sciote omni phyto-cell face crème

Our Rating: 4 stars

Reviewed by Kelly on June 27, 2014

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I was holding out for good eye cream to test against my stubborn eye bags when the opportunity to try Sciote Omni Phyto-Cell Crème ($115 in the shop) presented itself. I couldn’t resist after I read the intro on the website. Interestingly, OMNI means “all.” Sciote developed this revolutionary crème to do it all by putting everything but the kitchen sink into the formula. It contains an astounding 75 ingredients and reads like the who’s who of the beauty/herbalist world. The heavy hitters include Matrixyl 3000, Resistem, Syn-ake and HyalurosmoothTM — all meant to stimulate collagen, protect against aging, fill lines and moisturize.

On the protection front are aloe, witch hazel, green tea, Coenzyme Q10 and flax seed oil, to name a few. These are incorporated to prevent collagen breakdown, reduce UV damage and serve as an antioxidant and antibacterial. Inflammation control is provided by ingredients with essential fatty acids such as sunflower oil, palm oil, blueberry extract, oregon grape and licorice.

To help exfoliate, Sciote included glycolic acid, lactic acid and sugar cane. MSM, jojoba oil and tamanu oil help restoration of the skin by enhancing its ability to repair and heal. Moisturization, which is key in this product, gets assistance with squalane, coconut oil, sea fennel wax and borage oil. Peptides Hex 3 for muscle relaxing and Syn-Coll for wrinkle reducing are included and lastly, even a skin lightener is provided by arbutin in bearberry extract.

There are the usual thickeners, emollients and water binding agents but nothing nasty except the phenoxyethanol, and this is number 73 on the list. Some possible irritants are lemongrass, Eyebright and arnica, which could contribute to photosensitization and allergic reaction. This may be why Sciote says product contact must be of limited frequency and duration.

OMNI is packaged in a plastic dispenser and the pump works relatively well. It is a white medium weight crème with a light, herbal scent. Sciote says to apply two to three pumps nightly. Proper use is important due to the AHAs it contains. This crème is instantly absorbed into the skin, which is why you don’t delay in spreading it around. Being priced at $110 for 1.7 oz may put it out of range for many consumers. I estimate for my entire face it would have lasted about six weeks.

Did my initial excitement translate to product love? Well, up to week four, I would have said a resounding no. Only at the end of week five have I felt a glimmer of optimism with some results. I had been using this crème on the left side of my face and my regular lotion on the right side. My concern is sagging, especially the nasolabial and jowl areas. Imagine my surprise last Friday to glance in my rearview mirror and notice that the left side was visibly improved over the same area on the right side. The nasolabial crease looks plumped like when air pushes out the crease in a pool float and it is slightly lifted. This is great news because I really wanted to love this product for the amazing ingredients it contains. Since I have responded well with no adverse reactions I am excited to see what further results I get from continued use. I promise to chime back in when the bottle is empty for a final product opinion. Stay tuned!