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Why MEDICAL GRADE Skincare?

by | Mar 21, 2024 | accent aesthetics, skincare colorado

medical grade skincare, cosmeceutical skincare

A solid skincare routine is a must in the quest for healthy, youthful skin. But when it comes to sifting through the myriad of different skincare products available today, there’s everything from your run-of-the-mill over-the-counter drugstore products to medical grade skincare, which stand in a league all of their own.

Medical grade skincare brands are growing year by year. As more attention is placed on this category of supercharged skincare replete with quality active ingredients, the conversation surrounding them widens. If you’re interested in dipping your toe into the medical grade skincare pool and what to know what makes them superior to other grades of skincare, consider this your ultimate guide to the best medical grade skincare options and everything you need to know.

Understanding Medical Grade Skincare

Medical grade skincare stands apart from other skincare products. Sometimes classified as cosmeceutical skincare, this more concentrated and scientifically backed skincare is designed to address a specific skincare need or issue, including pigmentation, wrinkles, acne, or laxity. Medical grade skincare contains far more advanced delivery systems and a much higher concentration of active ingredients, like peptides, antioxidants, and retinol, compared to over-the-counter skincare, making for more dramatic and visible effects and results in a faster period while improving both the aesthetic and medical benefits of the skin.

When selecting the best medical-grade skincare products for your skin, it’s important to pick dermatologist-approved and endorsed ones. Skincare products that boast a dermatologist’s seal of approval are of higher quality, have been put through a far more rigorous testing process, and often are accompanied by clinical data, too. Plus, medical grade skincare products that dermatologists recommend and sell meet their high expectations and criteria for what makes a skincare product excellent.

Although medical grade skincare may be superior to what’s available on drugstore shelves, their accessibility is far more limited. Most medical-grade skincare products are only available through a dermatologist, medi-spa, or licensed retail website, so always make sure you are buying your products through an authorized retailer.

Key Features of Medical-Grade Skincare

medical grade skincare, cosmeceutical skincare

Several features allow for medical grade skincare to stand on its own. For starters, medical grade skincare companies can source highly stabilized active ingredients that won’t break down or degrade as fast as other skincare ingredients. They are also formulated using advanced technologies to penetrate deeper and faster into the skin for better results without causing irritations or sensitivities.

Medical-grade skincare products may be more expensive than their less concentrated counterparts. However, that’s simply because the active ingredients, such as peptides, antioxidants, exfoliating acids, and retinol, are of a higher quality with clinical evidence. Most

dermatologists also find medical-grade skincare more effective than over-the-counter products. Some medical grade skincare products are even recommended to be used alongside in-office treatments and procedures to amplify and maintain the results.

Expert Tips for Optimal Results

Medical-grade skincare comes with more concentrated ingredients, so following your dermatologist’s instructions and never abusing these skincare products is essential. Since some of the best medical grade skincare products employ exfoliating acids, which help with skin texture, unwanted pigmentation, and even acne, it’s crucial to slowly introduce these products into your current skincare routine and use them every few days until you can work your way up to daily use to limit breakouts, skin purging, redness, dryness, and sensitivities.

Should any adverse skin effects occur, it’s best to reevaluate your skincare routine and see if any other products may be causing a negative interaction. If not, consult with your dermatologist and their team of professionals. 

While most skin types can benefit from medical grade skincare, some may find the more potent concentration of active ingredients too much for their skin, causing intolerance. To make sure a medical grade skincare product is a good fit for your skin, always consult your dermatologist or their aestheticians first.

It’s important always to follow the directions when using medical grade skincare brands and not overdo it. Consistency and patience with a medical-grade skincare routine are key to making the most of the products. But that also means not overdoing it or using more than the recommended dose.

The Medical Grade Skincare Lines We Use and WHY

by | Jul 29, 2021 | Uncategorized

We carefully select each skincare line we carry. Each one has it’s own unique ingredients and mechanism of action. In this post we will breakdown each of one of our medical grade skincare lines, why we carry them and what skin conditions they are best for.

