Perricone MD focuses on topical skincare, offering a range of products that may help address skin concerns like dullness, dryness, fine lines, and wrinkles. Its range includes cleansers, moisturizers, serums, targeted options, supplements, and skincare-infused makeup.
The brand claims to include actives like vitamin C ester, peptides, and essential fatty acids in its offerings, which may help brighten, firm, smooth, and strengthen the skin barrier. This ingredient-driven approach could support benefits such as refined texture, improved elasticity, and a clearer, more balanced appearance.
In this review, we’ll explore Perricone MD’s product offerings, the advantages and limitations of the brand’s approach, and insights from consumer feedback to help you understand how well its options align with real-world expectations.
Perricone MD is a premium skincare and wellness brand that combines topical products, nutritional supplements, and lifestyle guidance into one connected approach. The brand follows a structured three-tier system, an anti-inflammatory diet, daily antioxidant-focused supplements, and advanced topical products to support your skin health.
As per the official website, Perricone MD offers a wide range of options across core skincare categories, including cleansers, moisturizers, serums, exfoliators, toners, masks, eye cream, lip care, neck and body products, and SPF formulas. It also extends beyond traditional skincare with haircare, supplements, and its No Makeup Skincare line, which blends product benefits with sheer, wearable pigment. These products are meant to help you address concerns such as dullness, discoloration, fine lines, deep wrinkles, acne, enlarged pores, and sensitivity.
The brand groups its formulas into clearly defined collections, each centered on key ingredients or specific technologies. These include the Cold Plasma Plus+, High Potency Classics, Vitamin C Ester, Essential Fx Acyl-Glutathione, Hypoallergenic Clean Correction, and Neuropeptide collections. The brand also features focused options like Acne Relief, Haircare, and No Makeup Skincare, which offer more targeted routines.
Cold Plasma Plus+ Advanced Hydrating Complex may provide lightweight, sustained hydration that supports the skin’s appearance throughout the day. The product focuses on moisture regulation and surface-level improvements in texture, tone, and firmness.
The addition of copper tripeptide in this formula could support collagen-organizing pathways, as copper is a trace element involved in enzymatic processes that help maintain dermal structure. These short peptide chains may help prompt your skin’s natural renewal activity, which may help develop a more resilient texture over time.
The makers also added a hydra-osmolyte blend in Cold Plasma Plus+ Advanced Hydrating Complex, which combines beetroot and adzuki bean extracts. These ingredients contain naturally occurring osmolytes such as betaine and certain amino acids that help cells regulate internal water pressure.
Cold Plasma Plus+ Advanced Hydrating Complex may help improve hydration, support firmness, and minimize the look of fine lines and uneven texture while maintaining respect for the skin’s barrier function.
As per the official website, High Potency Hyaluronic Intensive Hydrating Serum provides hydration using multiple forms of hyaluronic acid that may help strengthen the skin’s moisture balance. The makers state that the serum addresses dryness, dehydration, surface dullness, and early signs of volume loss by combining humectants and barrier-supportive nutrients that work across different layers of the skin.
The formula combines Hyaluronic 4 + 2 Complex, which includes four molecular weights of hyaluronic acid along with two of its natural building blocks. Hyaluronic acid functions as a humectant by binding to water molecules through hydrogen bonding, and using multiple molecular sizes allows it to sit at different depths within the stratum corneum.
High Potency Hyaluronic Intensive Hydrating Serum also has DMAE, which may help create a mild tightening effect on the skin’s surface that can be linked to its interaction with cell membranes and its potential to stabilize structural lipids. It might help improve the look of sagging or slackness over time while working harmoniously with water-binding ingredients.
The serum also has niacinamide, which helps strengthen the moisture barrier and improve surface clarity. It contributes to the formation of NAD+ and NADP+, coenzymes essential for cellular energy metabolism. These pathways influence barrier lipid synthesis, particularly ceramides and free fatty acids, which help the skin maintain moisture and resilience.
Vitamin C Ester Photo-Brightening Moisturizer may help brighten your skin while supporting a more even appearance. It combines mineral-based SPF 30 to help reduce the look of dark spots, surface dullness, and early signs of aging.
The formula features vitamin C Ester, which can integrate more easily into the skin’s outer lipid matrix, allowing for efficient antioxidant activity at the surface. It also has alpha lipoic acid (ALA), which may function as a cofactor in mitochondrial energy metabolism and also helps regenerate other antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E. It might help diminish the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and enlarged pores by reducing oxidative stress at the cellular level.
Hypoallergenic Clean Correction Eye Cream may support the delicate eye area by providing hydration and visible firmness. The makers state that this eye cream could help soften the look of crow’s feet, fine lines, and dullness while helping your skin feel more resilient and comfortable.
Hypoallergenic Clean Correction Eye Cream has peptides, which function as signaling molecules that interact with receptors on the skin’s surface. It may improve firmness and reduce visible signs linked to collagen loss by helping the skin maintain a more supportive extracellular structure, contributing to smoother texture and decreased wrinkle depth over time. The cream also has squalane, which helps limit transepidermal water loss by filling gaps between corneocyte cells, strengthening your skin’s lipid barrier.
The makers also added mushroom extract to Hypoallergenic Clean Correction Eye Cream, which helps neutralize oxidants that contribute to dullness and premature creasing in thin under-eye skin.
As per the official website, Cold Plasma Plus+ Advanced Serum Concentrate addresses multiple visible signs associated with dullness, uneven texture, discoloration, and early structural changes on the skin’s surface.
The formula uses a liquid crystal delivery system intended to enhance the penetration of its key ingredients by mimicking the skin’s own lamellar structure. This helps the actives distribute more evenly across the stratum corneum, allowing them to interact efficiently with the upper layers of the skin.
Vitamin C Ester in this serum may support antioxidant activity by neutralizing free radicals generated through UV exposure and pollution. It could also assist in pro-collagen stabilization, which can contribute to a smoother surface and more uniform tone.
The makers state that Cold Plasma Plus+ Advanced Serum Concentrate combines omega fatty acids, specifically omegas 3, 6, and 9, which are commonly sourced from plant-based oils such as flax and walnut. These fatty acids help strengthen your skin’s moisture barrier by replenishing essential lipids, including ceramides and cholesterol, that anchor water within the epidermis.
Omega-3 and 6 can help maintain barrier function when natural lipid levels decline due to age or environmental stress. They may support improved hydration, reduced roughness, and a plumper, more elastic appearance by strengthening the skin’s lipid matrix.
Cold Plasma Plus+ Advanced Serum Concentrate also has copper tripeptide, which contains copper ions bound to short amino acid chains, enabling it to interact with receptors involved in cellular repair and extracellular matrix organization. Its antioxidant capacity may assist in mitigating the impact of environmental stressors like pollution and excessive UV radiation.
High Potency Triple Retinol Renewal Serum may improve the look of fine lines, uneven texture, and early firmness changes by encouraging a more consistent exfoliation cycle. The Triple Retinol Blend in this serum combines encapsulated retinol, retinol ester, and phyto-retinol.
Retinol esters undergo enzymatic conversion into retinoic acid to support cell turnover and collagen-related pathways more gently. Meanwhile, the phyto-retinol mimics retinol’s visible effects but operates through different signaling routes, making them milder for sensitive skin.
The makers also added coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which supports ATP (cellular energy) production and plays a defensive role against oxidative stress. It might help neutralize free radicals generated by UV exposure and pollution, which can otherwise accelerate visible aging. High Potency Triple Retinol Renewal Serum also features beta-carotene, which provides additional antioxidant support, potentially supporting skin firmness.
Perricone MD maintains a wide retail presence through its distribution across premium department stores, beauty specialty retailers, online platforms, and international markets. Its product visibility is supported by flagship items such as Cold Plasma Plus+ Advanced Hydrating Complex, High Potency Hyaluronic Intensive Hydrating Serum, and Vitamin C Ester Photo-Brightening Moisturizer. These products are consistently featured in major beauty retail environments, which enhances the brand’s exposure and accessibility.
The brand’s placement in high-end retail settings like beauty counters and specialty skincare boutiques contributes to its premium positioning. At the same time, the availability of its full product range online ensures that consumers who prefer e-commerce can browse, read reviews, compare product variants, and make purchases with delivery options.
Perricone MD builds its identity around dermatologist-led expertise. Its founder, Dr Nicholas Perricone, is a board-certified dermatologist known for his focus on inflammation, skin aging, and nutritional approaches to skin health. His background in clinical dermatology and anti-aging research forms the foundation of the brand’s positioning and guides the scientific tone used across product development and education.
The brand designs its skincare system around principles often associated with dermatology practice, such as the use of antioxidants, retinoids, targeted serums, and barrier-supporting options. Its products, like the Cold Plasma Plus Advanced Serum Concentrate, High Potency Triple Retinol Renewal Serum, Vitamin C Ester Photo Brightening Moisturizer, and Hypoallergenic Clean Correction Eye Cream, reflect the brand’s focus on active ingredients commonly used in dermatological care.
Perricone MD also highlights proprietary technologies created under Dr Perricone’s guidance, including Vitamin C Ester and Acyl Glutathione-based formulations. These technologies support the brand’s claim of integrating dermatological insight into product innovation.
Perricone MD has built its identity around a science-guided approach to aging, skin health, and nutritional support with more than two decades of presence in the market. The brand has maintained a strong position in the prestige skincare market since its establishment in 1997. This long operating history has allowed it to develop a recognizable clinical aesthetic and a stable presence among luxury skincare brands.
The company’s longevity is supported by a wide catalog of products that have remained visible in the market for many years. Its offerings, such as Cold Plasma Plus, High Potency Growth Factor Serum, Essential FX Acyl Glutathione products, Vitamin C Ester Brightening Serum, and the Cold Plasma Plus Eye Cream, contribute to the brand’s established reputation. These products are part of multi-step routines that reflect the brand’s focus on topical options, supplements, and lifestyle-based skincare philosophies. This wide visibility has helped support the brand’s position as a longstanding name in anti-aging and science-driven skincare.
Perricone MD focuses heavily on luxury skin care and advanced anti-aging options, which naturally places the brand in a narrow segment of the beauty market. Many of its flagship formulas, such as the High Potency Growth Factor Firming and Lifting Serum, the Cold Plasma Plus Advanced Serum Concentrate, the Essential FX Acyl Glutathione Intensive Overnight Moisturizer, and the Neuropeptide Night Cream, are designed for mature skin and priced at premium levels of around $100 to $150.
This focus may exclude younger consumers, budget-focused shoppers, or those primarily seeking simple, functional skin care rather than prestige luxury. As the brand emphasizes potent actives, firming technology, and lifting treatments, its assortment appeals mainly to customers who are already invested in advanced anti-aging routines. The brand offers fewer basic or minimalist products focused on general maintenance, gentle hydration, or starter skin care needs. This limited entry-level offering makes it less accessible to consumers who want uncomplicated daily skin care instead of targeted products.
Perricone MD mentions clean formulation standards and responsible ingredient use, but the brand does not publish detailed sustainability reports that track environmental impact across its operations. Its products, such as the Cold Plasma Plus Advanced Serum Concentrate, High Potency Growth Factor Serum, Essential FX Acyl Glutathione Moisturizer, and Neuropeptide Night Cream, do not include clear information about the environmental footprint of raw materials, sourcing practices, or long-term resource usage.
The company does not share data on carbon emissions, water consumption, packaging waste, or manufacturing impact, which makes it difficult for consumers to understand how the brand manages its environmental responsibilities. The brand also does not provide third-party sustainability certifications, independent audits, or measurable goals for improving packaging recyclability and reducing plastic use. Many of Perricone MD’s products use glass and plastic components, but the company does not publicly outline strategies for increasing recycled content or transitioning to more eco-friendly materials.
StriVectin and Perricone MD take different yet science-driven approaches to anti-aging skincare, which becomes clear when comparing their technologies, product portfolios, and formulation philosophies.
According to its official website, StriVectin emphasizes skin longevity, barrier support, and peptide innovation, with every formula powered by its proprietary NIA-114 technology, an optimized form of Vitamin B3 designed to support NAD pathways and help the skin maintain its youthful function. This technology is featured in its key products, including TL Advanced Tightening Neck Cream PLUS, SD Advanced Plus Intensive Moisturizer, Super-C Retinol Brighten Correct Vitamin C Serum, and Peptight Face Lift Serum. Perricone MD, on the other hand, takes a dermatology-led, high-potency approach focused on visible correction. Many of its formulas are built around signature ingredients, including Vitamin C Ester, Acyl-Glutathione, neuropeptides, and advanced retinoids, which are featured in products like Cold Plasma Plus+ Advanced Hydrating Complex, Essential Fx Acyl-Glutathione Chia Cleansing Balm, and Cold Plasma Plus+ Sub-D/Neck.
The structure of their product lines further highlights their differences. StriVectin concentrates solely on topical skincare and builds depth in categories such as neck care, stretch marks, firming options, and essential moisturizers. Its offerings like Crepe Control® Tightening Body Cream, Super-C Eye Vitamin C Eye Cream, and Barrier Restore+ Soothing Ceramide Cream strengthen its focus on barrier health and long-term skin resilience.
Meanwhile, Perricone MD offers a wider ecosystem that includes skincare, supplements, and makeup through lines such as Cold Plasma Plus+, High Potency, Essential Fx, Hypoallergenic Clean Correction, and the No Makeup Skincare collection. This broader range supports its philosophy of combining topical options with internal and cosmetic products for a more comprehensive approach to aging concerns.
StriVectin stays within a premium but comparatively accessible pricing range, with most products falling roughly between $30 and $150, depending on the category and size. Perricone MD, on the other hand, operates at a higher price level, with its options and advanced collections generally ranging from $55 to over $400, reflecting its use of high-potency actives and more intensive correction-focused formulations.
