emerginC Protocell review

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase.

emerginC Protocell photos: we heart this

We’ve got a fantastic moisturizer to discuss today! Have you ever noticed our little blurb in the pretty turquoise parentheses in the upper right of our page? When Stef and I first launched we heart this, we were excited at the thought of discovering some of the smaller, lesser known yet effective products on the market and sharing them with our readers. And with our review today for emerginC’s Protocell Bio-Active Stem Cell Combat Cream, I feel as if we’re doing just that.

Launched in 1996 with just a single product (the now coveted Vitamin C Serum), emerginC began working with pure botanicals and fruit acids as well as cutting edge cosmeceutical-grade ingredients in an effort to create a complete line of “active, advanced cosmeceutical products and professional treatments that deliver rapid, visible results for all skin types.” Today, emerginC is a well respected, spa quality line that bridges the line between natural products and the latest scientific skin discoveries.

While A-list celebrities, makeup artists, beauty editors and estheticians are well aware of EmerginC’s incredibly effective products, many beauty addicts (like me) have yet to experience this sought after line.

emerginC Protocell cream

As you can see just from the above photograph, this is one luxurious cream. Even better, it’s geared towards All Skin Types, and I was happy to discover this truly does include the oily skinned ladies. Normally a face cream this rich and lush, with ingredients like jojoba and argan oils, would be way too much for my complexion – leading to at best a shiny face, or worse, clogged pores and breakouts.

Not so with my testing experience of the Protocell Combat Cream! Instead, this sumptuous cream delivered exactly what it promises – intensive moisture that hydrates and protects your skin while fighting the noticeable signs of aging. The Combat Cream brought a lavishness to my routine that it sorely lacked. Its extra moisturizing formula immediately makes my skin feel softer, smoother, calmer and even a tad plumper! I tested this by using the cream on only one side of my face, leaving the other side bare – after an hour I could feel the skin with a layer of Combat Cream was actually a touch fuller! This lotion gives my skin a huge lift and that plumping action helps to make my fine lines fade as well. Can it get any better?

It does! The deep moisture soaked right into my skin without leaving a greasy residue and, even hours later, my skin did not have a shiny sheen (well, no more than normal). Plus, I found this face cream to be an amazing base for foundation or tinted moisturizer use – helping the color to blend effortlessly. That does bring me to one drawback of this emerginC face cream that is intended for use both morning or night. I found I always needed to wear my tinted moisturizer in order to get sun protection too. A version with an SPF would be ideal for me.

On the other hand, I do appreciate a few things not included in this or any emerginC formula, like parabens and synthetic fragrances and colors. As a contact lens wearer my eyes are sensitive to fragrances, so I love that this face cream has no scent. The packaging was sleek, simple, and generously sized with the Combat Cream housed in a hefty glass-like jar with silver lid. I would prefer a enclosed container, like a tube, but with the wide mouthed jar and tiny plastic scoop (no hands in the jar!) you will be sure to get every last drop of this special face cream.

Which brings me to the last point; the price. At $90 a jar, the Protocell Bio-Active Stem Cell Combat Cream has a pretty steep price. In my opinion, and with the results I’ve seen, it’s worth the price. While I would be wary to pluck down the cash on any product untested, I will confidently purchase this face cream at full price once my tester is finished.

Testers! Was this the grand emergence (hee) of a new line for you as well? What did you think of the emerginC Protocell Bio-Active Stem Cell Combat Cream?

Some online shopping options:
Get Protocell Bio-Active Stem Cell Combat Cream at Amazon.
Shop other emerginC products at amazon.

Awesome Gift with Purchase: Buy Protocell Combat Cream at skinstore.com and get a FREE Full-Size Vitality Mask with any $90 emerginC purchase. No code needed – just click!

Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. It also contains an affiliate link, a link that gives us a small commission if you purchase the item. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.

