Karin Herzog Skin Care

Janna M. Sweenie c-wrote this article.

For two months we have used 26 products in order to provide you a comprehensive “home test” of the Karin Herzog Skin Care line. This extensive review is the most massive examination of a single company’s products in the nearly six year history of Go Inside Magazine. We’re here to share with you, in detail, our experiences with these products. We are not dermatologists. We have no expert medical training in the symbiosis of the skin. We are but ordinary consumers and the opinions expressed in this review should be taken at face-value of the earnest layman.

All of the Herzog products reviewed herein are non-prescription and can be purchased at specialty outlets and dermatologist’s offices across the world. We’ll provide contact information at the conclusion of this review so you can get a direct answer from the Karin Herzog folks as to how you can purchase their products in your area. The Karin Herzog signature logo and distinctive black packaging with gold lettering speaks quality and satisfaction out of the box.

Good Things
We’re also pleased to report:

All Karin Herzog products are cruelty free! Karin Herzog does not test on animals and no animal extracts appear in their products.
All Karin Herzog products are non-comedogenic
The Process
Sometimes we shared products. Sometimes we divvied them up. You can discover who reviewed what within each product sub-section. Now, before we begin the in-depth review of the Herzog line, let us first provide some background information.

Review Lights
We will rate each product individually with our standard system of one to five Go Inside Magazine Review Lights. Five green GO lights are best while all red STOP lights are the worst. The results and comments we share should not be taken as a guarantee of product or a promise of performance. In this review only, we’ll place a text tag under the Review Lights so you’ll know the colors of the lights in case you choose to print out this review on a black and white printer.

Discovery
We discovered the power of the Karin Herzog line when David visited his dermatologist complaining of patches of oily and dry skin. His dermatologist suggested the Herzog Mild Scrub and we both loved the product so much, we wrote a fan letter to the Karin Herzog folks and the rest is history in this review.

Benefits of Oxygen
Your skin needs oxygen. The trick, cosmetically speaking, is to discover a way to push oxygen into the skin from its surface. Many cosmetics companies have tried to oxygenate the skin from the outside in and failed. The folks at Karin Herzog, however, using varying strengths of hydrogen peroxide in their products and other chemical wonderments, have managed to provide a product line that can actually oxygenate the skin!

Sans Masser
The hardest thing to get used to in using the Herzog line is to NOT MASSAGE the products into your skin! Massaging only serves to push the product into your hands and not your face and body and that is counter-effective. Sans Masser is a hard lesson to learn. We advise simply sliding the product on your skin and never returning to the applied area again.

How It Works
We have no way of knowing or understanding just how some of the Karin Herzog line of products are able to oxygenate the skin. We’ve asked, but they won’t reveal their secrets! We can confirm, however, that seeing is believing, and when you apply the body cream and wait five minutes, you’ll be shocked to see your skin utterly white where you put the cream! You can’t wipe off the white, you can’t wash off the white. The white is *in* your skin — living proof that your skin is being oxygenated before your eyes! The whitening effects lasts for 30-45 minutes.

Be Aware
Hydrogen peroxide is powerful stuff. It can lighten your eyebrows and body hair if you apply it directly to hair. I don’t know if the Karin Herzog Oxygen line of products would damage pigmented skin, so be certain to ask your skin care professional if these products will affect your skin in a way you don’t anticipate. Also beware that if you use the oxygen cream on your body followed by the Vita-A-Kombi cream on your face, you will certainly sense a faint taste of hydrogen peroxide in your mouth! This effect can be alarming at first and then pleasurable later on as you learn to understand that unique taste is further evidence the Herzog oxygen delivery system is permeating your body on a level no other product on the market can match.

Cost
Prices for the Karin Herzog line can vary wildly, so be a smart shopper and get more than one price from a variety of sources. Ask your friends. Use the internet. Shop around. The price differential for some products is so grand that, in this review, we decided to place a “Price Undetermined” label on some products because the lowest price and the highest price we were able to find were so far apart as to be unfathomable. Now let’s investigate the Karin Herzog line in detail.

