17 Jul Online Shopping Now Live!
Now you can shop for all of your favorite skin care products at RefinedMD online. We only offer the best, most effective, dermatologist-approved product lines including Alastin, Revision Skincare, Obagi, Epionce, DefenAge, EltaMD, and Sente. At our online shop you’ll find dedicated discounts, and remember that you can always sign up for the RefinedMD email newsletter to have product announcements and specials delivered to your inbox once per month.
But are medical-grade skin care products—the ones only available from your dermatologist—really better? What’s the difference between those products and what you find at the grocery store or even at those upscale department counters? A lot! Let’s break down the differences and why treating your skin right requires medical-grade products.
What Skin Care Products You Use Matters
Medical-grade skin care products, or “cosmeceuticals,” have active ingredients clinically proven to care for your skin and change it for the better. They are often a hybrid of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, which means they can offer both medicinal and aesthetic benefits (like popular tinted medical-grade sunscreen lotions that will have you foregoing your foundation for good). Only medical-grade products can actually penetrate beneath the very top layers of the skin (the stratum corneum). When you shop over the counter, these products can’t impact the skin in any biological way since they can’t actually penetrate the skin’s surface. That’s why they’re “cosmetic” and not medical-grade—they can only affect the surface.
The active ingredients in medical-grade products are also different. A lot of the time, these ingredients are only available with a prescription and/or directly from your dermatologist. For example, peptides, retinol, and antioxidants at powerful levels aren’t available over the counter. When you do see these kinds of ingredients in products at the grocery store, it’s most likely only in trace amounts. Remember, over the counter products can’t change the skin’s structure so their ingredients are mild at best.
Science Backs Up Medical Grade Skin Care
An exact formula for a medical-grade skin care product has been tested and proven effective. Over the counter formulas opt for inexpensive tests so they can mass produce a product at the lowest cost possible. Medical-grade skin care products have higher standards for the ingredients used, testing measures, and ultimately results. What does this mean for you? You’re actually getting a better value when you choose medical-grade products. When a high-quality, medical-grade ingredient can actually penetrate the skin, it’s more efficient than what you’ll find on store shelves. Better results and the ability to use much less of the product (it’s that powerful) is a win for you.
Plus, medical-grade products come with actual medical oversight. Your provider will work with you to design a skin care regimen just for you and your one of a kind needs. Experts at dermatology offices are highly familiar with every product they carry and your skin type. You’ll get the right product(s) without having to go through trial and error—and needless expenses. You get an education along with your skin care product and you’ll know why it’s the best approach for you.
Get Your Skin Care Taken Care of Today
Medical-grade skin care products are definitely the best for you and your skin, but what if you don’t have time to see your dermatologist for your at-home regimen recommendation? That’s exactly why we’ve designed an e-commerce option. If you already know which medical-grade products you love, you can get them shipped directly to your home when you shop RefinedMD online. Want to change up your regimen or start a new one? We can work with you—from a distance or at an in-person appointment—to update or create a personalized skin care routine just for you.
Our skin and the environment we’re exposed to are constantly changing, and your skin care routine has to adapt with it. What worked last year or even a couple of months ago might not longer be the best fit (seasonal changes make a big difference). Start your summer off right with a medical-grade skin care regimen that will lead to gorgeous results. Check out all of the products available at RefinedMD today and get on the fast path to healthy, beautiful, youthful skin just in time for summer.