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

In our modern society, looking good is more important than it has ever been. In part, this is because society equates a person’s appearance with their competency. If a person is attractive, well put together and has a youthful appearance, people assume that they know what they are talking about and that they are trustworthy.

A lot of emphasis on appearance is seen in the business world. The difference between getting a lucrative contract or not sometimes depends solely on how they appear. For this reason, it is not surprising to see that every single year people across the United States are spending billions of dollars on cosmetics and skin care products designed to make them look better.

When a person takes the time to research the majority of the over-the-counter skin care products, they may be surprised to learn that these products are not as effective as they claim to be. While these products may have a limited effect on the external layers of a person’s skin, they do not have a sufficient amount of the active ingredient to penetrate underneath the epidermis and affect the deeper layers of the skin.

There are two reasons why over-the-counter skin care products are not designed to be stronger. The first reason is that they are designed to be used by the general population. So, if there is a skin care product that is designed to treat oily skin, it is made to be just strong enough to provide some relief from oily skin, but not so strong that it would negatively affect a person who had very sensitive skin.

The second reason is that over-the-counter skin care products allow the patient to self-diagnose their skin problem. So a person will say that their skin is oily, as opposed to having a medical professional look at their skin and say they have oily skin. If over-the-counter skin care products were stronger, patients would misdiagnose their skin conditions and risk hurting themselves.

On the other side of the coin, there are medical-grade skin care products. These products are designed to actually correct the skin care problems that people have. They have a higher concentration of their active ingredient and have the ability to penetrate the external layer of the skin and effectively treat deeper layers of the skin.

Since medical-grade skin care products can only be prescribed by a doctor or someone with a medical license, the prescription that is written is designed to specifically treat the issue that the patient has. With medical-grade skin care products, the patient does not self-diagnose, but instead is given medicine in response to a diagnosis by a medical professional.

Medical-grade skin care products are pharmaceuticals. This means that their purity and their safety is regulated by the FDA. Over-the-counter cosmetics do not all have the same FDA oversight. Before medical-grade skin care products can be released to the public, they must be tested to prove that they are able to treat the skin condition they are prescribed for and to prove that they do not pose any danger to the public.

Located in Sacramento, Kaniff Cosmetic Medical Center proudly offers a variety of medical-grade skin care products to ensure that our patients are getting the best out of their skin care regimen. During a consultation at our office, we can evaluate your skin and come up with a professional skin care plan that is right for you. Contact our office today to schedule your appointment.