In this article, we will be answering one question: what is the difference between cosmetic-grade and pharmaceutical-grade skincare products?
The main difference between the two is in the ingredients. Take a closer look at your product ingredients, are they cosmetic or pharmaceutical grade? Does it really matter?
The short answer is YES and here’s why:
Cosmetic-Grade Ingredients
Cosmetic-grade products are not held to the same standard as pharmaceutical-grade products.
Cosmetic-grade products may contain impure ingredients and/or filler ingredients. These offer a minimal effect.
Pharmaceutical-Grade Ingredients
Pharmaceutical-grade products are regulated as drugs. Their ingredients must be 99.9% pure and undiluted. They must conform to what they claim to do.
The majority of medical-grade companies use highly-stabilized ingredients that last longer and take longer to degrade. These pharmaceutical-grade products have strong clinical evidence to support their effectiveness.
Only 5% of the entire skincare industry can meet such high standards to be considered pharmaceutical-grade. iS Clinical is one of those skincare lines. All of their products are formulated with L-ascorbic acid, pharmaceutical-grade vitamin C.
Generally, brands that are sold in drugstores contain lower amounts of active ingredients, such as Retinol and vitamin C, in order to be irritation-free for a broad consumer base. Health Canada has legal restrictions on the amount of active ingredients in products sold at mass retailers. For example, 10% is the highest concentration of glycolic acid allowed in skincare products sold outside of dermatologists’ offices and clinics. With such potent products, an expert must prepare the patient for possible side effects, such as irritation and sun sensitivity. The decision to sell a skincare line through a clinic’s office can also simply be that the manufacturer may believe that the product is best served with a skin expert that can explain its proper use!
iS Clinical and ZO Skin Health products only contain the highest quality of pharmaceutical-grade ingredients. Not only that…the ingredients are derived from the best part of the plant, which contains the highest quality and concentration of that specific ingredient!
Giving you a bang for your buck!
Your local skin experts
