A quick Google search

A quick Google search or stroll down the cosmetics aisle of any department store will yield thousands of products promising to give you healthier, more radiant skin. With so many options to choose from, why would you opt for medical-grade products?

To begin with, over-the-counter (OTC) products contain only a small fraction of the active ingredients you’ll find in medical-grade products. This is true even if skincare is labeled as “clinical strength.” Products sold without a supervising physician are simply not allowed to exceed a certain level of active ingredients. This helps ensure that a product won’t be harmful to someone who doesn’t use it as directed. It also means that OTC products are often too weak to achieve the desired effect.

Medical-grade skincare products contain much higher concentrations of active ingredients and are also subject to greater scrutiny, which ultimately benefits you.

Here are just a few reasons why medical-grade skincare is superior to OTC products:

1. Medical-grade skincare products contain prescription-strength ingredients and are regulated by the FDA.

This means they have been proven safe and effective before being allowed to be sold. In contrast, the OTC skincare and cosmetics industry is largely self-regulated, which means their safety and efficacy are not guaranteed.

Medical-grade products are far more potent than their OTC counterparts. Because of this, they work more quickly and effectively to improve overall skin health. In addition, companies that make their products available only through a licensed physician typically employ third-party clinical testing to ensure their products are safe and effective.

2. You will receive a professional’s recommendations before you make a purchase.

Having your skin evaluated by an experienced and highly trained provider who can recommend the right products helps you avoid wasting time and money on the ones that aren’t right for your skin type.

Our licensed master estheticians, Haley Trudeau or Dina de Guzman, are both knowledgeable and trained to recommend products they know will work for your skin type. They can also periodically review your products according to your changing skin conditions so you can feel confident that you are always getting the most effective skincare even as your needs or goals change.

When your skincare routine is not a guessing game, you will ultimately get better results and save money. You will feel confident knowing that you can ignore all the hype in favor of listening to the recommendations of trained professionals that understand your skin and what works best for it.

3. Using the right skincare products for you can help prevent future skin issues.

Professional guidance combined with higher-potency products is the key to long-term success and luminous, healthy skin. Investing in medical-grade skincare can significantly improve existing skin issues while also slowing the skin’s aging process and protecting against future damage. This means you will be less likely to need aggressive, and costly, treatments to deal with skin issues in the future.

Even if you think your skin is in good shape now, you could be missing out on an opportunity to get the most radiant, healthy complexion possible. Because over-the-counter products are only permitted to have a fraction of the strength of medical-grade skincare, you can expect only a fraction of the benefit.

4. You will likely save money in the long run by choosing medical-grade vs. OTC products.

Some view medical-grade skincare as more expensive. We prefer to think of it as an investment in your skin! While you may pay a little more upfront, you’ll get the results you want within a reasonable time frame without wasting money on products that don’t have enough active ingredients to work well or that aren’t right for your particular skin type.

With Dina or Haley helping you match the right products to your needs, you will experience significant improvements to your skin with less money wasted on products that ultimately won’t work.

Both Haley and Dina are passionate about skin health and want you to enjoy the healthy, radiant, and youthful skin that is possible with medical-grade skincare. If you are ready to upgrade your skincare or have questions about your options, call our Aesthetic Center today to set up a consultation for a customized skincare plan that will leave your skin glowing!