What makes a skin product medical grade?

This question comes up a lot lately, and I think it’s important to understand the main differences between skin care products that you can by over-the-counter (OTC) compared to those that you can only purchase from a doctor’s office.

The key is looking at the ingredients. What are the main ingredients or active medicines in the product? More importantly, HOW MUCH of the ingredients are in the product? Due to FDA regulations, once the amount of certain ingredients in a product become high enough, they need to be sold by a physician to ensure safety and compliance of that product.

For example, hydroquinone is an ingredient in skin lightener creams.  You can purchase creams with hydroquinone OTC at a maximum percentage of 2%.  In my office, you can get hydroquinone with concentrations of up to 8-10%.

Higher concentration means more aggressive treatment. This can be very beneficial for those who are looking for a more significant result.

Also, don’t forget that purchasing a medical-grade skin care product from a physician also comes with expert guidance.  We can help you with everything from which products are best, what is the best way to use them, what combinations of products work the best, and what result you can expect to see. 

And often in the end, the cost difference can be minimal to non-existent. Remember that most medical grade skin care products do not have a large budget for marketing and advertising that you see with many big OTC products. That cost savings helps keep prices lower for medical-grade products.

With more active ingredients, expert guidance from our office, and similar pricing to OTC products, you are truly getting more for your money when using medical-grade skin care products at home. Consider these products as the “insurance on your investment” of keeping your face young and healthy.

Here’s to the beautiful human face,

-Dr. Yamamoto