What medical-grade skincare actually means
The term gets used loosely, so it is worth being precise about the difference.
High street skincare products are formulated to be safe for anyone to use without supervision. That places a ceiling on how much active ingredient a product can contain, because the manufacturer cannot know who is buying it or what else they are using.
Cosmeceuticals sit between cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The active concentrations are higher, the formulations are built to carry those actives down into the dermis rather than sit on the surface, and they are supplied through clinics precisely so that someone assesses your skin first. That assessment is not a formality. A product that transforms one person's skin can leave another's red and reactive for a fortnight.
iS Clinical formulations are backed by clinical and peer-reviewed research, which is not universal in this category and is one of the reasons we chose the range. It sits alongside the other professional ranges we stock, and your clinician will recommend whichever suits your skin best.
Regimes, not single products
Individual iS Clinical skincare products can be used on their own, but the range is designed to work as a regime, with each step supporting the next. A cleanser that removes the day without stripping the skin barrier makes an active serum better tolerated. A well-chosen moisturiser lets you use that serum for longer. Daily sun protection is what stops you undoing all of it.
Long-term skin health is the aim rather than a quick change in appearance, and the solutions we build fall into four areas most often:
- Acne and congestion. Managing oil and bacteria while keeping the skin barrier intact, which is where most over-the-counter acne routines go wrong.
- Hyperpigmentation and uneven tone. Brightening actives alongside rigorous sun protection, because pigmentation returns without it.
- Rosacea and reactive skin. Calming inflammation and rebuilding a compromised skin barrier, using gentler actives than most ranges offer.
- Ageing and skin quality. Antioxidants such as vitamin C, alongside peptides and retinoids, to support collagen and elastin production and improve texture over months rather than weeks.
There is also a professional-use side to the range that we use in clinic alongside laser treatments, injectables and medical facials, which is where skincare stops being a separate thing you do at home and starts being part of the treatment plan.
Skincare that supports your in-clinic treatments
In our experience, this is the part patients most often underestimate. The right routine between appointments protects the result you have paid for, and the wrong one can undo it.
After laser resurfacing the skin needs barrier support and absolute sun protection, not actives. Post-procedure recovery is where the wrong product does the most damage, and where the right one shortens the time you spend looking like you have had something done. Patients having RF microneedling or peels get more from a course when the skin is properly prepared beforehand. Anyone treating pigmentation is largely wasting the appointment without daily SPF. We would rather tell you that at the outset than at review.
The iS Clinical Prodigy Peel P2 System
Alongside the take-home range, our skincare specialists perform the Prodigy Peel P2, a professional chemical peel carried out in clinic. It is the treatment side of the same philosophy: higher concentrations, applied by someone who has assessed your skin first.
What makes it different from a standard peel
The P2 combines resorcinol, lactic acid, salicylic acid and citric acid, then adds an advanced salicylic acid booster on top. That booster is the difference. It gives the peel more effect than a standard superficial peel while still working at a depth that does not require significant recovery time.
The peel works by accelerating cell turnover, lifting away dull surface cells so that fresher skin comes through beneath.
What it treats
The Prodigy Peel is used for mild to moderate signs of ageing, mild acne and pigment irregularity. What makes it useful in practice is that it addresses several things at once rather than one at a time: skin texture, tone, fine lines and the low-grade background inflammation that leaves skin looking tired and reactive.
It sits in the middle ground of skin rejuvenation. It suits patients whose concerns are not severe enough to need resurfacing, but who have reached the limit of what skincare alone can do.
What to expect afterwards
Expect some visible peeling over the following days. That is the treatment working rather than a complication, but it is worth planning around, so tell us if you have something in the diary. Your clinician will give you aftercare guidance at your appointment, and following it matters as much here as the peel itself.
How many treatments you will need
Results build cumulatively, so a course of treatments achieves considerably more than a single peel. We will set out a realistic number and spacing at your consultation rather than selling you a package before we have seen your skin.
The peel also works well alongside a take-home regime. Preparing the skin beforehand and supporting it afterwards with the right products is what separates a good result from a disappointing one.
