Fact: Appearance Is Important
In our modern society, proper skincare and looking good is more important than it has ever been. In part, this is because society equates a person’s appearance to their competency. Society views young, attractive, and well-put-together individuals as being more trustworthy and intelligent.
This is especially true in the business world. Sometimes, the difference between getting a lucrative business contract or not depends solely on one’s appearance. For this reason, it’s not surprising to see billions of dollars spent on cosmetics and skin products every year.
That being said, there is a major difference between generic, over-the-counter products and those that are designed to address specific individual needs. When you visit Travis Shaw, MD, you can expect our master esthetician to evaluate your skincare needs and provide you with the best medical grade skincare products on the market.
Over-the-counter Skincare
If you research the majority of the over-the-counter skin care products, you may be surprised to learn that these products are not as effective as they claim to be. While these products may have a limited effect on the external layers of a person’s skin, they do not have a sufficient amount of the active ingredients to penetrate underneath the epidermis and affect the skin’s deeper layers.
The weak design of these products is purposeful and is maintained across all over-the-counter brands for two reasons. The first reason is that these products are designed to be used by the general population. As such, they are made to provide just enough treatment without potentially damaging those with sensitive skin. For example, if there is a skin care product that is designed to treat oily skin, it is made to be just strong enough to provide some relief from oily skin, but not so strong that it would negatively affect a person who had very sensitive skin.
The second reason is that over-the-counter skin care products allow for self-diagnosis. So a person will say that their skin is oily, as opposed to having a medical professional look at their skin and say they have oily skin. If over-the-counter skin care products were stronger, patients would misdiagnose their skin conditions and risk hurting themselves.
Medical Grade Skincare
On the other side of the coin, there are medical-grade skin care products, such as the ZO Line. These products are designed to actually correct skincare problems that people have. They have a higher concentration of active ingredients and have the ability to penetrate the external layer of the skin, providing effective treatment.
Since medical-grade skin care products can only be prescribed by a doctor or someone with a medical license, the prescription that is written is designed to specifically treat the issue that the patient has. With medical-grade skincare products, the patient does not self-diagnose, but instead is given medicine in response to the doctor’s expert analysis.
Medical-grade skin care products are pharmaceuticals. This means that their purity and their safety is regulated by the FDA. Over-the-counter cosmetics do not all have the same FDA oversight. Before medical-grade skin care products can be released to the public, they must be tested to prove that they are able to treat the skin condition they are prescribed for and to prove that they do not pose any danger to the public.
ZO Line Skin Care in Richmond, VA
Designed by world-renowned skincare expect, Dr. Zein Obagi, the ZO Line includes cleansers, anti-aging serums, acne creams and more. These medical grade products are specially formulated to deliver optimal results for those who want to attain a higher level of skin rejuvenation. When you visit our clinic, we will discuss the full range of ZO Line products we offer. Following her assessment, she will make a recommendation to help your skin glow without giving you that “overdone” look.
It is always best if you can do an in-office consultation but we do offer virtual skincare consultations as well. Once you have begun your skincare regimen, we ask that you follow back up with us one month after beginning your products. It is important to schedule this in-office appointment so that we can ensure you are on the right path to receiving your best results!
The ZO Products at Travis Shaw, MD
Category | ZO Skin Health Product | Price |
---|---|---|
Cleansers | Hydrating Cleanser Exfoliating Cleanser Gentle Cleanser | $47 ($19 for travel size) |
Exfoliators | Exfoliating Polish Dual Action Scrub | $68 ($21 for travel size) $80 ($49 for travel size) |
Toners | Complexion Renewal Pad Oil Control Pad Calming Toner | $53 $64 $40 ($15 for travel size) |
Antiaging | Daily Power Defense Illuminating AOX Serum Growth Factor Serum Wrinkle + Texture Repair Radical Night Repair Firming Serum Enzymatic Peel | $150 $165 $155 $145 $175 $243 $75 |
Brightening | Exfoliation Accelerator Brightalive Skin Brightener Retinol Skin Brightener 0.25% Retinol Skin Brightener 0.5% Pigment Control Crème Pigment Control + Brightening Crème Pigment Control + Blending Crème | $72 $130 $82 $115 $70 $103 $70 |
Acne | Acne Control 10% Benzoyl Complexion Clearing Masque | $36 $47 |
Redness | Rozatrol | $91 |
Hydration + Calming | Renewal Crème Recovery Crème Hydrating Crème | $106 $106 $110 ($56 for travel size) |
Eye Care | Growth Factor Eye Serum Eye Brightening Crème Intense Eye Crème | $130 |
Skin Protect | Sunscreen + Primer SPF 30 Smart-Tone SPF 50 Daily Sheer SPF 50 | $67 ($36 for travel size) $70 ($34 for travel size) $70 |
ZO Skin Health Products in Richmond, Virginia
For a consultation, call/text (804) 775-4559 or request an appointment by filling out the form below.