights among its core range include Pro-Heal Serum Advance+, the Cleansing Complex, Hydra-Cool Serum and Reparative Moisture Emulsion.

iS Clinical also markets a professional in-clinic treatment, the Fire & Ice Facial, which pairs a warming resurfacing masque with a cooling masque and is intended to refine skin texture with little to no downtime [3]. On the formulation side, the company points to two proprietary technologies it brands as Extremozyme and GeneXC.

The company also describes a set of sustainability commitments covering responsibly sourced ingredients, recyclable and eco-friendly packaging, energy-efficient operations and efforts to reduce its carbon footprint.

Charitable work has been part of the brand since early in its history. In 2003 it established iS Cancer Care, a self-funded program created at the Washington Cancer Institute in Washington, D.C. to provide skincare education and products for people undergoing cancer treatment, along with "Spa Day" events for patients [6]. The program later extended to institutions including the Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic and Cedars-Sinai Breast Medical Center. The founders have also supported the National Breast Cancer Coalition, a U.S. breast-cancer advocacy organisation, serving on its leadership over a number of years.

iS Clinical is active and operating globally. The brand maintains live e-commerce with current promotions, and its founders, Bryan Johns and Alec Call, launched a new prestige skincare brand, Icon Skincare, on 1 June 2026 under parent company Innovative Skincare [9]. In the announcement of that launch, iS Clinical was described as "one of the leading global cosmeceutical brands," with the venture said to be "backed by 25 years of clinical expertise" — consistent with the brand's stated 2000 founding [9].