What happens at your skincare assessment
Your clinician will take a history, look at your current skincare routine and how your skin is responding to it, and assess the concerns you have come in with. You will leave with a regime chosen for your skin, an order to apply it in, and a realistic sense of how long it will take to see a change. If something you are already using is working, we will tell you to keep it.
Skin changes with age, season and circumstance, so we review where you are in your skin journey rather than leaving you on the same products indefinitely. Some iS Clinical products contain salicylic acid and other exfoliating agents, which can cause redness or irritation on sensitive skin. That is the main reason the range is prescribed rather than sold over a counter, and why we would rather see your skin before recommending anything.
Regulated and medically led
PHI Clinic is a Care Quality Commission registered medical clinic at 102 Harley Street, London, with medical oversight from our Medical Director, Dr Tapan Patel, MBBS, GMC 4368285. You can read more about the clinicians who will treat you on our practitioners page.
Book a skincare consultation
If your current routine has stopped working, or you are not sure whether what you are using suits your skin, book a skincare consultation at 102 Harley Street. We will assess your skin properly and tell you honestly what is worth using and what is not. Good skin health tends to build confidence quietly, and it starts with knowing what your skin actually needs.
Safe and effective treatment
Your safety is our priority at PHI Clinic. To ensure maximum standards of patient care, iS Clinical skincare treatments are only ever carried out by our experienced, highly qualified practitioners at our London clinic. All our patients have a thorough consultation before having procedures with us and treatment is always carried out on a separate day. We believe it is essential for patients to be able to think before deciding whether to go ahead with any treatment.
iS Clinical frequently asked questions
Concentration and supervision. Retail skincare has to be safe for anyone to use without guidance, which limits how much active ingredient it can contain. Medical-grade formulations carry higher concentrations and are designed to deliver those actives into the skin, which is why they are supplied through clinics and prescribed after an assessment rather than sold off a shelf.
Yes. iS Clinical is available only through medical and specialist clinics, and the products are prescribed rather than sold. The assessment is what makes them work for your skin instead of against it, particularly with the more active formulations.
iS Clinical may suit you if you have concerns such as rosacea, eczema, acne, hyperpigmentation, erythema, mild scarring, stretch marks, dermatitis, inflammation or sun damage. Every treatment at PHI Clinic begins with a consultation so we can confirm suitability. Some products contain salicylic acid, an exfoliating agent that can cause redness or irritation on sensitive skin, which is one of the reasons we assess before recommending.
It depends on your skin and your concerns. Your clinician may recommend a single product, a small combination, or a full regime to follow. We would rather start you on fewer products used correctly than a long routine you abandon after a fortnight.
Most people notice a change within a few weeks of using their regime correctly, and it continues to improve the longer you follow it. Results vary from person to person, and you can book a follow-up appointment with your clinician to review how your skin is responding and adjust the regime if needed.
Often yes, but tell us what you are using at your consultation, including anything prescribed by a GP or dermatologist. Layering several active ingredients without guidance is the most common reason a routine irritates rather than improves the skin.
Some active ingredients are not recommended during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, and professional peels are generally deferred. Tell us if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive and we will build a regime around what is appropriate.
Most patients describe a warm, tingling sensation during application that settles quickly. It is a superficial peel, so it is well tolerated and no anaesthetic is needed. Your clinician will talk you through each stage as it happens.
You can return to normal activities straight away, but expect some visible peeling over the following days as the skin renews. It is worth planning treatment around anything significant in your diary. Your clinician will give you aftercare guidance at your appointment.
Yes, provided you commit to daily sun protection and avoid deliberate sun exposure while the skin is renewing. Peels increase sensitivity to UV, and skipping SPF afterwards can cause the pigmentation you were treating to return.
Location
PHI Clinic
102 Harley Street,
London,
W1G 7JB,
United Kingdom
Tel: 02070345999
Opening Hours
Monday & Tuesday - 9:30am to 6:00pm
Wednesday & Thursday - 9:30am to 8:00pm
Friday - 9:30am to 5:00pm
Saturday - 11:30am to 12:30pm
Sunday - Closed
Opening times can change, if your appointment is outside of these times please contact the clinic for confirmation.
