Let’s “face” it — we all want to have clear, beautiful and young-looking skin. However, being bombarded with hundreds of commercials for skincare products, many claiming to be “the best” in the market or “dermatologist recommended,” makes finding the right ones tough.
Given the overwhelming number of options available, you’ve probably wondered: How do products sold in department or drug stores compare to medical-grade skincare products? Are medical-grade products a worthwhile investment? Does where we get our skincare products really matter?
While department stores carry products that seem appealing, and most are wallet friendly, you must wonder if they actually work. Here are the four main reasons why medical-grade skincare products are better and why you should care which you are purchasing. Perhaps this will help you decide that it’s time to switch.
1. BETTER QUALITY/ MORE INGREDIENTS
Medical grade products must contain ingredients that are 99 percent pure. Products sold via department stores, drug stores or on Amazon are not held to the same standards. They may contain fillers. Medical-grade products have higher concentrations of active ingredients. If there is an active ingredient in an over-the-counter cosmetic product, it may not contain enough of it to have an effect, or it may take much longer to get an effect.
2. DELIVERS DEEPER IN THE SKIN
It’s all about layers! If you’ve purchased something from a non-medical professional, in any store or online, understand these agents only work on the outermost skin layer called the epidermis. They sit on the surface and barely penetrate into deeper layers. Medical-grade skin care products are formulated to be delivered to the dermis, the home of the collagen and elastin. To make real changes to the skin, the deep dermis must be impacted.
3. PROFESSIONAL ADVICE
Another great benefit to medical-grade skin care is that you can have your skin evaluated first before actually buying the product. Skincare professionals can adjust your list of products based on your skin conditions, so you’ll be more confident that you’re investing in effective products even when your skincare goals or needs change over time.
4. NOT NECESSARILY MORE EXPENSIVE
A notion exists that medical-grade products are pricey. While this may be true for some products, rest assured that these costs are reasonable, and you’re getting what you pay for.
Also, generally speaking, companies that make medical-grade products do not spend their money on advertising campaigns, instead choosing to spend that money on research and quality product development.
5. THEY’RE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE
When weighing the cost of medical-grade products, consider the piles of money wasted on over-the-counter products that you purchased and stopped using because they don’t work. The product graveyard in your bathroom is proof.
Medical-grade products work harder than over-the-counter alternatives, and you will use less because the higher concentrations of ingredients makes them more effective — therefore requiring less product to get the results you desire.
Melissa New is an independent, licensed aesthetician and owner of New Skin Care, based in Gulfport at Doctors Care. Reach her at (501) 328-7984.