Vita-A-Kombi 1 (1% Oxygen)
From $50 – (1.94 oz)

JANNA: The Kombi creams — varying from 1% – 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide — come in a jar that should last you up to four months of applications. Fortified with Vitamins A and E, this cream is simply wonderful. It soothes and refreshes and you can see a marked difference in the brilliance of your skin in about two weeks. The 1% strength is appropriate for all skin types: Normal, combination, sensitive or dry.

(four GREEN, one RED)

Vita-A-Kombi 2 (2% Oxygen)
From $52 – (1.94 oz)

DAVID: My skin is thicker and oilier than Janna Marie’s and the 2% Kombi is the solution for my face. The hydrogen peroxide invigorates skin and feeling the cream work into my flesh for five minutes is extremely pleasurable. The after-effects are a glimmering of the skin from the inside out. The instructions order you to use the 1% solution for two weeks before using the 2% solution, but being a tough, macho, tell-me-nothing-male-with-super-sensitive-skin, I used the 2% solution right off the bat with no ill effects but don’t use me as your example.

(four GREEN, one RED)

Vita-A-Kombi 3 (3% Oxygen)
From $56 – (1.94 oz)

JANNA: This is a wonderful product! You use it for spot treatment of hyperpigmentation (like a scar) or acne. You don’t use it on your entire face. I have an old, round, brownish, scar from my university days in Washington, D.C. and I decided to put this product to a telling test. For one week, three times a day, I dabbed the Kombi 3% cream on my unsightly scar. And you know what? The scar faded and continues to fade away, bit by brown bit, every day ! I was, and am, ecstatic!

DAVID: I concur with Janna Marie. The Kombi 3% is excellent and potent. I used it on a healing deep burn on my finger. I hoped used the Kombi 3% would help me avoid a thick scar, and this product not only helped the burn heal better, but I have no remaining evidence of the burn as a scar.

(all GREEN)

Vita-A-Kombi Fruit Acids (1% Oxygen)
Price Undetermined – (1.94 oz)

JANNA: This product instantly soothes the skin upon application. The addition of Fruit Acids gives the face a gentle cleaning. The scent of the Kombi with Fruit Acids out of the jar makes your mouth water!

(four GREEN, one RED)

Vita-A-Kombi Facial Oil
From $20 – (0.49 fl. oz)

JANNA: If your skin is dry, this oil will replenish softness to your face. I found that it made my face break out in acne! Perhaps I had an allergic reaction or maybe I used too much, but this oil is just too oily for me in any amount to use and I’ve been told by several dermatologists that I have “perfect skin.” The cap is also problematic in that it is actually white plastic painted black to match the black and gold Herzog packaging color scheme. The paint on the cap, however flakes off, and if you aren’t careful, you’ll end up applying those black paint flecks to your face under a thin film of the facial oil. Picking off bits of black paint from your face isn’t easy nor pleasurable.

(two GREEN, three RED)

Nail Cream (0.5 % Oxygen)
Price Undetermined – (12 ml)

DAVID: Oh, my! Heaven on earth! If you have cuticles that are dry and rough, use this outstanding nail cream to tame the ragged ruffians! As your nails grow, your continued use of this product will help make your nails stronger and more beautiful. Remember, don’t massage the product into your nails and cuticles! You’ll be tempted to to so because it feels so good going on… but resist the temptation because in five minutes, the thrill will be even greater as the cream and hydrogen peroxide permeate your nail bed.

JANNA: I would love to agree with Dave on this product, but he took the Nail Cream and hid it from me, he liked it so much! I never got the chance to use it.

(all GREEN)

Eye Cream (0.5% Oxygen)
From $48 – (0.6 oz)

JANNA: The eye cream is really soothing and cool upon application. Its formulation is gentle enough that it won’t bleach your eyebrows or your eyelashes and I use it twice a day. Getting oxygen into the tender, thin, skin around your eyes is important for rejuvenation and I saw the fine lines disappear immediately. There’s a dash of St. John’s Wort Oil in the Eye Cream and that makes for a lovely emollient under your makeup. When I put this on before I go to bed at night, I sleep like a baby and awake a beauty.

(four GREEN, one RED)

Oxygen Face Cream (2% Oxygen)
From $34 – (1.76 oz)

JANNA: This mild antiseptic cream is refreshing. Formulated for teenagers with active skin conditions, this cream feels good and it helps even out the overall tone of your skin. I use this cream daily and my skin feels brighter and brisker.

