Here’s a hot take: when it comes to skincare products, not everything is made equal. More often than not, the ingredients, packaging and price tag are a giveaway of the quality you’re paying for. This could be why clinical skincare has been all the rave lately, and it’s all for a good reason.
Clinical skincare delivers the purest ingredients to your skin so they work better and faster. While the minimalist design and higher price tag may discourage some, the quality of clinical skincare quality more than makes up for it. But what sets professional skincare apart from your typical mainstream products? Scroll on as we find out more.
Clinical Skincare: What’s It All About?
Clinical skincare products, also called cosmeceutical or medical-grade skincare, are specifically formulated for skin concerns. This could be acne, hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, fine lines, and scarring. These skincare products feature ingredients backed by years of clinical studies, ensuring they live up to their promise. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also regulates them, so their ingredients are generally safe for everyone.
However, it’s worth mentioning that they cost higher than your typical skincare favourites. Still, medical-grade skincare products are a worthy investment since they offer better results that bring you closer to your skin goals. Just think of these as luxury handbags – they are highly exclusive because they are more valuable in the long run.
Clinical vs Mainstream: What’s the Difference?
True enough, they both fall into the same category: skincare products. But under that umbrella term is an array of distinctions, and it’s more than just where you can find or purchase them. You can only access clinical skincare products from doctors or with a prescription. As the name suggests, mainstream is available over the counter or in any beauty or lifestyle shop.
Here are the key differences to take note of when it comes to clinical and regular skincare:
Clinical research studies
Professional-grade skincare products undergo tedious research and testing before they can be sold or prescribed. This ensures that the products are carefully formulated and have sufficient potency to effectively treat skin issues. Mainstream skincare products, on the other hand, do not require clinical evaluations or research to back up their claims. You may see some products that claim to have vitamin C or retinol in their formula. But they are often paired with synthetic additives or fragrances, which can irritate sensitive skin.
Potency and efficacy
Clinical skincare products contain the purest form of ingredients, so they have a higher concentration compared to mainstream skincare. And before you deject it and think of it as harsher for your skin, it’s not. The thorough research to formulate the products ensures that they have sufficient potency to make a difference in your skin. Moreover, they’re developed using cutting-edge technology and can be customised to your skin concerns. Typically, regular skincare products use poorer-quality raw materials, which could compromise their efficacy. This is also why mainstream products are less expensive than medical-grade ones.
Delivery to deep skin layers
If you buy mainstream skincare products, understand that they’re only designed to sit on the surface of your skin. Their formulation only allows them to work on your epidermis, aka the outermost layer of your skin. They can barely penetrate the deeper layers of your skin, where the magic actually happens – which clinical skincare products could. Clinical skincare products can target your dermis, where most of your collagen-producing cells live. As such, you can rest assured that they will actually work for your skin instead of sitting on the surface.
For a range of top-grade clinical products, take a look at all of our favourites here.
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