What Saved My Irritated Skin: Intelligent Aesthetics
Intelligent Aesthetics Primer is step 2 in the kit that saved my skin.
So, recently, I started trying a lot of skin care creams (hey, a blogger’s gotta do what a blogger’s gotta do. 
) And, what do you know, I ended up with a pretty bad case of contact dermatitis, resulting in a horrible itchy rash that not even two weeks’ worth of prescription hydrocortisone could cure.
But then someone turned me on to Intelligent Aesthetics Gentle Cleansing Gel ($30.00), Comforting Skin Primer ($20.00) and AM/PM Healing Complex ($28.00). Immediately after using the products, my red, inflamed skin felt smoother and cooler. (And no, as usual, I am not being paid to say this.) The next day, my skin looked to be healing, and it felt comfortable for the first time in weeks. I’m not completely cured yet, but let me tell you, I am well on my way and I love this stuff.
Science backs it up, too. Two of the ingredients in the Intelligent Aesthetics Gentle Cleansing System are willow extract and chamomile, which have been shown in numerous studies to have healing and anti-inflammatory properties. Another great ingredient is oat extract. A 2002 study in Skin Pharmacology and Physiology found that topical application of practical concentrations of Avena Sativa (Oat) Extract reduced skin irritation in the majority of the individuals studied. Avena Sativa (Oat) extract has also been documented to be effective as a soothing and anti-inflammatory agent in the journal Phytotherapy. Other great ingredients in the line include hydrating vitamin E, anti-aging retinyl palmitate, and antioxidant vitamin C.
But my favorite ingredient in Intelligent Aesthetics Gentle Cleansing System is actually the blend of peppermint and spearmint extracts. Although the menthol that distinguishes peppermint from spearmint is sometimes touted as an irritant, both peppermint and spearmint have long been established as anti-inflammatory agents, according to the text Herbal Medicine and Botanical Medical Fields. The blend of mint extracts left my skin feeling cool, clean, and refreshed…completely unlike the itchy discomfort of contact dermatitis.
I highly recommend this line to anyone without a menthol allergy who is suffering from irritated skin! I love it!! 
9.5/10 (no sunscreen)
Great information and love this site.
Thanks for all your hard work.
MrsSmith
Comment by Linda | May 20, 2008
What do you think about use for someone with a rosacea flare up? I am an esthetician with a customer I have been treating and currently have him on a cetaphil, Vit C serum and Copper peptides. I have read some negative reports regarding cetaphil recently but he is having some “slow” improvement. I am moving him towards IPL treatments but want to assist in the flare up first. He is also considering Oracea but no insurance.
Comment by Vicki | May 21, 2008
Great website!
I just had my first IPL treatment two weeks ago. My brown spots and rosacea seem better with one treatment!
Marjie
Comment by Marjie | May 21, 2008
me too! did the same thing and ended up with inflamed eyelids and a rash that spread to the undereye area - disastrous!
i pop into your blog often and enjoy it very much - very informative! thanks for being our guinea pig!
Comment by becca | May 21, 2008
I don’t know what I think about using this product for someone with rosacea, honestly. According to the DERMADoctor Skinstruction Manual, sulfur, antibiotics, and topical metronidazole (all unfortunately prescription) work well in treating rosacea. I am sorry that I don’t know if this particular product is good for it or not!
Comment by futurederm | May 21, 2008
Thank you futurederm! I will keep with his current regime and add IPL when we are ready to move forward. He has tried metrogel without success and we have talked about Finacea and Oracea—he may be willing in the future. Sadly he is also a smoker and drinker! That fights against improvements.
Vicki
http://www.platinumskincare.com/
Comment by Vicki | May 22, 2008
the ingredients actually sound mediocre at best, definitely can be found in products that run a lower price tag. However, the peppermint/spearmint part threw me off. I’ve never heard of it as being anti-inflammatory in the dermatological sense. According to the herbal medicine article spearmint is found to be absolutely useless (unless you like spearmint flavored tea) and peppermint has only shown to produce anti-inflammatory effects in the localized region of the digestive/intestinal tracts, with no reference to effects of topical application. For a $78 system, they must have pretty great marketing schematics.
Comment by GX | May 23, 2008
great info- are you always using all three products or is one really the does the trick? Just curious- thanks
Comment by sofi76 | May 23, 2008
I’ve been updating my entire skin care routine lately and have noticed the skin on my neck, especially, becoming more sensitive. Thanks for the reminder to go easy on the experimenting! It’s easy to forget that your skin has limits.
Comment by Sarah | May 24, 2008
Thanks for the info! My skin is sensitive and gets really irritated when I’m having fun in the sun
Comment by bunny | May 25, 2008
ooh- this could have helped me a few weeks back- I’ll def. try this next time.
I went through a bout of crazy skin myself a few week back- I was trying way too many things on my face !!!I had little bumps and what appeared almost like hives on my face that seem to subside a little with benadryl and OTC hydrocortizone cream. Finally, I remembered that when I was younger and had major skin irritation problems, my derm recommend Avene’s thermal water as topical soothing agent. I ran out and bought a huge bottle. I moistened cotton pads with the thermal water and let the soaked pads sit on irritated areas for 30 min, 3 times a day. Sure enough, by my 4th treatment, my skin was almost back to normal. I highly recommend this product for irritated skin.
Comment by Denise | May 26, 2008
This sounds like a great cleanser with natural properties..
Comment by Naom | May 27, 2008
Great info. I too have been a little product intense lately and caused what I can only label as a “home chemical peel” from Retinol, antioxidents, and microdermabrasion. Ouch! I was able to repair my skin by just leaving it alone for a week. Next time I’ll try some of these products!
Comment by Christine | May 28, 2008
Awesome review! Do you think this could also be used for 1.) Tough cases of acne, or 2.) mild face sun burns? Also, should this only be used a few times a week or could you make this part of a daily skin routine? I can not wait to try it!
Comment by Kimme S | May 31, 2008
Love your informative site! Great contest you have as well.
Comment by Genevieve | June 5, 2008
This sounds like a good product. I get red from my acne medicine. Plus my skin is very sensitive according to the Skin Type Solutions questionnaire. I really need anti-inflammatory ingredients.
Comment by Joyce | June 16, 2008