Medical-Grade vs. Over-The-Counter Skincare Products

Medical-Grade vs. Over-the-Counter Skin Care Products

People spend a lot of money trying to look their best. It’s understandable that they would do this because the way they look affects the way that other people treat them. There are certain aspects of our appearance, such as our height, that we can do very little to change. Then there are other aspects of our appearance that we can change with surgery and invasive procedures.

However, it is interesting to note how drastic of a change a person can make in their appearance by knowing how to use skin care products. Not all skin care products are created equal. The quality of the results you get will be based in part on the quality of the product you use!

Over-the-counter skin care products have been designed to work on the majority of the population. For this reason, the concentration of their active ingredient is relatively low. They do this so as not to negatively affect the skin of the general population.

Medical-grade skin care products are made to be a lot more potent. They can only be purchased by a physician, medical aesthetician or a medical spa. They have been developed and researched to the point that they have a sufficient amount of the active ingredient to make changes in your skin. A higher amount of the active ingredient usually equates to better-looking skin.

In addition to having a higher content of the active ingredient, medical-grade skin care products have the purest form of that ingredient. They are made using the latest technology and can be adapted to your particular skin issues. Over-the-counter products are usually less expensive than medical-grade skin care products. This is because lower quality, raw products are used, which in turn sacrifices how effective the skin care product really is.

How Do They Work?

Over-the-counter products are designed to sit on the surface of the skin. Medical-grade skin care products have been designed to penetrate the epidermis and affect deeper layers of the skin. The difference between an over-the-counter skin care product and a medical-grade skin care product is the same as the difference that exists between a teeth whitening procedure that is sold at the local pharmacy and a teeth whitening procedure that is performed by your dentist. Since your dentist has access to stronger products, the results are going to be better. So all this being said, if you are going to invest in treatments such as MORPHEUS 8, PRP, MICRO-NEEDLING, IPL, yes you will get your desired results but think of how much more you can get of your results if you are using a medical-grade skin care line! Think of your skin as your canvas. What we put onto our skin is going to project a better picture (canvas) and the treatments will just enhance the picture as colour enhances a canvas. 

Now, if a skincare professional was going to invest in these technologies – and trust me, investment is an understatement – they will ultimately want to ensure that their clients are using medical-grade skincare products for home care to enhance clinic results. We have established that medical grade means they are available from clinics and establishments that operate under the medical direction and licence of a physician, nurse, medical aesthetician. This is not to be confused with a brand that claims to have been developed by a physician or endorsed by physicians – that alone does not in any way make a product medical grade.

Switching to Medical-Grade Skin Care

A secondary, yet critical component, which differentiates medical grade from OTC products, is the ingredients. This includes the purity, concentration, selective blend of actives as well as elements like pH. When you’re roaming through a pharmacy or department store scavenging through the countless products, just know that these products are designed to keep even the most sensitive skin types safe. They are designed for the masses. They contain lower concentrations and buffers to prevent potentially irritating conditions on the skin. Due to the fact that most of the time you’re fending for yourself out there, with your self-diagnoses, having medical-grade products with concentrated ingredients may, in fact, not be suitable for your skin and can potentially cause irritation if not used properly. Medical-grade ingredients usually have a punch. They are potent, pure and efficacious with the highest concentrations of active ingredients. This is done with a purpose – to treat very specific skin conditions or concerns, under strict professional direction.

Let’s take a closer look at these two types of products. In one hand you’re holding a medical-grade serum which you picked up from your dermatologist and in your other hand, you have a serum you picked up at a drugstore or department store. Right off the bat, you can expect that the OTC product will most likely feel good upon application and bring hydration to the skin but when it comes down to performance, it doesn’t stand a chance. Your product from the medical clinic will include active ingredients like pure actives, acids, humectants, peptides and enzymes to name a few.

Many active ingredients have structural benefits, or work strictly on or inside the skin, with the ability to penetrate deeply offering a multi-layer approach to treatment. They also include advanced technologies like encapsulation which maintains the integrity and purity of actives as they penetrate into skin. Medical-grade products are strong enough to correct problems embedded deeper in the skin as well as overall prevention.

When you consider cost, you may feel like medical-grade products can add up. However, the brilliance behind medical-grade is that you usually require less product to achieve your desired results. When considering the times you have tried to get rid of the imperfections in your skin, and how much each OTC “solution” cost, I can guarantee that the overall cost would be much greater than purchasing the medical-grade serum from the get-go. PLUS you get your own skincare coach here at the Toronto Clinic who will dive much deeper into understanding your skin. So, in the long run, medical-grade products are also easier on your wallet.

In summary, I will leave you with specifics to consider when shopping for your skin…

Medical-grade products will always offer stronger, active ingredients strategically formulated for your skin under the guidance of a professional who knows YOUR skin best.

Medical-grade products focus on correction and prevention. They are physician dispensed and backed by science. No angel dusting or buffers …

In the long run, medical-grade can be more a cost effective option for skincare.

And remember, physician endorsed is not the same thing as medical grade. 

Come into the Toronto Clinic and we can help you make the best possible decisions on purchasing the correct products for your needs! 

Signed,

Tracy O.