The Difference Between Pharmaceutical vs. Cosmetic Products
If you’re someone who treats their skincare regimen seriously, you know how much effort it takes you to find the right products that work perfectly on your skin type and condition. Whether you’ve been hanging on to certain products for a while now or you have yet to settle into a concrete skincare routine, every cosmetic product you see is manufactured differently.
Take a look at the ingredients in your favorite skin care products. Are they pharmaceutical grade, cosmetic grade or cosmeceutical grade? And does it really matter? In this post, Kim Gallo, a specialist in skin care, explains the difference in the quality of skin care ingredients and why you should care.
Cleansers, serums, creams, and other products vary in brand, ingredients, price range, and effectiveness. If you’re unfamiliar with skin care products, there’s one thing you need to know: the fact that one is more expensive is not enough to say it’s going to work for you. There is a wide array of pharmaceutical-grade products and cosmetic-grade products to include in your regimen, but it will take some trial and error to discover what suits your skin.
Keep reading below to take a closer look at the various products available in the market to help you have an easier time deciding what to buy without solely considering their price and brand.
What Are Pharmaceutical-Grade Products?
Pharmaceutical-grade products are regulated as drugs by the FDA. Since they’re sold as medicine, each of the ingredients they contain must be 99.9% pure, unmixed, be scientifically proven to do what is claimed, and legally compliant to what manufacturing companies state in the labels of every product they release. Pharmaceutical grade skin care products are sold only through licensed medical clinics or directly from the manufacturer.
The elements pharmaceutical products contain can either be active or inactive. Before they are introduced to the market, they should first be approved and certified by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to check if the medicines meet their chemical purity standard for safe consumption.
Read more: The 5 Best GlyMed Plus Skincare Products: Kim Gallo's Top Picks
What Are Cosmetic-Grade Products?
Cosmetic-grade products can easily be seen in local drugstores and department stores and do not hold the same standard as pharmaceutical products, or really much standards at all. According to the FDA, they regulate all kinds of cosmetics as foods and define skin care products as cosmetics.
Since you can expect to purchase food of varying quality, the skincare products you wish to buy also come in different levels of quality. Cosmetic-grade products, for one, can contain impure ingredients that can involve filler elements, making them not as effective as you think.
The products we offer for sale at Kim Gallo Esthetics of Naples, FL are all pharmaceutical grade. This means that they must be pure, potent, and effective. We have personally selected each of these products based on quality, effectiveness and safety.
What Are Cosmeceutical-Grade Products?
In recent times, there is a new grade of products called cosmeceutical-grade products. They are a hybrid of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, offering products with the quality and effectiveness of the two combined.
Unfortunately, cosmeceutical products are not officially accepted by the FDA and instead, are treated as cosmetics. However, within the skin care industry, cosmeceuticals are better than regular cosmetic products, though there is vast variability in the quality found within this product group.
How Effective Are Your Skincare Products?
For you to determine how well your skin care products are working, knowing their quality will depend on the companies manufacturing them. It’s in their hands if they prefer using the top ingredients or settling for standard quality ones to produce affordable products instead.
When they sell products with lower quality ingredients and offer them at a cost-efficient price, it benefits you as a cost effective option. However, it ends up compromising the results you can expect to receive as far as your skin is concerned.
Meanwhile, some skin care companies that produce pharmaceutical-grade products use the same quality of ingredients that are used in medicines. While they come out more expensive, since they’re using raw materials, they have greater chances of changing your skin for the better.
Conclusion
If you wish to achieve the outcome you want that will impact your skin and well-being, it will help to rely on skin care manufacturers that produce pharmaceutical-grade products. Their products can guarantee to change your situation, no matter what type of skin concern you’re facing. If your skincare routine mainly involves cosmetic-grade products, it isn’t too late to rethink your choices. You can even seek a skin consultation from a professional like Kim Gallo for more in-depth guidance.
Are you looking for the best pharmaceutical-grade skin care products to improve your skincare routine? Kim Gallo Esthetics strives to provide high-quality products and personalized treatments, including facials, waxing, and consultations. Get in touch with us today to book an appointment!