Medical-grade skincare

Medical-grade skincare starts with a word on a label, and the first thing that can go wrong is not knowing what that word promises. Cleveland Clinic writes: "But dosage strengths are higher in prescription skin care." A reader who meets the term medical-grade next to the word prescription has a reason to ask which one is in the bottle.

On the label

• The wording on the box: Medical-grade term, does it have legal meaning?
• The comparison with the shelf: Medical-grade skincare versus standard products, what differs?

In the box

• The strength of one ingredient: Medical-grade formulas carry what percent vitamin C?
• The same ingredient head to head: Is medical-grade vitamin C stronger than drugstore serums?

At the counter

• The price tag: Is medical-grade skin care worth the extra cost?
• The place you bought it: Why buy skincare from a provider's office?

When a small sign needs a professional

Read the sections in that order and stop at the first question you cannot answer from the label. General skin care guidance from dermatologists is available in Dermatologist-Approved Tips for Healthier Skin, published by Cleveland Clinic, and in skin care guidance from the AAD.

A sign that keeps showing up after you start a product is the point to bring it to a licensed clinician.