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.