DAVID: I concur with Janna Marie by simply seeing the end results of its daily use. I have no real world use of this product since, as payback for hiding the Nail Cream, Janna Marie hid the Oxygen Face Cream!

(four GREEN, one RED)

Mask (2% Oxygen)
From $38 – (1.76 oz)

JANNA: The Karin Herzog facial mask is extremely unique. It isn’t the color of mud. It doesn’t peel off. This mask is gentle and refreshing and it gave my skin a feeling of deep-cleansing upon removal after a ten minute application. I use it twice a week to keep my face feeling enlivened.

(four GREEN, one RED)

Mild Scrub
From $34 – (1.76 oz)

DAVID: The Herzog Mild Scrub (Gommage Doux) for the face is manna from the Gods! There is no way to “over-scrub” with this product because it is so soft and mild. The secret to its effectiveness for removing blackheads and dead skin is the scrubbing action of white marble powder! Yes, marble powder! Marble powder is better than synthetic particles because marble grains are always perfectly round: You won’t get any jagged, microscopic edges digging into your skin even if your skin is super-sensitive. This product is a winner and the entire Karin Herzog empire can live forever on sales of this product alone to every man, woman and child in the world: You must get this now!

JANNA: The Mild Scrub is fantastic. It works beyond your wildest expectations.

(all GREEN)

Additional Day
Price Undetermined – (1.76 oz)

JANNA: You can wear the Additional Day cream alone or over any of the Vita-A-Kombi creams for extra softening. With UV protection included, this cream restores the hydro-lipid film of your epidermis and helps battle possible damage done from television and computer screens, neon lights and UV rays. If you skin is extra-dry or if you live in a cold climate, or if you just want a bit more protection for your skin in the sun, Karin Herzog’s Additional Day cream will meet those needs.

(four GREEN, one RED)

Additional Night
Price Undetermined – (1.76 oz)

JANNA: The Additional Night cream can also be worn alone or over the Kombi creams. This night cream can help even out the irregular texture of your skin. I found it to be a bit heavy and greasy-feeling for my needs, but your needs may vary. If you live in a dry climate or a climate where you’re always in an air- conditioned state, this cream may be the solution you seek to give hydration back to a chalky complexion.

(three GREEN, two RED)

Total Day Protection
Price Undetermined – (1.76 oz)

DAVID: I like the UV protection this cream provides me alone or over the Kombi creams. I have super-sensitive skin and I don’t go outside without applying a thin film of the Herzog Total Day Protection cream on my face and ears first. The cream is non-greasy and it gives my skin a deep, healthful, glow.

(four GREEN, one RED)

After Shave (1% Oxygen)
Price Undetermined – (1.76 oz)

DAVID: The After Shave cream is the only product in the Karin Herzog line especially made for men! I really like this product. The After Shave has a refreshing, breezy, scent and a mild antiseptic to help heal common nicks and scratches from a razor blade. The hydrogen peroxide solution is electrifying as it hits your skin (sans masser, remember!). Keep the After Shave away from any hair you don’t want bleached because that possibility is real if contact is made — ask my sideburns!

(all GREEN)

Fruit Acids
Price Undetermined – (1.76 oz)

JANNA: Ahhhhh… this cream is created from fruit acids and fruit extracts and it helps lift the dingy veil from the epidermis when you glide it on. The smell of this cream is completely delicate and delicious. If you have normal skin, use this under any of the under 3% the Kombi creams for maximum effect. If your skin is oily, apply the Fruit Acids cream for ten minutes and then rinse it off before applying the Kombi cream.

(three GREEN, two RED)

Professional Cleansing Cream
From $32 – (1.76 oz)

JANNA: This preservative-free, super-strength, cleaning agent has the viscosity of Vaseline and is good for removing water-proof makeup. While this cream is gentle and allegedly “non-greasy” — it feels greasy even when you use less than a pea-sized dab of it to cleanse your face. I felt I had to scrub very hard to remove the greasy film this cleanser left behind and this product is supposed to be for all skin types, including extra-sensitive skin.

DAVID: We used the Professional Cleansing Cream to remove our Halloween makeup. For that heavy-duty purpose it worked well, but for everyday use, this product is just too thick and filmy-feeling to provide an utterly unbound sense of cleanliness.

