Should I use Professional Skincare Products ?
by Lisa Young – Salon Director
Is there really a difference between mass market cosmetic skincare products and professional skincare products ?
Well, the answer is yes.
Although we cannot say that this applies to every company, generally mass market brands are more sensitive to pricing and will therefore use cheaper or fewer active ingredients. For example, a mass market brand will opt for a very low concentration of an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). This is to avoid potential issues with irritation and sensitivity in the general population.
Professional skincare products like Dermalogica, are sold with the added benefit of access to a thorough skin analysis and education from a professional skin care therapist. Therefore, these professionally prescribed products will have a higher (and much more effective) level of active ingredients. This in turn will deliver superior results compared to those with less active ingredients. Furthermore, some ingredients can be very expensive and inevitably will bring up the total cost of the product.
A good example of this is peptides. With mass market brands these will either have no or very low concentrations of synthetic peptides compared with professional lines. Professional brands carry out expensive research and development. They can therefore devote a greater amount of the formulation to these target driven ingredients.
The Dermalogica Way
Today’s consumers are skin care savvy and results-oriented. Through the media, they are increasingly aware of the active ingredients designed for treating various skin conditions. Just check out your latest copy of Vogue, Cosmopolitan or New Woman. You will see not only advice on the latest fashions and trends, but updates on new must have skincare ingredients innovations and health issues.
This means that today’s consumers know more about the science behind the latest ingredients such as amino peptides, retinoids and anti-oxidants. Consumers as a result have more knowledge and are not willing to be duped by marketing hype. They are willing to spend extra on the range of professional skincare products that can deliver results for their specific skin concerns. These consumers know that the ingredients within the professional skincare products are proven to deliver results. They are better educated on how they work in conjunction with skin science and that they can make a difference deeper in the skin in how the skin cells develop and present themselves.
As a result of today’s consumer knowledge, the professional skincare products that make a visible and tangible difference on the skin are in high demand. Mass market brands tend to be more ‘beauty-oriented’ and rely heavily on marketing. Skincare brands such as Dermalogica have the unquestionable benefit of being primarily an education company. They have a devoted research and development team that examines the scientific data closely to provide safe and effective products that present real results.
Dermalogica do not use:
- Cheap fillers.
- Comedogenic ingredients such as mineral oil and lanolin.
- Artificial fragrances and colours.
So what is in Dermalogica Professional Skincare Products that you don’t find in the super market or beauty aisle ?
1. The light scent
The wonderful fresh clean smell in Dermalogica products emanates from pure essential oils, which also come with their own set of beneficial effects. There are no parabens and no artificial fragrances or colours that may irritate your skin.
2. Complex formulations
Complex formulations such as stabilized vitamins, silicones, peptides and anti-oxidants are often difficult to work with and can take many years to develop fully into a stable and working formula. This kind of process is not cost effective for mass markets and therefore not part of the typical mass market product development.
At Dermalogica, education for the professional Dermalogica skin therapist is considered the best in the world. This means that these therapists have a more in-depth knowledge of the skin and extensive knowledge of the ingredients, as opposed to a mass market brand. Dermalogica prides themselves on the multi-functional ingredients found in their products prescribed for specific skin concerns and the education that they provide the Dermalogica Professional Skincare Therapist. This means that that whenever you have a professional Skincare treatment such as a Skinbar, Prescriptive Facial, Microzone, BioSurface Peel or even when you purchase on of Dermalogica’s professional skincare products, you will always receive the best experience for your specific skin concern.
At Studio 8 we are proud to be a Dermalogica Professional skincare salon and stockists of their professional skincare products. You can therefor be assured that you will receive the best skincare journey with real products, real treatments and real results. So why not pop in for your complimentary Face Mapping skin analysis service and find out what are the best professional skincare products for your own skin.
Thought for the Day
” True beauty is great healthy skin – do you dare to bare ? “
Anon