Today, skincare needs to meet the needs of individual concerns, whether battling dark spots, smoothing fine lines, or boosting clarity. One results-focused, clean clinical brand does just that under the care and guidance of professional therapists. Editor Trudi Brewer discusses her accidental beauty empire with Florida-based Nebraskan Janna Ronert, founder of IMAGE Skincare.

Janna Ronert created her business with a straightforward mantra: simplicity, value and results, which is the secret to any skincare’s popularity, success, and longevity. But beauty was never the driving force in her early career, which kicked off in business and marketing, getting her recognition in Forbes as a woman to watch. She never dreamed she would end up having a career in the industry. Still, like many skincare creators, she gravitated towards beauty with the hope it would address her problematic skin and her battle with rosacea.

Fast-forward to today. IMAGE Skincare has grown from humble beginnings in 2003 to a global skincare force in over 70 countries. Ronert attributes IMAGE Skincare's success to the customers, who are now a community, and the dedicated professionals she and her team have nurtured over the past 21 years. At the forefront of clean, clinical skincare, IMAGE Skincare is a number-one spa brand in the US, with a fast-growing following here in New Zealand.

With 56 products on offer here in NZ, it’s also under the watchful eye of the co-founder, her plastic surgeon husband, Dr Marc Roner, who casts his medical expertise over the brand's ingredients and efficacy. The collection has seven ranges that address a myriad of skin concerns. From the top seller, Vital C (her first collection), stacked with the best brightening ingredients, to Ageless. This range champions the ingredients all skin over 30 needs, including hyaluronic acid and retinol. Restoring MD and The Max are collections filled with protein peptides and plant stem cells designed to revitalise ageing skin, and there is also a regime for oily-prone skin. The Biome+ range, naturally certified and microbiome-friendly, helps blur pigment and hydrate the skin, while the Iluma range is all about brightening. As a confessed master exfoliator, her Brightening Exfoliating Cleanser is one of the secrets to her glowing skin. She has also formulated a remarkable chemical-free sunscreen (I am obsessed with it), mineral-based and stacked with antioxidants; once discovered, it’s easy to get behind this brand if you crave a healthy-glowing complexion. Read on to learn more.

Q&A

Why is IMAGE Skincare known as a clean clinical range?

All our products are formulated with safe and efficacious ingredients and clinically tested for global compliance. It has always been important to our company that none of our products are tested on animals, and we now have PETA certification. My husband, Dr. Marc, is very involved with our product development team, which creates the most innovative and results-oriented products for our fast-paced industry.

What are the key ingredients in the range, and what skin type will benefit?

Our original and best-selling collection is Vital C, which nourishes and replenishes the skin. This collection is powered by our potent, multi-beneficial vitamin C blend, along with additional antioxidants that target signs of skin ageing and reduce the appearance of dullness in dry, dehydrated, and environmentally damaged skin.

“My best tip would be. Always cleanse and moisturise your skin every evening, regardless of whether you wear makeup. Your skin accumulates pollution, dirt, and debris no matter what. Always “take the day off” your skin.”

— Janna Ronert

Vital C is a top seller; what skin concerns does it address?

Award-winning Vital C supports a myriad of skin concerns. This collection helps treat sensitive, rosacea, dry, dehydrated, redness-prone, ageing, and slightly discoloured skin tones. To date, it is still our best-performing collection globally.

You're a self-confessed exfoliating fan; why is that, and what tips can you share?

Exfoliation is an absolute must, but the frequency depends on your skin type and concerns. Exfoliation helps remove dulling, dead skin cells, allowing for better absorption of serums, moisturisers, and creams. I’ve always been a fan of dewy-looking skin; removing dead skin cells helps achieve the best IMAGE skin glow.

You also like to cocktail your skin serums; how can we do this at home?

If you choose to use more than one serum, I always recommend layering because mixing serums might affect the product's performance. My current favourite product is the IMAGE MD Restoring Power-C Serum. I’ve recently been layering this with either the IMAGE Ageless Total Anti-Aging Serum or the IMAGE The Max Stem Cell Serum.

IMAGE Skincare’s top sellers

IMAGE Skincare Iluma Intense Brightening Exfoliating Cleanser, $70. IMAGE Skincare Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum, $120. IMAGE MD Skincare Restoring Power-C Serum, $208. IMAGE Skincare The Max Stem Cell Serum, $208.

What is your favourite product and why?

Vital C Hydrating Anti-Aging Serum is our number one product globally, and I love using it daily. However, I have also been using our renowned Restoring Power-C Serum, an absolute favourite of mine. The clinicals of this product have been published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, and I must say, the results are amazing.

We adore the Prevention + Sun Serum SPF 30 Tinted; how did you develop this formula?

We wanted to provide and deliver an SPF with a texture different from a typical crème to accommodate personal SPF preferences and experiences. We wanted a sun protection product that felt like a true serum. Often, sunscreens can feel heavy on the skin, but our sun serum delivers a perfect, blendable, light, non-greasy feel.

IMAGE SKINCARE PREVENTION+ SUN SERUM SPF 30 TINTED, $109.

The all-mineral zinc oxide screens out those damaging rays, while the most potent antioxidants, vitamin C, E and ginger root extract, back up that SPF to further protect the skin. Plant squalane derived from sugarcane, chamomile, and orange peel extract (responsible for its citrusy scent) corrects dryness and helps give the skin a gorgeous glow. It’s everything you need in a hard-working sunscreen for 365 days of the year.

Learn more

What's your go-to skin service, and why?

Our renowned professional skin treatment is the 02 Lift Image Skincare Facial. This treatment incorporates ‘foam burst technology’ to infuse oxygen, peptides, and plant-derived stem cells at high concentrations into the skin, as well as antioxidant protection and hydration. It also has little relaxing downtime but provides immediate results; this 35-minute powerhouse facial fits into any woman’s busy schedule.