Author

  • tyna

    Tyna is a former editor of we heart this that worries about becoming a crazy cat lady, reads at least a book a week, checks in at a Flyers fan forum every morning and is forever organizing her closets and drawers. skin tone: NW 20/25 skin type: combination favorite beauty product: eye shadows and lip balms

16 Comments

  1. I am more excited about emerginC’s Protocell Combat Cream than any skin product I’ve ever used. EVER! It’s lush and creamy, yet disappears into my skin like magic, leaving it visibly plumper and smoother. The dry areas of my face are soothed and moisturized, but the oilier areas aren’t over-moisturized at all. I’ve never used a face cream that worked so effectively! It almost defies logic– the cream itself feels so rich, yet it soaks in within seconds.

    Because it doesn’t contain SPF (my only minor complaint– please create a daytime version, emerginC!), I’ve been using it as a night cream, and even this once-a-day application has made a huge difference in the way my face looks and feels.

    Yes, $90 is a lot of money, and I’m careful about how I spend my beauty dollars. But this is a true case of getting what you pay for. I absolutely will buy another jar of this wondrous cream as soon as my tester is done!

    emerginC’s combination of luxury and performance has me raving about this cream to everyone I know. If I could give Protocell Combat Cream TEN stars, I would, but five will have to do. I’ll say it again: best face cream ever!

  2. When I quickly read the title of this post I thought “Emergen-C? Like, the drink?” Ha!

    Sounds like this cream has the same life saving tendencies of the drink, just for your skin rather than your immune system! The $90 makes me balk a bit, but I’m going to have to keep my eyes open for a way to try it! Great review Tyna!

  3. This looks nice and effective. It’s also a great brand.

  4. Quick mention about when I opened up my box of review items. Out popped a little note from Stef that read, “The EmerginC cream is FABULOUS! You’re going to flip” She knows me all to well and I did at least 10 back flips, in my head of course! I am especially nutty about high-quality facial creams. Let me just say, emerginC was no exception and it is indeed a very nutrient-intensive moisturizer! Who knew, (many people do) that apples have stem cells! emerginC protocell is a bio-active stem cell combat cream. Combat meaning it actively fights the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.. What? I swear, great skin care never ceases to amaze me! This also contains the amazing argan oil, which is very rare rich in vitamins minerals and lipids. By the way, this is made in the USA! I love when I read that! I can’t get enough of this cream. I am very interested in the serums, if this cream is this wonderful. I apply this after my shower in the evening and before I apply any make up in the morning.. My skin really loves this and looks great.. The box is printed with vegetable inks.. I give this product the five biggest stars in the solar system!

  5. This stuff sounds absolutely amazing!!! I wish it were a little easier on the wallet so that I could head out and pick one up right now!

  6. You girls are making me jealous. This cream sounds wonderful!

  7. Oh, I couldn’t wait to review this!!

    I have to be honest, when this showed up for review, and Tyna and I read the ingredients list and I saw oil listed (both jojoba seed and argan), I thought I was going to have to pass. Me and oil don’t mix (call me water). Tyna opened her jar, we both tried it on the back of our hands and out came the “ooooh!” a few moments later.

    @turboterp really summarized this well. It’s like this cream has a brain, giving moisture to the areas that need it, and holding back on the ones that don’t. The winds in the desert have been awful for the past month. And somehow, my skin is both oily and flaky (I wouldn’t even think that’s possible!) The Protocell has gotten my skin in check in just a few applications.

    Best of all, it’s really creamy, but totally light. A lot of luxury creams are just way too heavy for me. My skin absorbs this immediately and it doesn’t leave me with any shine. This is so important to an oily girl!

    To say it’s phenomenal isn’t enough praise. Yes, it’s expensive. But I say it often, I’d gladly spend a bit more on something that truly works. This, my dears, truly works!
    .-= Stef´s last blog ..Concealing, with Benefit! =-.

  8. OMG, you guys are sooo making me want to splurge on this. My favorite thing that starts w/ the letter c is corn. LOL!

  9. It’s true girls – we’ve found a super luxe face cream that even those with oily skin can use. I always love super rich body creams, they always feel so indulgent. I’ve been envious of peeps that can use similar one on their face (especially during the cold/windy months) without skin problems cropping up.