Restorse Pro

We love the  story behind  this skincare line. The founder was in Norway at a salmon fish hatchery (long story), and discovered that the salmon egg has a unique enzyme in it that dissolves cells to allow the baby salmon to squirm its way out of the egg when ready. She put this ingredient into all of her products. It’s called Aquabeautine XL, and it gives similar results as retinol but without any drying or irritating side effects. It’s also extremely anti-inflammatory so we carry it for those clients that are highly sensitive or have skin conditions such as rosacea, peri oral dermatitis, etc. and cannot tolerate a retinol. Aquabeautine XL dissolves only the DEAD skin cells at the surface of the skin so the client still gets the cellular turnover that is needed for beatiful, healthy skin.

This skincare line is fascinating and unique along with being highly effective. Go to their website to learn more or chat with us at your next visit.

https://www.restorseapro.com/what-is-restorsea

Meg 21

During intensive medical research at a world-renowned medical center in Philadelphia, a treatment to reduce the signs of aging was discovered when the scientists uncovered an enzyme called F3K, which furthers the production of toxic sugars in the skin. That process causes serious inflammation and glycation, two distinct events that contribute to skin aging. But glycation and inflammationare not limited to disease — they happen in everyone’s body and skin and are exacerbated by toxic sugars from our diets and normal metabolism. Meg 21’s scientists discovered a compound called Supplemine that intervenes in the production and availability of toxic sugars – a leading cause of inflammation, skin aging and wrinkling – in skin. Supplamine prevents skin damage in two distinct ways: by preventing the development of toxic sugars and neutralizing the toxic sugars in our systems.

All of the products in this line are ultra hydrating, soothing, brightening and contain the anti-glycation ingredient Supplemine. We carry this line not only for it’s amazing anti-aging abilities but it is the most deeply hydrating product line we could find for our dry, severely harsh environment in Colorado.

https://meg21.com/the-science/

Revision

If you are a client here or at Accent Dermatology, you are most likely using 1 or 10 of these products. To say we are a little obsessed with this line and their Chief Scientific Officer, Tatiana Kononov, would be an understatement. They are truly leaders in this industry and the first to develope so many groundbreaking technologies and innovations.

They were the first to widely incorporate peptides. The first to utilize THD ascorbate, the most superior form of Vitamin C, in a 30% concentration. The first to create an at home neck cream. The first to use Bakuchiol to increase retinol’s efficacy. The list goes on and on.

Anywhoo…don’t get me started! The proof is in the RESULTS with this one and if you’ve used it, you know how good it is!

https://revisionskincare.com/pages/before-and-after

 

As always, if you have any questions or would like to get started on a medical-grade at-home skincare regimen, please book a consultation, we LOVE to talk about this stuff!

720-420-4090 or book online!

 

 

Collagen Peptides

by | Aug 11, 2020 | Uncategorized

What are the benefits of collagen peptides?

We get this question ALL the time. We as advanced, medical aestheticians deal with the production of collagen on a daily basis. So it only makes sense that clients ask us about ingesting the popular supplement for more youthful skin.

I always tell my clients the truth, and sometimes that means I have to tell them “I don’t know” or in this case “here’s the research that is out there and here’s my opinion.”

So let’s start with the research. If you look at most of the studies out there on ingesting collagen peptides you will find that, simply put, they break down to amino acids in the stomach. The collagen that we want to build up our dermis is type I and III. While most of these supplements ARE hydrolyzed collagen (meaning I and III) this doesn’t mean that the supplement turns into the correct collagen for skin repair OR that it gets exactly where it needs to go for more youthful, plump skin via ingestion.

A few newer studies out there are showing some promise for that happening but if you rely on the studies specifically then they just aren’t concrete enough at this time. Below is a newer study showing some promise.

[Studies have shown that age-dependent reduction in collagen synthesis can be reversed by oral administration of specific bioactive collagen peptides [,,,,,]. These oligopeptides are obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of natural collagen. After ingestion, they are further metabolized to bioactive di- and tri-peptides in the gastrointestinal tract, which are then released into the blood stream and accumulated in the skin to form the collagen biomatrix [,,].

[Typical collagen hydrolysates are composed of peptides of different lengths and, depending on the collagen source, are characterized by a special amino acid composition. The unique (high coverage—[HC]) collagen complex (ELASTEN®) tested here contains short chain oligopeptides composed of 5 to 8, 9 to 15, and 16 to 26 amino acids and have a high coverage with amino acids sequences found in human skin collagen proteins.]

