The Difference Between Medical-Grade And Over-The-Counter Skincare Products
There is a broad range of skin care products available to use today ranging from drugstore brands to high-end products sold at department and retail establishments as well as doctors’ offices. These products are as familiar as Oil of Olay, which features a hyaluronic acid component and promises results in 30 days. Medical office brands include products such as SkinCeuticals, SkinMedica, Elta MD and many more brands that promise better results due to a higher amount of active ingredients than in store brand products. How is one to choose between what is best for your skin health?
Medical grade products are those that are dispensed only in physicians’ offices or practices and often branded to the practice or physician. These skin care products are manufactured in a pharmacy and cannot be obtained by clients or patients on their own; they must purchase from the doctors’ office or specific practice website/webstore. The major difference is in the concentration of active ingredients in the product. Medical grade products contain a much higher percentage of active ingredient whether it is a moisturizing lotion, retinoid cream or sunscreen. Before being able to purchase these products, the patient is required to have a consultation to determine what is best for their skin and skin condition.
With these products, patients are monitored to ensure that the correct product is working for them and changes can be made based on their specific skincare needs. In a medical setting, these medical-grade products can be paired with noninvasive procedures such as chemical peels, lasers and photofacial therapy to obtain the best skin health under the direction of the physician or the physician’s delegated providers.
What exactly is contained in medical-grade products? The ingredients in each product have been proven to be effective in published, peer-reviewed dermatology or plastic surgery research to improve the condition and appearance of the skin. Medical grade products also contain the bioavailable forms of these active ingredients, not distant “cousins” to the primary ingredient.
The concentration in these products are high enough to make a difference as opposed to many over-the-counter (OTC) products which may contain the active ingredient, but it does not contain enough to truly make a difference in skin health. Many OTC products contain just enough active ingredient so that it can be listed on the ingredient list.
What is not in medical-grade products? This is extremely important to understand since many people are sensitive to or allergic to many of the ingredients in non-medical grade products. True medical-grade products do not contain fragrances or perfumes. They do not contain “natural” ingredients which are known to cause contact or allergic dermatitis (for example, some botanicals). True medical-grade products do not contain harsh solvents and detergents which strip the skin’s barrier.
These harsher ingredients are reserved for chemical peels which are overseen by the medical provider. Some OTC moisturizers actually contain harsh solvents to create a so-called addiction so that the patient needs to keep using them! Medical grade products also do not contain parabens and other harsh preservatives which is often the culprit in causing skin reactions for people with sensitive skin. These are often found in many OTC sunscreens.
Southlake Plastic Surgery offers safe, medical-grade products along with other well-researched OTC skincare products so that patients can obtain optimal skin health. After all, your skin is the largest organ of your body and is crucial to protect against infection and disease. Don’t you want to use the best products for your skin?
To learn more about Southlake Plastic Surgery’s medical-grade skin health products, visit ShopSouthlakeSkin.com or contact the office for a complimentary facial analysis and consultation by text/phone to 817.442.8900 or email info@southlakeplasticsurgery.com.