    Well, EmerginC has done it with the Protocell Combat Cream – it’s totally luxe but does not make my skin greasy. Just soft and plump and happy. As you can see bu my review above, it’s a big winner for me – even with the cost (well worth it imo) it’s a big 5 stars.
    Looking forward to trying other items from this brand. Anyone know of a store that carries it? I’d love to see the whole line.
    .-= Tyna Werner´s last blog ..MAC Superglass review and swatches =-.

  10. I love using products with vitamin c. This cream sounds great. I look forward to checking it out in the near future. Great review!

  11. I was the lucky winner of the EmerginC Protocell Combat Cream. After a few weeks of use, I can honestly say it’s…magical.

    When I first opened the jar, I found a white, fluffy, rich cream with a fresh but obviously unfragranced scent. I applied a bit too much the first time around, as it has a good bit of slip and spread much more easily than I expected. Even so, it absorbed immediately into my skin, leaving it plumped and well-hydrated. As a matter of fact, it absorbed SO well that I expected to feel dry within a few hours, or at the very least to wake up with dry skin the next morning. Instead, I woke up to fresh, glowing, moisturized skin with no residue and no shine…perfection! I have never met a moisturizer that could adequately hydrate my dry skin and not also leave some sort of “morning-after” residue on my face. This is a first for me!

    The ingredient list for Protocell Cream is amazing. The cream is called a “Bio-Active Stem Cell Combat Cream,” and they really mean it. The second (second!!!) ingredient is apple stem cells, followed by other skin-nourishing ingredients like Jojoba oil, apple fruit extract, cactus stem/leaf extract, vitamin E, argan oil, and green tea extract. There are no parabens, synthetic fragrances, or animal ingredients or testing. Even the boxes are printed with vegetable inks on Forest Stewardship Council and Sustainable Forest Initiative certified paperboard and milled elemental chlorine free. What’s NOT to love about this product and this company?

    But most importantly, for all its wonderful ingredients and amazing texture, as well as its magical absorbing and hydrating abilities, what has it done for my skin? Let me tell you…it’s on its way to transforming it. Due to good genetics, fanatical sun avoidance and a mildly obsessive skin care routine (and willingness to try every new product that hits the market), I have very good skin to begin with. I honestly did not expect to see much change for the better…I planned to be happy to remain at the status quo. However, I’ve been pleasantly blown away at the improvements I’ve seen. My skin is clearer, more luminous, and truly glows for the first time ever. Makeup applies like a dream, although I am down to using just a few drops of tinted moisturizer at this point, as that’s all I need. No more foundation! The fine lines that were starting to show around my eye area have diminished. The constant dehydration I never realized I had has completely disappeared, and the combination/oily areas I thought I had have balanced out…my skin is now perfectly normalized, and always comfortable throughout the day. No more dry cheeks, no more shiny T-zone.

    I was sort of hoping this would be just a ho-hum product for me, as the price tag is so high, but it has truly become a holy grail cream for me, worth even more than the $90 price tag. I definitely plan to purchase another jar once this one is done, which is unheard of for me, as I am ALWAYS on to the “next great thing” when it comes to skin care. However, this time, I’ve met my match. I highly, highly recommend this one. Thanks so much for the contest, Stef! I’m so grateful I got a chance to try this one!

  12. Nicely said @lipstickdiva, (Shannon Schiltz)! You are super lucky and grateful too! I think this product was wonderful also..

  13. @lipstickdiva thanks so much for giving this review! It’s so great to get a winner’s thoughts on their prize. And it’s so nice to see we picked the right person! Glad you love your emerginC. But really, how could you not? It really is fab, we were as blown away as you. I might even dare to say this is one of my favorite skincare items to pass across my testing desk!

  14. Hear, hear @lipstickdiva – the emerginC is everything it promises – I’m still in love with my cream.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts – so happy you love your prize!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *