The beauty industry is huge. Recently it was estimated at $532 billion and many signs point to it growing to over $716 billion by 2025. That means there are tens of thousands of anti-aging products on the market and multiple ways to access them, often with the click of a mouse.
But just because something says it will make you look younger, doesn’t mean it will actually deliver. The American Academy of Dermatology estimates that Americans waste billions of dollars each year on anti-aging products. Here are the top 4 reasons to do your anti-aging shopping at the dermatologist’s office and not on your desktop.
Your dermatologist’s products are proven. In our age of the internet, the proverbial “snake oil salesman” can be found anywhere. Add social media and savvy marketing to the mix, and any product can be made to look trendy and exciting. But if it doesn’t actually work, you are throwing your money away.
Medical grade skin care products like those sold at your dermatologist’s office are regulated by the FDA, meaning they have been scientifically proven to do what they claim to. For example, the alpha hydroxy acids, retinols, and peptides carried by your dermatologist have all been rigorously tested. Who is regulating the rest of the creams, lotions and serums out there? The short answer is: nobody.
Your dermatologist’s products are stronger. Sometimes the products you find online do have proven active ingredients, just not enough of them. Because medical-grade skin care products are administered by medical professionals, they can be sold in higher doses that penetrate deeper into skin layers, affecting the skin’s biological structure and producing more noticeable results. Just like with medications, it takes a therapeutic dose to get results.
Your dermatologist’s products are a better value. It’s true you may find something cheaper online, but if you compare how much of that product it would take to get the same results as your dermatologist’s medical grade counterpart, you’ll likely find your dermatologist offers the better value. And in many cases the benefits don’t stack, meaning you’ll never get comparable results, even if you use double, triple or quadruple the amount!
Your dermatologist’s products are safe. Because your skin care regimen is being overseen by a licensed medical professional, you can be assured that the skin care products recommended to you are appropriate to your skin type and medical history. For example, if you have sensitive skin, your dermatologist will recommend a product that won’t cause irritation or breakouts. Some products are not appropriate for pregnant women. Some should not be combined with other prescription or nonprescription medications (for example retinol and hydroxy acids both accelerate cell turnover and are too harsh on the skin when combined). Many over-the-counter creams and lotions leave emulsifiers and other by-products behind, drying out your skin and destroying its protective barrier, allowing harmful materials to be absorbed. When your anti-aging regimen is overseen by your dermatologist, you can feel confident that your health is the top priority.
Here at Arizona Dermatology we are proud to offer our patients medical-grade skin care products from the well-respected Skin Better, Colorescience, Jan Marini and Epionce skin care lines. Have a question about a certain product, product line or ingredient? Make an appointment with one of our cosmetic dermatology team and get real answers . . . from a professional rather than a search engine.