(two GREEN, three RED)

Cleansing Milk
From $29 – (7.05 fl. oz)

JANNA: This is the sort of cleanser I like! The Herzog Cleansing Milk is dreamy and suitable for all skin types. It looks like milk, it feels fresh as it oozes from your cottonball and it cleans your face with little effort.

DAVID: I concur with Janna Marie. The Cleansing Milk gets all the gunk off without any hassle!

(all GREEN)

Tonic Lotion
Price Undetermined – (7.05 fl. oz)

JANNA: I have no idea what effect the Tonic Lotion is supposed to have, but it is light and refreshing after a workout.

(three GREEN, two RED)

Oxygen Body 3% Without Fragrance
From $34 – (4.3 oz)

DAVID: This body cream smelled like rancid fruit or smelly feet during the first one-third of use out of the tube. I have no idea if we got a bad batch of the stuff, but application upon the body ended in the holding of every nose in the house! Oddly enough, the awful smell vanished after we used up a third of the tube and the results of oxygenation of the skin was impressive.

JANNA: Agreed! I’m still holding my nose!

(Special Note: We understand this cream was a major player in helping re-attach an ear that had been bitten off by a dog. Every four hours this cream was applied to the ear and oxygenation and blood supply were re-established after only five days and the ear was saved. Perhaps this cream is more suited for medical purposes and it is not precisely intended for daily consumer application.)

(two GREEN, three RED)

Oxygen Body Cream 1% With Fruit Acids
Price Undetermined – (4.3 oz)

JANNA: This body cream is wonderful! Unlike the Oxygen Body 3% Without Fragrance, this body cream has a warm, fruity, scent. You spread a thin film of this cream all over your body (don’t forget your hands!) and afterwards you feel as if you shed your old, scaly, shell!

(all GREEN)

Oxygen Sun Cream (1% Oxygen)
Price Undetermined – (4.3 oz)

JANNA: This sun cream is supposed to provide “a uniform dye” but nothing happened. Using it inside for two weeks provided no dye to my skin. I then used it on my skin outside in the sun and nothing happened. I was terribly disappointed. I thought I’d found a way to get a healthy, safe, tan, but I was mistaken.

(all RED)

Silhouette (4% Oxygen)
From $36 – (4.3 oz)

DAVID: I love the Silhouette body cream! With an astounding 4% oxygen content, this body cream will REALLY show you it’s working by the instantaneous whitening of your skin where you apply the cream. Meant to tighten and tone your skin, I am happy to report that after 4 weeks on continued use, the Karin Herzog Silhouette body cream has actually helped tone my slightly saggy love handles (deflated from working out and dieting) and the Silhouette cream also helped make my stomach more taut! In my continued weight-reduction exercise program, I find the Silhouette body cream helps make my skin a bit tighter over the newly discovered muscle where paddings of fat used to reside. I understand this body cream can even help fade stretch marks. This is a winner!

JANNA: Dave’s stomach, legs, love handles and bum all look great! The Silhouette cream is a resounding, and amazing success! I still can’t believe my own eyes. (Dave also hid this from me, but after seeing the stunning results, I understand why.)

(all GREEN)

Egyptian Earth
From $40 – (0.63 oz)

JANNA: These facial powders were used in ancient Egypt as protection against the sun and wind. Egyptian Earth doesn’t cake in the creases of your face and you can go out in the rain or play sports and not lose the creamy protection of these great facial powders. The powders come in no less than four shades:

Hator – Standard dark

Isis – Standard fair

Magic Fair – A little lighter than Isis

Magic Moonlight – Very fair (particularly suited for Asian complexions.)

I use the Magic Moonlight shade even though I’m a German/Irish mix from Iowa. The Karin Herzog Egyptian Earth facial powders are non-comedogenic and they also act as a protective sunscreen. It’s too bad they didn’t include a good brush for application.

(four GREEN, one RED)

Conclusion
The Karin Herzog Skin Care product line is outstanding and essential to currying your skin into the best possible state. To discover a Karin Herzog representative in your area, please send email to their worldwide headquarters in Switzerland:

lab.karin.herzog@urbanet.ch

And tell them Janna and David from Go Inside Magazine sent you!