{"id":1007,"date":"2021-06-21T19:14:00","date_gmt":"2021-06-22T02:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/?p=1007"},"modified":"2025-06-24T12:50:56","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T19:50:56","slug":"part-2-clinical-skincare-series-what-makes-a-formula-clinical-grade-5-things-to-consider-next-time-you-shop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/part-2-clinical-skincare-series-what-makes-a-formula-clinical-grade-5-things-to-consider-next-time-you-shop\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 2, Clinical Skincare Series: What makes a formula \u2018clinical grade\u2019? 5 things to consider next time you shop"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Note from the brand: As a clinical skincare brand, we often get the question: \u201cWhat does being \u2018clinical\u2019 actually mean?\u201d We hope this content series is helpful for a better understanding of clinical skincare.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re about to hit \u201cadd to cart,\u201d but are conflicted: Why do these two products I want feature the same main ingredient, but with different price points? There are reasons for that\u2014here, an expert cosmetic chemist and a seasoned product developer lay out 5 key considerations for skincare shoppers when it comes to ingredients, formulations and what it means to be \u201cclinical grade.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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01<\/div>\n
Is more always better? <\/div>\n

Products that call out high percentages of a particular ingredient can pack an impressive punch. Vanessa Thomas, a cosmetic chemist and founder of Freelance Formulations, says that ingredient percentages do play a role in how well a product works, but equally important is the \u201cquality, purity and ability of the ingredients\u2014for a product to work, its ingredients must have the ability to penetrate skin.\u201d That means pairing heroes (like vitamin C) with exfoliants (like glycolic acid), which clear away dead cells so the hero ingredients can make the greatest impact.<\/p>\n

Andrew Koenig, Murad\u2019s VP of research & development, adds that clinical brands consider \u201cthe synergy of all ingredients working together to deliver proven results in clinical trials.\u201d In other words, if a product\u2019s \u201crecipe\u201d doesn\u2019t easily allow for your skin to receive ingredients like vitamin C properly, the product may not be as efficacious as it can be, regardless of the ingredient percentage.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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02<\/div>\n
What\u2019s a chemist got to do with it? <\/div>\n

Ingredients in the hands of master chefs (vs. apprentices) will yield much different results, just like skilled chemists can often use proprietary technologies and advanced techniques to craft the most efficacious, sensorially sophisticated formulas. Thomas notes that chemists who concoct clinical-grade formulas are always conscious of \u201cmaking the ingredients mix and ensuring that they have the ability to penetrate skin, so the products are better absorbed.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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03<\/div>\n
It’s all about that base<\/div>\n

Hero ingredients like retinol<\/a> are typically blended with a base for a high-quality sensory experience when applying a product. \u201cFormulators can choose to develop a more cost-effective base,\u201d Koenig says, \u201cor a base that can also do some heavy lifting to help a product\u2019s overall efficacy to give you multiple benefits from one product.\u201d He cites squalane as an example: While one chemist may choose a less expensive emollient, another may opt for a more expensive emollient like squalane that\u2019s a \u201clittle bit more sophisticated and elegant, while also tapping into an additional barrier repair and wrinkle reduction benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thomas further elaborates: \u201cClinical products are formulas built from the ground up with the intent of delivering efficacy and a sensorial experience. From the moment a consumer feels the product, they should have an emotional response that delivers a message of high performance. That comes from a formula as a whole\u2014it\u2019s about the entire experience for a product to feel substantial.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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04<\/div>\n
Reading between the (ingredient list) lines <\/div>\n

Are ingredient lists the end-all-be-all of what\u2019s in the formula? Not necessarily, Koenig says: \u201cMany clinical-grade brands are committed to ingredient transparency throughout the supply chain, and that means deep-diving into the raw materials\u2014the building blocks that come together to create the final ingredient\u2014which can expose potential ingredient weaknesses.\u201d By truly examining where the final ingredients come from, skilled chemists can have a greater impact on how product recipes should be crafted to produce the best possible results.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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05<\/div>\n
Put to the test\u2014literally <\/div>\n

Proof of skin-benefit claims is typically requisite for clinical brands. \u201cMany clinical-grade products that claim a benefit or say they solve a skin concern problem must undergo clinical trials to prove efficacy, before they\u2019re even allowed to go to market,\u201d Thomas notes (more on that here<\/u><\/a>). In addition to efficacy tests, there are also stability tests, which use extreme heat and other severe environments to monitor product degradation and establish a product\u2019s shelf life.<\/p>\n

Whew. That\u2019s a lot to consider next time you shop. But in the vast\u2014and often confusing\u2014world of skincare, being armed with more info is better than blindly adding to cart.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

More about clinical skincare here:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 1, Clinical Skincare Series: To believe or not to believe those amazing skin-benefit claims we see everywhere?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part 3, Clinical Skincare Series: 5 facts and fictions you need to know about clinical vs. clean brands<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Note from the brand: As a clinical skincare brand, we often get the question: \u201cWhat does being \u2018clinical\u2019 actually mean?\u201d We hope this content series is helpful for a better understanding of clinical skincare. You\u2019re about to hit \u201cadd to cart,\u201d but are conflicted: Why do these two products I want feature the same main […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":1099,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1007","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-skin"],"metadata":{"_edit_lock":["1750794658:21"],"_edit_last":["21"],"adobe_analytics_repeatable":["a:1:{i:0;a:2:{s:4:\"name\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"value\";s:0:\"\";}}"],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["60"],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["1"],"primary_category":["5"],"_primary_category":["field_608c33bdd26d5"],"show_featured_image":["1"],"_show_featured_image":["field_609ee1cf1ce13"],"_thumbnail_id":["1099"],"post_views_count":["3493"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["5"],"_wp_old_date":["2021-06-23"],"mobile_image":[""],"_mobile_image":["field_60bf7692abe28"],"_post_views_count":["field_6107dfafd6a27"],"sidebar_products_use_global_default":["0"],"_sidebar_products_use_global_default":["field_63a349a11086a"],"sidebar_products_title":["Related Products"],"_sidebar_products_title":["field_6408d62123449"],"sidebar_products_items":[""],"_sidebar_products_items":["field_63a349a110878"],"sidebar_products":[""],"_sidebar_products":["field_63a349a0dadad"],"_yoast_wpseo_title":["What makes skincare clinical grade? | Murad Skincare"],"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":["What makes skincare clinical grade? 5 key factors to consider when shopping for effective skincare products."]},"aioseo_notices":[],"acf":{"primary_category":{"term_id":5,"name":"Skin","slug":"skin","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":238,"filter":"raw"},"show_featured_image":true,"post_views_count":"3493","mobile_image":false,"sidebar_products":{"use_global_default":false,"title":"Related Products","items":""}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1007"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1007\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9557,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1007\/revisions\/9557"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/1099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}