iS Clinical founders launch Icon Skincare, inspired by Old Hollywood rituals

Icon Skincare arrived with the kind of price point and pedigree that make beauty people stop scrolling: products from $32 to $68, built by iS Clinical cofounders Alec Call and Bryan Johns, and shaped by the glamour of Old Hollywood. The line launched on Wednesday on the brand’s website, after development that stretched back to 2018, giving it the feel of a considered second act rather than a rushed celebrity-adjacent splash.

The inspiration comes from ephemera Call and Johns found tied to Madam Renna, a Hollywood golden-age facialist who treated Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Elizabeth Taylor. That history shows up in the branding as much as the formulas. Product names like Take One Cleansing Honey, MilkIt Cleansing Powder, Satin Resurfacing, Brightening, Camera Ready and Icon Cream lean hard into star dressing-room fantasy, but the collection itself stays tightly edited. That restraint matters for gifting: it reads as a polished, expensive object without tipping into couture-level pricing or overstuffed assortment fatigue.

The ingredients story is just as specific. Honey, royal jelly and propolis anchor the line, paired with more modern exfoliating acids and moisturizers. Johns modernized older-era recipes because some of the original ingredients would not be used today, which is exactly the kind of detail that separates this from a generic retro-themed launch. Icon Cream comes in two versions, with lanolin and without lanolin, a smart split that makes the line feel thoughtful rather than one-size-fits-all. For a gift, that matters. This is the sort of skincare that looks substantial on a vanity, but still feels attainable compared with higher-ticket prestige lines.

Call and Johns are positioning Icon as more accessible than iS Clinical, which was founded in 2000 and built its reputation in professional skincare. That makes Icon an interesting entry point for shoppers who want the founder story and the credibility, but not the full clinical price tag. The brand is also looking ahead to service-oriented accounts and storytelling-heavy channels such as TikTok and QVC, though the near-term focus is on building a consumer base first. A partnership with Foster Love, the nonprofit supporting children in foster care, adds another layer of purpose, while the founders’ long support of the National Breast Cancer Coalition underscores that this is not their first time attaching a business to giving. For anyone shopping beauty as a present, Icon lands in a sweet spot: glamorous enough to feel special, grounded enough to feel smart.