Medical grade/cosmeceutical are probably terms you have come across, especially on social media recently. And whilst they are branding terms, there is most definitely a distinct difference between them and over the counter/online skin products. And hopefully by the end of this article my aim is that you understand a little more about why they are so much better for your skin.
Medical-grade skin care products, also known as cosmeceuticals, contain active ingredients that have been clinically proven to have a positive effect on skin.
For me, using medical grade skin products is a non-negotiable. I have noticed a huge change in my skin since using AlumierMD and I see it every day with the clients in my clinic. When someone comes to me for a skin consultation one of the first things I say to them is that yes, clinic treatments are amazing and have fantastic outcomes, but what you do with your skin day in and day out is the foundation of healthy skin and 80% of the solution to the skin concerns you have.
Endorsing the benefits of medical grade skin care is a conversation I consistently have in the clinic and once I have explained it, it’s like a lightbulb has gone off in my clients head because it makes complete sense once we know. And when we know better we do better. Think about it… if you can go and buy a skincare product, whether it be over the counter or online, without anyone checking you have an allergy to the ingredients within that product, or if you are on any other medication, then legally, the product can only sit on the outer, dead skin cell layer of your skin, the stratum corneum. It can’t penetrate your skin. Because if it did, then you may have an allergic reaction to it. A good example I always use is people who suffer from breakouts. You may google the best ingredients to help with breakouts and very probably, salicylic acid will be suggested. Salicylic acid is great for people with breakouts. It is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) which clears out the bacteria in your pores thus helping to improve breakouts. However….. Salicylic acid is a derivative of aspirin. And LOTS of people are allergic to aspirin! To get around this, skincare companies will still include salicylic acid in the product, but the molecular size of the ingredient will be too large to penetrate into the pores and therefore will do very little to help improve the skin.
Quite often too, these large, well-known skin care companies will do what we call “angel dusting” of the essential ingredients needed to change the skin. All the buzz words we all know will be mentioned like retinol, peptides, hyaluronic acid etc., but these ingredients will be towards the end of the ingredient list indicating that they don’t contain very much of that particular ingredient. Also importantly, not all ingredients are created equally. Retinol has many versions; retinyl palmitate, retinal and pure retinol for example. Each one has to make a certain amount of chemical changes within the skin before it becomes effective. The ore chemical changes it has to make the less powerful it is. So just because a product claims to include retinol doesn’t mean it is going to be effective. With medical grade skin care, a lot of scientific research has been carried out to find out exactly which form of the active ingredient is most effective, the molecular weight that is going to allow it to penetrate the skin and reach the level of the skin needed to make the change and equally importantly, what strength of the active ingredient is going to be most beneficial. This scientific research is then backed up with independent clinical white papers to provide efficacy of both the product and the ingredients.
You won’t find medical grade/cosmeceutical skin care in the shops or online. They can only be prescribed to clients by trained skin professionals who are qualified to analyse the skin, advise on the ingredients needed for the skin and always only after a thorough consultation has been carried out including medical history and allergens.
If you think it is time to invest in your skin, to stop self-diagnosing what ingredients your skin needs, to stop guessing which products are going to help you achieve your skin goals, to stop filling your bathroom cabinets with endless products that haven’t made any real change to your skin, then I am always here to help.
