What Can Pharmaceutical Grade Skin Care Do for You?

Ever found yourself at a loss for what to purchase in a drug store aisle? Or spent a lot of money on products that don’t end up working? Most of us have been there! 

The good news is that we can help! Because we’re a dermatology practice, we can offer medical and pharmaceutical grade products. But what is the difference, really? Is it all just a gimmick with products being more or less the same? Or do pharmaceutical grade skin products actually make a difference? Let’s learn more about what this means? 

What are medical grade and pharmaceutical grade products?

Medical and pharmaceutical grade are terms often used interchangeably, and are applied to products that are available through healthcare provider, and have a higher amount of active ingredients. 

Pharmaceutical grade products have met additional purity and quality standards set by the FDA. Meaning, the ingredients used in formulations with this label have been highly regulated and are required to pass certain markers, guaranteeing a more effective and quality end product.

You’ll often see these products both recommended and sold by medical offices, like our line of pharmaceutical grade skin care products here at Apex Dermatology.

What are some of the differences between medical and pharmaceutical grade VS over the counter products?

The differences are about standards and ingredient quality. When it comes to whether a product is medical or pharmaceutical grade or whether you can find it over the counter comes down to the ingredients used and the standard of quality those ingredients have.

Over the counter products have fewer active ingredients to treat skin care ailments, while pharmaceutical grade products have been indexed by the FDA as containing a certain level of chemical purity. Though the FDA does still regulate over the counter skin care products, it’s the categorizations that tell you the quality and purity of the ingredients used.

With over the counter products, you may have certain claims on the label, even some claiming purity, but without the “medical” or “pharmaceutical grade” labels necessary to confirm those claims, you can’t be too sure. This doesn’t necessarily mean over the counter products are bad or harmful. It just means they’re unregulated when compared to the quality of pharmaceutical grade skin products.

Essentially, the quality and efficacy of medical and pharmaceutical grade products is higher.

How do I know which products are right for me?

Just because a product is labeled as pharmaceutical grade doesn’t mean it’s right for your skin type. Everyone’s skin is different and therefore requires a unique set of ingredients to meet the various needs of the skin. 

That’s why a dermatologist visit is so helpful. Our aesthetics team is full of experts who are highly qualified to customize a regimen for each patient. They can clarify your skin type, your specific challenge, and which ingredients will be most helpful to solve your skincare woes.

But we’ve also made it easy to shop! You can search by condition, or simply choose on our kits for a full regimen to meet your needs. 

What do the different kits address?

We know that for certain skin conditions, there are groupings of ingredients—and therefore products— that work really well together. To make the process easier, we’ve bundled them together! 

Here are the kits we offer and what each can do for your skin concern.

Glow Kit

The Glow Kit is named for the effect it gives. If you’re looking for a plump in hydration during these cold and dry winter months, this kit is certainly for you! The products are designed to not only work together, but even skin tone, smooth texture, and keep your skin glowing throughout the day.

The Glow Kit has three products: 

1. Vitamin C+Serum
2. Lactic Acid Resurfacing Serum 
3. Daily Hydration Boost 

Essentials Kit

Whether you’re just starting your skincare journey or need to reset and refresh, the Essentials Kit will regulate your skin and send it on the right path.

There are 5 products in this kit:

1. Perfect Moisturizer 
2. Papaya Enzyme Gentle Cleanser
3. Vitamin C+Serum
4. Mineral Mattifying Tinted Sunscreen SPF 50
5. Retinol + Bakuchiol Serum 5x

With these products, you’ll find your skin regulating, becoming smoother due to the retinol, a brighter complexion thanks to the vitamin C, as well as being protected from the elements with a powerful sunscreen.

Anti-Aging Kit

When slowing the process of aging, there are key ingredients—and the quality of them—that make all the difference. In the Anti-Aging Kit, we’ve hand selected four products that when used regularly will lead to smoother and more voluminous skin.

Here’s what you’ll get in the Anti-Aging Kit:

1. Antioxidant Serum
2. Eye Rehab
3. Perfect Moisturizer
4. Papaya Enzyme Gentle Cleanser

Each of these products are packed with ingredients like vitamin E, retinol in the eye cream, green tea polyphenols, and even caffeine to brighten and reduce dark circles.

Post Procedure Kit

When having a skin procedure, like Botox, microneedling, or even laser treatments, it’s necessary to have a specific follow-up regime to maximize the results of the procedure. The balance between gentle and powerful healing ingredients are sure to be found in the Post Procedure Kit.

Here are the products to help with healing:

1. Papaya Enzyme Gentle Cleanser
2. Phyto Multi-Correction Serum
3. Lipid Replenishing Soft Cream
4. Mineral Mattifying Tinted Sunscreen SPF 50

Make the most out of your procedures by utilizing these products.

Acne Kit

Acne can be a pain. Literally and emotionally. We know that acne can be fought with certain products and we’ve put all we can into our Acne Kit in order to help you reduce acne while continuing to heal the skin beneath.

You’ll find these products in this kit:

1. Acne AM Pads
2. Acne Foaming Cleanser
3. Zit Zapper Gel

When used in combination with our gentle moisturizer, you’ll soon find your acne unable to survive!

Skin care can be confusing. Good products with quality, pharmaceutical grade ingredients make all the difference. Check out our medical grade products and save more than just your skin this black friday!