Recently I had the chance to try out a few skin care products from the brand emerginC. Not to be confused with the vitamin supplement, Emergen-C. Very different things. ;) EmerginC skincare is found at top spas, like the one inside Caesar’s Palace, for example. It’s also a line you might see at a dermatologist’s office. But if you aren’t going to a posh resort or a dermatologist any time soon, it can also be purchased from their website.

Also worth noting is that emerginC products are paraben-free if you’re into that, and free of artificial colorants or fragrance. None of the products are tested on animals, and they do not use animal-sourced ingredients. EmerginC takes it one step further and their cardboard packaging is only made from sustainable materials and the ink is vegetable-based. They are a safecosmetics.org compact signer. I’m interested to find out if they use those new biodegradable plastic bottles for their packaging too.

Now, I can’t really do in-depth reviews of these since I only got some little sample packets, so I haven’t been able to use each product that many times, but it’s enough to give you my first impressions and initial reactions to them. Of course, the longterm benefits of these products aren’t something I can tell you after only using each thing a couple times. Keep that in mind if you decide to try these.

I tried three products from the Scientific Organics line of emerginC products. I tried the Kombucha Cleanser, Phytocell Cream, and Phytocell Detox Mask. There is also a serum and toner that I haven’t tried that make up the complete Scientific Organics line.

Kombucha Cleanser
The Kombucha Cleanser is meant to just be a gentle cleanser that cleanses the face of makeup, dirt, and other impurities without drying/stripping your skin. It does exactly what it says it does. The texture of the cleanser is a light liquid, thinner than a shampoo or body wash. It does have a scent (not artificial) that I don’t really like. It smells kind of like dirt, or soil. I like what the cleanser does for my face (cleanses, doesn’t make my skin feel stripped, removes makeup), but the scent is off-putting. If you’re looking for a good gentle cleanser, this may be an option for you. However, it’s kind of expensive ($34 for 120 ml or just over 4 oz) and I’m sure you could find something else that smells better and does the same thing. This is advertised as suitable for all skintypes, and I agree with that. I think it would be suitable for just about anyone.

Phytocell Cream
The Phytocell Cream is an intense anti-aging moisturizer. It is meant to moisturize as well as revitalize the skin while brightening and protecting. Note, they say protect, but this is most likely because of the antioxidants in the cream. It does not contain SPF. Do not make the mistake of thinking this product will protect you from UV rays. The Phytocell Cream is definitely very moisturizing. I would suggest using this only at night, so that you don’t have to wear too many products on your face (spf, moisturizer, etc.). Save a moisturizer with SPF for daytime. I have combo skin these days and found this to be a little heavy. It didn’t break me out or clog my pores, but I felt like it was too much. A little goes a long way, and it takes a while to fully absorb. If you don’t have the time to wait around before applying foundation, that could be a problem. Because this is so moisturizing, you could probably just apply it all over including under your eyes and have that be enough moisture. This product is even more expensive, at $85 for just 50 ml, which is just under 1.7 oz. This says it’s suitable for all skin types, but I think it’s best suited for all skin types except oily.

Phytocell Detox Mask
This is a clay-based mask (French green clay to be exact) with a pleasant citrus aroma. It’s supposed to nourish and soothe while also drawing out impurities in your skin. Additionally, it is supposed to brighten your skin and fight free radical damage, giving you radiant skin. The mask itself looks like wasabi. It’s a green paste. :) Unlike other clay masks I’ve used, it didn’t really give me that “tight” feeling when it dried. The directions say to leave it on 10-15 minutes, and use 1-3 times a week. I left it on for 15 and rinsed thoroughly with warm water. Right afterward, my skin felt very soft. Then, after patting my skin dry with a towel, I realized I felt sticky. I know I rinsed really well, so that was annoying. I grabbed a toner to make sure I got everything off my face, and while there wasn’t any green clay on the cotton pad I used to wipe toner on my face, the entire cotton pad was a very dingy grey. Eww! I’m not sure if this is residue from the mask or the “impurities” drawn to the surface, but it was gross! I still felt kind of sticky so I went for a second go-around with the toner. Still grey. Gross!!! The third cotton pad with toner is finally clean. I’m going to be contacting the person at emerginC to find out if that was mask residue or gross skin purging yuck. I’ll update when I hear back. Anyway! The mask is $50 for 50 ml.

What do YOU think? I want to know…


I know skincare is very personal and very much a product that you have to try to really know if it works for you. So, with that in mind, I am going to send a sample of every product I reviewed here to one reader so that one of you can tell me how these worked for you! The winner’s review will also be posted here to my blog. Please just leave a comment if you are interested, letting me know why you want to try it. I’ll pick someone next week to receive the samples. Sorry, U.S. only for this little giveaway.

Giveaway is closed :) thanks!