Monday, January 20, 2014

Pharmaceutical-Grade Skincare Vs. Over the Counter

skinmedica products On average women spend over $426 billion per year in the U.S. on beauty products, therefore don't you want to be getting your money's worth out of those products? Women and men are inundated with skincare products at the drugstore, mall, online, and doctor's office or spa. So it can be confusing to understand what to buy and where to spend your money. So as a medical spa manager (Winter Park Laser) I often explain to clients why they need to be using pharmaceutical grade skincare and why that $150 cream they bought at the mall isn't working, so I want to do the same for everyone. Why over the counter products (even expensive ones) don't work as well as pharmaceutical grade skincare products. #1 Level of Penetration: OTC (over the counter) products can not penetrate & end up hydrating your sheets as they cannot penetrate the outer most layer of the skin. Pharmacuetical grade skincare including cosmecutical lines contain active ingredients that can break down that rough texture beforebeing completely absorbed. #2 Amount of Active Ingredients: Cosmecutical products have a much higher percentage of active ingredients compared to OTC because they are FDA approved to have more & are not watered down with preservatives. Active ingredients are those that actually DO something to change your skin such as lighten brown spots or tighten skin. #3 Price does not allocate effectiveness: There a lot of people that thing if it's expensive it works & this isn't always true. There are many "mall lines" that carry creams that are $200 or more and are much less effective than $65 pharmaceutical grade products. The conclusion is that some Over The Counter product might work but you will see minimal results in comparison to stronger Pharmaceutical grade products. Bottom Line: * If you can purchase a product anywhere other than from a Physician or Esthetic Practice, then it’s not a Pharmaceutical grade product. *Cosmeceuticals have the ability to actually change the appearance of your skin by lightening pigment, tightening skin and reducing wrinkles. *Cosmeceuticals have a higher concentration of Active ingredients which makes them stronger. *Cosmeceuticals are often more affordable (since they don’t have large marketing budgets). Winter Park Laser's Favorite Cosmeceutical Brands: Skinmedica & Glytone, but there are many great ones available! For more information on Pharmaceutical grade products vs. over the counter go to http://www.winterparklaser.com

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