Published online 2019 Oct 17 by the US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health

A Medical Aestheticians Opinion

Now for my opinion- We as Medical Aestheticians working along side Dermatologists rely greatly on scientific studies and research. It’s impossible not to. But even though I know the studies are not concrete and that several doctors and providers may disagree with or ignore studies that collagen supplements help to keep the skin plumper and more youthful, I take it every day anyway. My reasoning is: why not? It could be helping stave off aging even a small amount, helping ease the demise of my over used joints and muscles. It’s definitely not hurting anything and if nothing else, it’s a clean, low calorie protein source in my coffee everyday!

We DO know that consistent use of high quality, medical grade products such as Vitamin C and Retinol (Vitamin A) are proven to stimulate collagen and prevent loss of collagen, so those are no brainers! Everyone should be doing those as basic anti-aging skincare.

benefits of collagen peptides, vitamin c
Benefits of collagen peptides, retinol

We also know without a doubt that several treatments stimulate the right type of collagen for lifting, firming and smoothing the skin. Microneedling, Radio Frequency, RF Microneedling, Ultherapy, different wavelenghth laser treatments, chemical peels, etc. Most of these treatments stimulate elastin as well which gives the skin its elasticity or “snap-back”, but that’s for another post…

So in conclusion: rely on tried and true products and treatments for collagen stimulation and prevention. Drink lots of water, stay out of the sun and WEAR SPF DAILY, limit processed foods and sugar specifically and get plenty of sleep! A healthy lifestyle and an excellent skin care regime will be just what the doctor ordered and you can sprinkle some collagen peptide powder on top for good measure!

benefits of collagen peptides benefits of collagen peptides benefits of collagen peptides benefits of collagen peptides benefits of collagen peptides benefits of collagen peptides benefits of collagen peptides benefits of collagen peptides benefits of collagen peptides benefits of collagen peptides

What is Toner and Do You Need It?

by | Apr 29, 2020 | accent aesthetics, skincare colorado

The questions I get asked most when it comes to a personal skincare regime is “what is toner?” and “do I need it?”, and these question have many answers.

What is Toner?

First of all, “Toner” can mean many different things. There are several different types of skincare products that classify themselves as toner and they all do very different things for the skin.

Secondly, every skin is different and has different needs.

For the most part a toner is a watery like product that you apply after cleansing to prep your skin for corrective products. Some will be astringent-like to reduce sebum production and kill bacteria. Others will sooth and calm irritated skin. And some will hydrate. The best ones will do it all!

Do I Need It?

I prefer and would recommend using a “toner” to help spread products on the skin. Good quality, highly active corrective products such as retinol, vitamin c and hydrating serum are not cheap, using the correct “toner” will help them last much longer while providing pH balance.

They should ALL help restore the skins pH post cleanse. The pH of the skin is of the utmost importance when is comes to consistency of home skincare, but that’s for another post…

If you’re oily and or acneic, do not use anything with denatured alcohol in it.  Remember Sea Breeze? If you’re over 40 like me, you do. It was the go-to toner in the 80’s and dried the skin out terribly! While that feels and looks good temporarily, drying the skin out disrupts the pH, throws oil production out of whack, causes inflammation and irritation and just makes every skin issue worse. I would recommend oily and acneic skin use a toner with witch hazel.

Good quality witch hazel not only has astringent qualities which fight bacteria and lessen sebum production, but also acts as an anti-irritant and anti-inflammatory which is essential when dealing with acneic skin. Witch hazel is derived from a plant and contains tannins. These tannins are responsible for decreasing swelling, speeding wound healing, warding off infection and the added bonus of antioxidant protection!

what is toner

We recommend Meg 21 Moisturizing Toner. Witch hazel is only 1 of the stars of this toner. It contains sodium hyaluronate, derived from hyaluonic acid to bind essential moisture to the skin but is a smaller molecule that can more easily penetrate the skin deeply. It also contains several antioxidants, lemon peel for brightening the skin, especially post inflammatory pigmentations from acne, and then of course, their signature ingredient supplemine.

Supplemine is an anti-glycation ingredient, breaking down toxic sugars in the skin before they can break down it’s collagen and elastin, making it the perfect “toner” for anyone fighting aging. It is also the perfect “toner” for anyone fighting with acne because it provides the skin with essential hydration it needs to maintain a healthy pH which helps decrease a KEY component of acne which is inflammation.

what is toner

Another amazing one we recommend and carry is Revision Skincare Soothing Facial Rinse. This “toner” is a little thicker, still water-like consistency but slightly more dense which I LOVE because I’m SO dry. It contains many plant extracts including algae which leaves the skin smooth and plump, not dry and tight. 

