iS Clinical Founders: 'Regenerative' on a Label Is Not Evidence

By Grace Kim

"Trichloroacetic acid can be very dangerous. It should be only professionally administered." That warning from iS Clinical co-founder Bryan Johns cuts through the loudest claim in skin care right now: that a bottle can regenerate your skin.

Johns and Alec Call, who launched iS Clinical in 2002, laid out their view on the latest episode of The Beauty Authority. Their position is blunt. "Regenerative" on a label is not evidence that a cream can literally regenerate human tissue.

How did iS Clinical start?

The company's origin story is a study in rejection. Johns came to skin care through genetics and longevity research in the 1990s, before "regenerative" became a beauty-counter staple. He and Call started iS Clinical in 2002, financing it largely on credit cards when investors declined.

"No financial institutions had any faith in us starting a skincare company in those days," Johns recalls. The founders skipped a big ad campaign. They went to dermatologists and plastic surgeons instead, and that early focus on how skin functions still shapes how they read today's longevity conversation.

What does 'regenerative' actually mean?

For years, anti-aging messaging told consumers to remove the old to reveal the new: peel, polish, resurface, repeat. Johns frames the regenerative conversation as a shift away from that model.

Rather than shedding surface cells alone, he wants to "give the skin cell the tools to make itself more resilient." In practice, that means formulas that protect against oxidative stress, support the skin barrier and maintain a healthier-looking complexion over time. Call reduces the idea to something familiar: just as food, movement and rest support the body, skin needs the right environment to function well.

Growth factors, peptides and antioxidants may have a role. The caveat follows immediately: the word on the front of the bottle does not prove the claim inside it.

Which ingredients matter?

Johns ranks the finished product above any trendy single ingredient. "What you care about is the cake. Does the cake taste good?" he says, comparing a formula to a recipe whose components must work together. "Don't get too mired in the ingredients."

Two launches show the approach:

• GeneXC Firming Eye Gel ($130) — pairs different forms of hyaluronic acid with two forms of vitamin C and a peptide, targeting the appearance of firmness and brightness.
• Daily Active Smoothing Toner ($52) — combines salicylic and mandelic acids with ingredients including aloe vera, balancing exfoliation with comfort.

Neither is a shortcut to younger skin, and the founders do not claim otherwise. The point, as they frame it, is that even familiar categories like eye gel and toner can be judged by one question: what is this doing for skin beyond the immediate payoff?

What about viral TCA peels?

The founders' skepticism sharpens on at-home TCA peels spreading online. Johns is direct: "Trichloroacetic acid can be very dangerous. It should be only professionally administered." Aggressive chemical peels can cause real injury when used improperly.

The same doubt extends to dramatic before-and-afters on social media. "Don't take the word of someone because they're a movie star," Johns says. His advice: look for independent clinical evidence and qualified expertise rather than taking a viral claim at face value.

The so-what for the trade: as "regenerative" spreads across packaging in 2024 and beyond, iS Clinical's founders are betting that demonstrated product performance, not ingredient theater, will separate the durable brands from the buzzword adopters.