City Beauty focuses on targeted options for visible skin and lip concerns. Its product lineup is concise, with around 23 options across core categories such as cleansers, serums, moisturizers, masks, devices, and supplements.
The range includes formulas like the Gentle Glow Nourishing Cleanser, Line-Blurring Wrinkle Filler, Blue Defense HydroGel, and MicroBiome Night Mask, as well as devices such as the Light Therapy Face Mask.
City Beauty also places strong emphasis on lip care through its flagship City Lips® collection. The brand highlights its use of innovative, research-backed ingredients and third-party testing while maintaining pricing within the $20–$150+ range.
Perricone MD highlights a more clinical and science-heavy approach, grounded in its holistic Three-Tier Approach, which combines an anti-inflammatory diet, nutritional supplements, and advanced topical skincare.
The brand offers an extensive catalog of more than 60 products across specialized collections, including Cold Plasma Plus+, High Potency, Neuropeptide, Vitamin C Ester, and Hypoallergenic Clean Correction. Its key formulas, such as the Cold Plasma Plus+ Advanced Hydrating Complex and Vitamin C Ester Citrus Brightening Cleanser, are supported by patented technologies like Acyl-Glutathione, DMAE, and encapsulated retinoids.
Perricone MD operates within a higher premium range, with pricing typically extending from $39 to over $400, aligning with its clinical positioning and complex ingredient systems.
As per their official website, City Beauty provides a streamlined lineup designed for targeted, cosmetic-level improvements such as firming, plumping, smoothing, and brightening, with products like UpLift Firming Serum, Line-Blurring Wrinkle Filler, and Advanced Action Sculpting Cream illustrating this focus.
While City Beauty offers straightforward, research-backed formulas, Perricone MD focuses a more advanced, science-led approach supported by a wider ecosystem.
To analyze customer experiences with Perricone MD, we reviewed user reviews on TrustPilot. The brand has around 12000+ reviews on Trustpilot.
Many customers mentioned improvements in skin smoothness, firmness, and overall appearance, with several long-term users noting consistent results over the years.
Users also frequently highlighted fast shipping, a clear and easy-to-navigate website, and promotional offers that help balance the brand’s premium pricing. Interactions with the brand’s support team are often described as helpful and informative.
However, some customers report long wait times when contacting support, difficulty reaching a representative, or challenges in resolving auto-renewal and order-related issues. A few users mention problems with applying promotional codes, redeeming loyalty points, or completing payments through certain methods. Although the brand does respond to many of these complaints, the repetition indicates areas where service systems and promotional clarity could be improved. These reviews indicate that the brand offers various products and convenience, while still leaving room for improvement in customer service support.
Perricone MD has been active since the late 1990s and is known for science-based formulations influenced by Dr. Nicholas Perricone’s research on inflammation and skin aging. Its product line includes serums, moisturizers, eye products, and nutritional supplements, and its long presence in premium retail channels reflects a solid product-driven foundation.
However, the brand holds an F rating on the Better Business Bureau, where complaints show recurring concerns. Many customers described being enrolled in subscription programs without clearly understanding the terms, often after making what they believed to be one-time purchases through advertisements or promotions. A noticeable number also reported not receiving subscription confirmations or clear disclosures regarding ongoing charges.
We also compared these findings with Tenereteam, where the brand holds a 4.5 rating based on a limited number of reviews. While generally positive, the limited sample size offers only a narrow view of customer experience and does not offset the BBB complaints filed by users.
Our evaluation indicates a contrast between Perricone MD’s established product reputation and the challenges customers report when purchasing directly from the brand. While the formulations continue to maintain interest, the customer service and subscription-related concerns are important considerations for potential buyers.
Perricone MD centers its approach on concentrated actives, clinical-style ingredient blends, and multi-step routines developed for concerns such as firmness, uneven tone, texture, and radiance.
The brand claims that its formulas rely on ingredients such as antioxidants, retinoids, peptides, Vitamin C Ester, and Acyl-Glutathione, supported by delivery systems designed to enhance stability and visible performance.
However, its pricing leans toward the premium category, and its routines often require multiple steps, which may not suit you if you are looking for simplicity. Certain formulas containing retinol may feel strong, which can be challenging for sensitive or congestion-prone skin.
Perricone MD provides a targeted and science-aligned approach, but its cost, potency, and complexity are important factors to weigh. It's also essential to consider a few precautions, such as patch-testing active formulas, especially those containing retinoids or strong antioxidants. Try and avoid combining multiple high-strength options in the same routine. Monitor how your skin responds when transitioning between seasons, and review ingredient lists of the brand’s formulations carefully if you have known sensitivities to esters, peptides, or fragrance components.
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