Arnica which is high in flavanoids giving it a high antioxidant property, and quickly sooths the skin. Grapeseed extract which is rich in antioxidants to prevent oxidative stress to the skin. Pro-vitamin B5 which intensly hydrates and nourishes the skin. And Vitamin K which speeds wound healing, decreases the appearance of dark spots, bruises and scars.

Using one of these products before my Vitamin C in the morning and my Retinol at night not only help spread the product ensuring I use less and that these correctives last longer, but they also create a blanket of hydration to the skin sealing more moisture in which every skintype desperately needs here in Colorado!

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The Essential Skincare Correctives You Need in Your Regime

by | Feb 10, 2020 | accent aesthetics, Acne Facial, HydrafacialMD, IPL Limelight, Microdermabrasion, Microneedling, Peels, skincare colorado, Sun & Skincare, Uncategorized

skincare correctives

Skincare Correctives: What Do We Mean When We Talk About These?

You’ve got your basic skincare products: cleanser, maybe a toner, moisturizer, and SPF. But what skincare products do we all need to really see a change in our skin? To see a healthier, clearer, younger-acting skin? These are our essential skincare correctives for almost all skin types and skin concerns.

Retinol

Vitamin A derivatives are a must for almost every single person who walks through our door. Retinol is the only clinally proven skincare ingredient shown to actually reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, and if you’re a retinol junkie like us, you know it does that and then some.

Our skin cells naturally regenerate every 28 days when we’re young, that slows down significantally as we age, leading to a build up of dry, dead skin, dullness, dark spots and crepey texture. Acne can also be caused by this build up of dead skin in the pores, forming a “traffic jam” with our sebum leading to congestion. This is why we see so many clients with dry yet acneic skin.

Consistant retinol use keeps the cell turnover going at an excellerated rate. This allows for better absorbtion of other skincare products, a decrease in unwanted pigmentation (sundamage), fewer fine lines and wrinkles, less congestion of blackheads and whiteheads, more hydrated skin, more even skintone, less scarring, production of new collagen and  prevention of collagen loss that we already have and want to keep! That’s pretty fantastic! We joke around here that if you have wrinkles: retinol, acne: retinol, boyfriend dumped you: retinol, and on and on! It really does help EVERYTHING!

The sun can deactivate the vitamin A so it is always recommended to use at night. This also encourages us to cleanse and prep the skin before bed which we all know at this point is crucial for healthy, beautiful skin!

Vitamin C

An absolute must for any Colorado skin, Vitamin C does so many things. Our bodies don’t store or produce Vitamin C and it’s essential for collagen production. It’s also great for lightening hyperpigmentation or sun spots, or just overall brighteing of the skin. Vitamin C can also help reduce chronic redness in the skin as it acts as an anti-inflammatory. Acne is often improved with Vitamin C use as well, as inflammation is a key coomponent of acne.

Hyperpigmentation, broken capillaries and diffuse redness can all be signs of sundamage and that’s important to know living in a state with an elevation like ours.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps prevent and reverse oxidative damage caused by UV rays. The sun, especially at our elevation, causes so much more oxidation (free radical damage) on our skin than that of sea level. We recommend this important ingredient to every person and skin concern we see, even if it’s preventative.

Eye Cream and Neck Cream

These are often at the bottom of the priority list for people and they should absolutely be at the top! The signs of aging on the neck and around the eyes are not only some of the hardest to treat but some of the most common concerns we hear.

The skin around the eyes is the thinnest skin on the body and often lacks active oil glands, combine that with constant motion from smiling, etc. and fine lines, wrinkles and laxity show up quickly!

The neck will often show signs of aging from “tech neck” or the constant position of our heads and necks looking down at out screens all day, everyday. Sleeping also causes creases and wrinkles on the neck and chest from prolonged postitions. The skin on the neck is often neglected when it comes to basic skin care products such as moisturizer and spf leading to a quick onset of lines and wrinkles. The neck and chest are thin and need not only the basics but the corrective skincare treatments just as much as your face. Trust us. You’ll thank us later.

Scheduling a consultation is the best way to learn what medical-grade skincare products are best for you.