Listen, its an age old saying, you get what you pay for, without over explaining and getting into the molecular makeup of products I want to dive into why Medical Grade skincare makes more sense financially, and will give you guaranteed results. 

First let’s address efficacy.  We are all familiar with ingredients like salicylic acid, retinol, hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C and glycolic acid.  These are all powerhouses when it comes to skin. When used properly these ingredients have the power to change your skin and prevent future aging.  Here is the kicker, even though those ingredients are amazing for the skin, they deliver the best results when formulated with other -lesser known- ingredients.  Here is one prime example, Hyaluronic acid helps our body retain moisture, it’s fantastic for anti-aging and can address so many skin care concerns, however the molecular size of HA is too large to be absorbed into the skin, so to be blunt purchasing products like Cera Ve’s Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum ($18.99) is equivalent to throwing money down the drain. Any hydrating benefits consumers may receive from this are only a result of the glycerin and dimethicone(silicone based) that are listed 3 and 4 on their ingredient list ( behind water). To compare, Skin Ceuticals HA Intensifier ($100) not only is formulated with other key ingredients like Proxylane and Licorice root that aid the skins absorption of the molecules, at the same time the HA intensifier triggers the body’s response to produce more Hyaluronic Acid.

Now lets get to the longevity of these products.  To keep things simple lets, stick with HA intensifier.  I can promise you results in 4 weeks; all good things take time. One bottle will last you 2-3 months.  So, let’s break that down, 90 days divided by $100 in product comes to less than a dollar a day. Combine that with a few other key products like Vitamin C and a prescription retin-a  and your future self will thank you. 

By Mei Tu